The Rise of the Black Plain

'So that damn thing is fighting in the Flaming Empire? Is this something to do with the Gray Clouds Sect?' Abe wondered as he fell into the midst of his various thoughts.

There were no further details in the letter sent by the leader of the Saints Killing Sect, so there was no way for him to be sure of any things. But as someone who was a prince of an enemy state of the Flaming Empire, Abe knew about the situation of the eight major sects in that domain.

Because of this, he was aware that Minos had a family in the Gray Clouds Sect and also of that organization's war against the Saints Killing Sect. Thus, guessing that this information should have a bearing on such a conflict had not been difficult for him.

'At the time I allied with people from that sect, I never had contact from the sect master... But now, he does.' He came to the conclusion that such a thing could only be it. 'Minos started acting against that sect, and this person wants to take revenge through me!'

"So he is fighting another war while fighting against us?"

"Brave!"

"Haha, it seems like he's underestimating us, guys!"

"The bastard thinks he's better than us... How dare he?"

"Let's make him swallow his arrogance!"

While Abe was silent, the mercenaries in the surrounding area commented as they were feeling humiliated that a mere Spiritual Emperor was so bold.

They knew that Minos was strong. Several of them were even afraid of meeting Emperor Stuart on the battlefield. But still, none of them felt good that a 7th-stage cultivator was acting so disrespectfully against them!

It was as if Minos was sending them the message that he was so much better than them that he could fight another conflict simultaneously!

Abe then said. "I want some of you to go to the Flaming Empire to keep an eye on the Gray Clouds Sect and the battlefield of that organization and the Saints Killing Sect."

"As for the rest of you, we will move to the vicinity of Dry City. If Minos is spotted fighting in those places, we will immediately attack that bastard's capital!"

"Yes!"

"Hehe, time for us to take real action!"

"The bastard will pay for his disrespect!"

"Finally! We can take revenge..."

The people there unanimously approved Abe's decision, eager to 'taste' the main forces of the Black Plain Empire, the men who had been 'hiding' lately.

'I know you must be acting against me, Minos. But your plans will not turn out as you planned! Whether you will win or not, I don't know. But you will pay with blood for the attempt!' Abe looked toward the horizon in the direction of the capital of this state, smiling mischievously.

...

Meanwhile, in one of the camps of the Gray Clouds Sect on the battlefield that Minos had passed earlier...

At this moment, a group of three high-level Spiritual Saints had just landed in the area, heading towards a region of space devoid of light in the surroundings.

Upon arriving there, the camp guards tried to warn these people, who were also from the sect, about the danger of that thing, but none of them paid any attention to these people. Instead, they went to the vicinity of the technique fusion left by Minos with interest in investigating it.

"Come on. The patriarch and elders have ordered us to find a way to master it and use it to the family's advantage." One such individual said this in a hurry to discover Minos' secrets and help Lance achieve the position of sect master.

These were envoys from House Terry, level 77 individuals who were in this camp as the family's last hope to get Lance into the position of sect master.

If they failed in this place, besides Minos' death, there would be no other chance for them since this guy was really very impressive and necessary for the sect's victory in the war.

But as long as they had a chance, they would not give up. Hence, soon the three individuals began to analyze that black hole.

"Amazing!" One of them commented after a few seconds of trying to scan such a thing.

"That's a terrible thing! How can it be? I can't feel anything but this terrifying energy!" The strongest of them commented as he felt sweat dripping down his back.

They could feel with their soul senses that there was a lot of pure, dense spiritual energy surrounded by Natural Laws escaping through the boundaries of it. But as they tried to 'look' into the event horizon, all they felt was a terrifying emptiness that seemed to be trying to suck the consciousness of each of them out of their bodies.

The more they looked, the more they felt fear and the urge to retract their auras as if a powerful predator was watching them from its lair.

"Was that truly created by the sect master?"

Gulp!

'No wonder his grandfather chose him!'

'He's a much worse monster than that fellow!' One of these individuals thought about it as he wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. 'With an ability like that, he could threaten the empire's existence in a few years!'

But one of them was curious to try to test that thing. "Brothers, why don't we try sending an artifact into it? Maybe we can probe what's inside it if we put some of our spirituality into it."

"That..."

"I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"Come on. I know such a thing is impressive, but we are high-level cultivators! It's not this that will kill us! At most, we'll get a scare!" Such a person insisted, considering that he was one of Lance's closest followers and would be one of the most benefited if that young man became the sect master.

"If you want to try... But I'm not going to do that." One of them said, being followed soon after by the other.

"Tsk!"

'Cowards!' He took an artifact that looked like an eye and threw it into Minos' black hole after putting part of his spirituality into it.

The moment the black hole absorbed such a thing...

Puff!

"Brother?" The two Spiritual Saints there saw that fellow rolling his eyes and falling unconscious face first into the black hole right in front of him.

At the same time, that region of space seemed to have subtly increased in radius, startling them all.

When they realized this, the two individuals fled without looking back, taking their companion, who nobody knew the situation, back to the sect.

...

Three weeks later...

After about a month since the change in command of the Gray Clouds Sect, the battlefield of this organization with its enemies had changed considerably.

Not only had the members of Oswald's sect begun to nurture Minos' black hole, but the forces of that organization had begun to pressure the enemy side.

The members of the Gray Clouds Sect were more united around Minos, with no longer any resistance to him in the leadership position.

Coincidentally, this happened after a Spiritual Saint of that organization had lost an entire level of cultivation after a cultivation incident... After that, the Terry family gave up appointing Lance to the position of sect master, which helped considerably in the unification of that organization against the Saints Killing Sect.

And with that, other organizations in the Flaming Empire found out about the power changes in that institution, and it also contributed to a change in Payton!

...