The Rise of the Black Plain

"Spiritual Saints and weaker cultivators... They're no big deal." Starclaw commented as she slowly lowered her altitude to land in the middle of that area.

Meanwhile, Minos was looking at two people in that place, two high-level Spiritual Saints.

"Aren't those King and Queen Vogel?" He opened his mouth in surprise, unexpectedly finding the members of that royal family he had set the Church to chase.

"Uh? You know them?" Starclaw heard that and couldn't help but be curious about the histories between these people.

Minos shook his head affirmatively. "Sort of. I met on a few occasions, but soon after, they began their escape from Spiritual Church men. Since then, I haven't heard of their group.

I didn't expect that they were hiding here!"

After being thrown into a disastrous situation because of Abe's mistakes, the survivors of his family fled across the Ancestral Sea and eventually reached Lusmait.

In such a kingdom, they had moved around a few times until they reached this reclusive and peaceful place years ago.

There they had not only restarted their lives but were slowly flourishing.

Previously the strongest of this family was someone at level 77, but currently, several such individuals could be seen in the surroundings.

At the same time, the former King Vogel had improved his cultivation and was currently at level 79!

Minos realized this quickly, thinking about how this family had escaped certain death for the Spiritual Church to be found by him now.

'Their luck is not good at all...' He laughed just before jumping off Starclaw's back and landing moments later in the middle of that mountaintop where the Vogel family village was.

When he landed in the middle of that area, all the strongest cultivators sensed his presence and moved.

As Starclaw transformed into her humanoid version and stopped behind Minos, several Vogel family warriors surrounded the two.

Among these people, the former Vogel King and his wife appeared there, fearing what these experts wanted with them.

Their place was very inconspicuous and had nothing of great value for tens of square kilometers. At the same time, the top of this mountain had nothing exposed but simple houses, so they couldn't help but worry about the intentions of these visitors.

'What do such strong experts want with us?' The father of the late Abe Vogel wondered until he and his wife got close enough to see the faces of these newcomers.

When they arrived in front of Minos and Starclaw, they realized why some of their men looked so shocked as they stared at these two!

Starclaw was powerful, but if they were subservient, their chances of survival would not be so terrible.

The problem with everything there was the young level 80 Spiritual Sage!

"Minos!"

"Minos Stuart!"

Husband and wife shouted almost simultaneously, not believing that this enemy had found them in this place.

Not only that, the damned thing was now a fucking Spiritual Sage!

Minos was just a Spiritual Emperor when they first met him, but now...

"King and Queen Vogel, it's been a long time, huh? We haven't seen each other for 30 years or so?" Minos smiled at those people, noticing how terrified they were.

"A little less than that..." Abe's father said, feeling that his family was lost.

There was nothing they could do to face this terrible opponent!

"Hmm, that's right... Ah, time does pass quickly. At that time, you were running away from the Spiritual Church. I didn't expect you would be here." He said, remembering the past a bit. "I thought you had died or left the continent.

I honestly would have gone to the Divine Continent if I were in your place."

"The trip would have been too costly for a family the size of mine." Abe's father said as everyone in the surrounding area was too afraid of the situation to say anything.

Even Abe's mother, who had always been somewhat proactive, was silent, watching Minos.

Minos was not bothered by the silence of these people and understood that it really would have been difficult for this family to move to the Divine Continent. 

After all, it wouldn't be just one or two people fleeing but dozens!

There were no more children around now, but there had been decades ago when they had left Vogel to begin their escape.

"Anyway, what do you want here? Are you here to kill us, Minos?" The former King Vogel mustered his courage to ask this, feeling that the tension in the surroundings was too high and that he needed to clear things up with this person. "I was never your enemy.

Everything that happened back there had been Abe's doing. But from what I hear, you killed him, didn't you? I think that should end our business.

We also wanted to kill that fucking traitor."

Minos was silent, looking at the people in the area, young Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Generals watching him in fear from inside some houses.

He said after a while. "It is true. Our affairs are settled. I killed Abe, and Vogel belongs to me."

The people in the surrounding area sighed before they felt the pressure on them increasing.

"But I am an outer member of the Church, an organization that wishes your deaths..." Minos said, playing with these people.

Abe's mother, level 78, then gathered her courage and said. "If you are going to do this, do it at once." She looked at her husband and said. "Honey, we tried our best, but fate is not with us. But we won't die humiliated!"

That man clenched his fists, feeling that his wife's words were indeed appropriate.

If Minos would kill them, let him do it once and for all and stop his threats.

On the other hand, they were not totally incapable of action!

They could still sacrifice themselves and finish everything in their own way.

Minos saw the determination in some of those eyes and said. "I can close my eyes and pretend I didn't see you..."

The ancient King Vogel observed him and asked. "If?"

"If you guys work for me."

"What?"

"Work for him?"

"No way! Impossible! We cannot return to the Church's domain."

The people in the surrounding area finally recovered some courage to comment.

But then Minos said. "Work for me in the western region. Watch the situation of these states in the war that must happen soon and send your results to the Black Plain.

That's all I want from you. Be my eyes and ears in this place and, when necessary, my messengers. That is the price for me to keep your secret and not kill you."

...