The Rise of the Black Plain

The Spatial Kingdom was a cultivation sanctuary made for training soldiers and promoting the forces of an organization.

After gaining the position of master of the Gray Clouds Sect, already gained various responsibilities in that organization and identifying those most committed to him, Minos presented such an opportunity to these Spiritual Saints.

After a few weeks since he first did this, these experts began cultivating in that place, eliminating any doubts they had about Minos.

They were people who wanted to become stronger and had ambitions. So by being presented with this opportunity, they all became much more agreeable toward Minos. Not only that, they helped even this emperor become more interesting to follow by others who did not know anything about the opportunity.

With that, of the Gray Clouds Sect's Spiritual Saints currently in the Black Plain Empire, 29 already had contracts with Minos and occasionally pursued their dream of reaching the 9th stage in that place.

Minos needed Spiritual Sages, and these people wanted to become individuals at that cultivation stage. Thus, the two sides worked harmoniously, with those individuals from the Flaming Empire slowly learning about the local plans for the future.

Because of this, the concern of people like that level 78 Spiritual Saint regarding local success was already high to the point that they seemed like true natives of this area.

But even that individual, so close to the 9th stage, calmed down a bit after Minos reminded him that it was not easy to go against Soul Contracts.

'We'll probably be safe...' He sighed as he tried to return to his positive thoughts regarding the future.

After a few moments of talking about the group that had left, the people in that area focused on receiving important visits heard Minos changing the subject.

"All of you, enjoy the weeks ahead of us. I intend very soon to go into seclusion to advance. After that, I want to make a full-scale attack on the enemy forces." Minos said thoughtfully.

He then looked at those people there who were members of the Gray Clouds Sect and already had agreements with him. "As for you, convince the other experts to sign agreements with me as soon as possible."

"The sooner we have these people training in the right place, the better the results of our final confrontations with Abe's terrorists will be!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." They replied before departing from there to follow the orders of the local sovereign.

...

One week later...

Somewhere, countless meters above ground level, a man was meditating under the clouds in one of the central areas of the Eastern Empire.

This man had long blond hair and pale skin, but the sun's rays from there seemed to make his skin shine like a diamond, emitting a halo under his body.

He was wearing a large golden robe with the symbol of an adult dragon skull, while he had a tattoo of a golden half-moon on his forehead.

Below him, the space seemed to tremble due to his aura, which created a gigantic zone of low spiritual pressure, causing spiritual currents to blow in the direction where he was.

The result of this? For dozens of kilometers, this was one of the best areas to cultivate in this state, even considering that the biggest beneficiary of this was the man responsible for the phenomenon himself.

Anyway, while this man was quietly meditating at this place from where he could observe the main points of his state, suddenly, a subordinate appeared nearby to disturb him.

"Sorry to disturb Your Majesty's meditation, but I have news regarding Alvin." A man dressed in silver armor with some golden details, level 95, said this as he knelt in front of that man.

That was none other than the supposedly strongest man in the Central Continent, Vico Travisani, Emperor of the Eastern Empire, level 99!

Vico opened his eyes and looked through the void before him, seeing far beyond where he was. "What happened to him? I see he doesn't look well."

He could spy on that level 80 Spiritual Sage who was watching Abe in the northern region, even though he was at such a distance. But Emperor Travisani could not see beyond the present, so he did not know what that man had found to send an unexpected message.

The level 95 Spiritual Demigod then said. "Responding to Your Majesty, Alvin came across envoys from the Western Empire on the Black Plain. According to him, these people visited the local sovereign. Then they left alongside a man who had not come with their group initially."

"Oh? Is the Western Empire planning to get involved with the Black Plain to get in our way? But how will they do that? They don't have a non-aggression agreement with the Church that is as good as ours..." This man sitting in a lotus position, muttered in a low voice, not understanding the situation.

He then looked in the direction of Dry City and saw that the situation in this place seemed normal without the presence of people from the Western Empire.

Unlike what one might think, the free spiritual energy in the sky and on earth was not the same everywhere. Each region had its own 'mark,' something cultivators of the highest level could distinguish.

Therefore, by observing Dry City through his abilities, this expert could notice that the millions of people in that place were only beings from the northern region and adjacent areas. Thus, he did not suspect that Minos was plotting with the Western Empire, his greatest enemy.

He tried to observe the people in the imperial palace, but no one there caught his attention.

'King-grade physique... It's not so bad, but he'll never become a God with an innate ability of that level.' He watched in Minos' direction, feeling there was no point in paying attention to this young man or worrying about such a person allying with his enemies.

"What should we do, Your Majesty?" That man asked after a few minutes of silence from his leader.

Vico then replied. "Start an investigation regarding what these people from the Western Empire went to do in Dry City. But for now, don't do anything else. I want to know what their next moves will be."

"Fine. But what about Alvin, Your Majesty? He has not been succeeding in his journey."

Vico looked once more in Alvin's direction and said. "We have nothing to do. There is a Spiritual Sage from the Spiritual Church watching his movements. If he does much more than he has already been doing, he will bring trouble to all of us."

"So we should let him continue what he's doing? But what about the key to that place?"

The emperor closed his eyes and said. "He hasn't found that map after so long in the northern region... Sigh, maybe that thing isn't around there anymore."

"Let him continue with his work while he can. But once he loses his current condition, make him return."

"OK." That man said before departing from there and leaving his sovereign alone.

Vico entered his state of meditation and once again looked at the difference in cultivation between his level and what the cultivation should be for him to reach level 100.

Looking at this, this man felt like a small human next to an 11-story building.

'I still have a very long way to go!'

'I must prepare for the Continental Tournament's next edition!'