The Rise of the Black Plain

After waiting for some time in what seemed to be an empty area, the people in Minos' group finally saw the scene in their front change.

With that, in a split second, the place that looked like the top of the mountain turned into the entrance to a gigantic cave, which stretched up to 20 meters high from where they stepped.

"Wow!"

"They were hiding such a thing here?" Vivian said in surprise since, in the other places they had passed, only small outposts were in locations similar to this one.

On the other hand, seeing the group of more than ten people standing in front of the entrance to that cave, they soon realized that such an area was indeed unique.

That was because the person in front of those individuals was a level 62 Spiritual Emperor!

'Level 62? Who is she?' The people in Minos' group looked carefully at that person.

'Oh?' Minos looked at that full-breasted woman, who seemed to be in her early middle age, dressed in a large green robe. 'This woman is not from the sects of the Flaming Empire...' He remembered each of the cultivators at the 7th stage who had come to this region.

"Are you Minos Stuart?" That woman looked at him thoughtfully, ignoring the others in the surrounding area. "What do you want here?"

"Hmm, that is indeed me." He smiled before introducing each of the people in his group to that woman.

"As to why I am here, as I told the watchmen of this place, I am after fugitives. Would you mind if my group searches for these people in your sect?"

"Depending on the size of this place, we can leave your territory in a few hours."

That woman looked carefully at Minos, concerned about the stories regarding this young man who had even made it to this place. "And if we don't accept? What will you do?"

"I won't do anything today," Minos said as he closed his eyes, aware that he could not destroy the barrier protecting that area. "But in a few years, I would return here to deal with the problem..."

"In any case, I don't think you people have any reason to prevent my entry. Aren't you just keeping those frozen skeletons in this place? What difference does it make to you whether I deal with a fugitive or not?" He showed that he knew about their secret, making everyone in that group look at him strangely.

Minos had not recognized this place earlier because the illusion array made it look like there was nothing there. And since the region had changed geographically since the time of Henricus Longus, it was not easy for him to identify precisely where the 'graves' of those skeletons were.

Only by seeing the entrance to that place, which was still as it was millions of years ago, had this young man realized where he was.

"What did you say?"

"Skeletons? How do you know that?" The people in that group finally lost their patience and started talking simultaneously, shocked that someone from outside their organization would know about such a thing.

Not even the few people in this region who knew the powers of the Endless Snow Mountain Range had ever had the opportunity to enter that place and find out about what was there. So naturally, each of those disciples and elders was shocked to see Minos exposing such a secret.

"You..." That woman stepped forward and said in a stunned tone, wondering where Minos was coming from. "You are not from this region!"

"Otherwise, how would you know that?"

"Maybe I dreamed it..." Minos joked as he held one of Abby's hands, hoping those people would unlock the path for them. "So, are you going to let us in?"

"Answer our question first! How do you know about our place? Are you by any chance a member of the Spiritual Church?" She insisted, feeling nervous that someone from the outside would know about this place.

What was on this mountain was a secret even to other powers outside the northern region of the Central Continent. In fact, apart from the Spiritual Church and a half dozen other prominent organizations that had existed since the time of Henricus Longus, no one outside this sect knew about this place!

Hence the woman's concern.

Minos then replied. "I'm not a member of the Spiritual Church, but I even know the purpose of your organization... Hmm, what's the name again? Hmm, Immemorial Graves Sect!"

"What?" That woman almost jumped backward upon hearing that name that even they rarely thought, but which was mysteriously engraved into the large block of ice in that cave.

"No. How do you know so much if you are not from the church? Speak the truth. Do you have dangerous intentions against us?" She felt nervous since, even though she did not understand why, the scriptures of her sect said that the remains in that place could not be tampered with.

But considering her knowledge of how valuable those bones could be, she could not help but fear someone with so much information.

This woman, the master of the Immemorial Graves Sect, had reached level 62 without ever leaving the Endless Snow Mountain Range. The reason for this? Well, it was precisely the abnormally high concentration of spiritual energy by regional standards within that cave, where her sect's core and such skeletons were located.

Knowing that such skeletons were what could justify that extraordinary place, Laura Cox, the current leader of that organization, could not ignore Minos' words.

"Don't worry. I have no power to manipulate those bones, and I would never let other people do that in my place... But, as I said, I'm not interested in your sect today. I just want to settle my affairs with some fugitives."

"I promise that besides looking at the surroundings of your cave and dealing with possible fugitives, I won't do anything else." He said calmly, understanding the side of those people.

Not even Henricus Longus knew how to use those skeletons or imagine their exact origin. But Minos knew such things had great value, perhaps even more than Divine-grade medicines. Thus, he was not bothered by the behavior of those people.

He obviously was interested in finding out more than Henricus Longus about the mystery behind those bones, but this was not his time for that. So, he was only interested in his initial goal there.

After some time standing there thoughtfully, Laura felt that if she let Minos in, at least she could try to resolve some of her doubts.

Anyway, she knew of his reputation as a tyrant. Hence, as her responsibilities bound her to this place, sooner or later, he could come to visit them with enough power to force his way in. By then, it would be too late to talk!

But now, she had a chance to at least have a friendly relationship with him. Of course, that was not ideal, but it was what she could do at the moment!

"All right, clear the way for them." She finally said this, drawing the attention of all her elders and disciples there.

"Sect Master!"

"How? That is too dangerous!"

Several of them protested while Minos smiled, satisfied at getting what he wanted in this place.

"He already knows a lot. So it won't make any difference..." She said to a level 60 individual who had just arrived there. "As for those fellows, they can only blame their own luck for facing such a terrible enemy."

She was referring to the fugitives that Minos was chasing since two of them, a level 59 and a level 62, had arrived at this place after their escapes.

However, as much as her organization had given them first aid, there was no reason for Laura to take a chance on Minos for such strangers. Thus, they were abandoned, left to their own luck.

And soon, Minos and his group walked towards the interior of that cave, following the lead of Laura and some of the elders of that organization.

'Looks like this place hasn't changed much since that time...' Minos observed the ice walls at the entrance of the cave, which was getting flatter and flatter, like the walls of a building rather than a cave.

But this was by no means the most striking feature of the place. As they walked through that entrance, it did not take long for the darkness to be left behind and a great luminosity to appear at the end of the tunnel, brightening the whole area through the thick layers of ice there.

...