The Rise of the Black Plain

After months since he began his seclusion, Minos had finally managed to bring a tiny fraction of the powers of those bones to the light.

It was nothing beyond comprehension or absurdly fantastic for him to have advanced a level in less than a year. Still, it was enough to benefit him and his people significantly.

After months of using his innate ability daily for much of the time he was cultivating, Minos had managed to subtly steal some of the powers of those bones and increase the level of his and other souls there!

He had managed to do the same thing he had been doing since he had advanced to the 8th stage, steal a target's cultivation and transfer those powers to other people.

But there was a crucial difference in this situation within the Spatial Kingdom. What Minos had achieved so far was not enough to make someone level up easily, as he did in normal circumstances. That was enough only for him to make the people in his surroundings, himself included, feel more capable regarding spiritual energy absorption.

He was stimulating them, so they could cultivate as if they were a little stronger than they should be. The result? Everyone's cultivation was faster than ever!

But after managing to do this for the first ten times, Minos and his people realized it wasn't just that. Besides them having the ability to cultivate and even improve their comprehension faster as he used his innate ability to help them, something different than before was happening.

That is, previously, a person with a decreased level and another with a level increased by Minos' ability would return to normal after a while, depending on how each used their abilities. However, what Minos had been doing with those bones had not been happening in the same way. Whenever he stopped using his abilities, no matter how much time passed, people and himself did not have their levels return to normal!

He was managing to give definite advances to those affected by his Physique!

Because of this, after months inside the Spatial Kingdom, if one were to enter there at the moment, one would see that practically all the beings there, beasts and humans, were training near him.

Only then could they benefit from what Minos was doing. Hence, in that ample space, practically two hundred people were in the vicinity of 100 meters away from him.

Minos continued meditating even though he had several discoveries in that period, not interested in stopping and looking for a meal or rest.

All he had in mind was to end his seclusion as quickly as possible to return to his state and have a few more years of peace before deciding what to do about the map in his hands.

While he was seriously cultivating, Abby and Ruth advanced to level 71. On the other hand, Sarah reached level 25, and Kyla managed to advance to level 68.

Several members of the Elite Squad and the Gray Clouds Sect, even low-level elders, had made advances in these months.

Even those who had previously been apprehensive about Minos' anticipated return were now grateful that he had been pressed into service by the women of the Flowers Kingdom!

...

Somewhere in the Flaming Empire...

A group of three tall, strong, and beautiful Flowers Kingdom women was flying over the surroundings as they looked at the terrain earnestly.

"I don't think he's far away." A level 81 woman said, while her two companions, one level 80 and one at the same level as her, were searching for the tracks of their target.

After almost a year of investigating Mortimer's whereabouts, these women sent by the noblewoman who lost to Minos earlier were getting close to their target.

They were merely searching for Mortimer's location, so they didn't intend to do anything against him other than mark him.

But while they were finding this man's tracks, he was aware that someone was in pursuit of him, sensing this with the constant hints of his, or rather Gavin's, innate ability.

Because of this man's movements, these women's work had been greatly hindered.

But still, they were stronger and better equipped than Mortimer, and this man couldn't help but shiver, feeling that he was the target of someone closer and closer to him.

This man's life had been a disaster since his defeat by Minos. His cultivation was damaged so much that he could no longer improve himself.

But not only that, parts of his body had been lost forever, and even using good items created by his subordinates, a mechanical arm and leg, no matter how good they were, would not compare to one made of flesh, with the spiritual element present.

He no longer had the right to have this and could only humiliate himself, living as a cripple, even though he was a powerful Spiritual Sage in a place dominated by Saints.

Now, being pursued, this already somewhat disturbed man couldn't help but tremble in fear and hide even more vigorously.

'Damn it! When is this going to stop? Why don't these bastards attack me soon?' He wondered again, thinking his opponents might want to drive him mad or even force him to kill himself.

Being constantly persecuted while desolate, with incurable physical and spiritual after-effects, was enough to disturb even one of the most lucid minds!

A disturbed mind would mess up so badly as to even self-harm, and currently, this former sect master could only imagine that his enemies wished this for him.

'Damn Minos! I hope wherever you are, you suffer, you worm! You deserve disgrace!' He pressed his teeth together but without the courage to go after revenge.

Mortimer no longer wanted to hear from Minos or the Black Plain. He didn't even know that, at the present moment, the Stuart Emperor could not defend his territory.

The trauma of this fellow was great, and he feared that if he met Minos, this emperor would kill him!

To him, Minos would not make the same mistake twice, so he wanted distance, even though he hated that person so much that he cursed him daily.

Anyway, he moved to the interior of his floating island, the safest place he had to hide.

The three women realized this and finally identified exactly where Minos' target was!

"What do we do now?" One of them asked, feeling this was the end of their mission.

"One of you stays here to keep watch over him." The strongest of the three said. "I will return to the kingdom to notify Miss Shannon of this. She can finally be free of her responsibilities to Minos."

With those words, she opened a wormhole and set off toward her home state to discover Minos' situation.