The Rise of the Black Plain

"That beast had six tails and was almost twice the height of Mr. Minos, but in front of him, it looked like a friendly pet!" Ward explained while gesturing with his hands, impersonating Emlyn.

"She didn't have one of her paws, but that doesn't bother her. When that Spiritual King suffered to fight Mr. Minos, that beast finally attacked him, seriously wounding Jamie!"

When they heard that, those people were blown away. They were happy to know how strong Minos was and even Emlyn's very existence.

If the two could fight against Spiritual Kings, then didn't that mean the Dry City could already be considered a place with two individuals of that level? They thought so!

And that made them feel safe. After all, the Spiritual World was not a simple and secure place. So, even though many of these people never ventured out, there was no need for anyone to go far to understand this.

There were always more 'vicious' people, criminals, and 'accidents,' even in the smallest communities. Therefore, uncertainty and fear of reality were something that existed among those weaker and less talented people!

Finally, some comments sounded around that bar.

"Ahh, I'm glad to know that we can count on such powerful people!"

"True, but I'm surprised our little town already has a 6th stage beast!"

"Me too. I thought that butler Dillian was going to be the first Spiritual King of our little town. But that doesn't seem to be the case!"

"Eh? Doesn't that mean we'll have three cultivators from the 6th stage of cultivation soon?" Another person said in a low voice...

Finally, a curious young man asked old Ward about the rest of the fight. This former captive then sighed for a moment and then continued his story.

"After that, that Spiritual King was slain by Mr. Minos, just moments after that spiritual beast joined the fight."

After that, one of the other two former captives who had not yet spoken told the audience. "I regret not having watched Mr. Minos' fight with that Spiritual King, Jamie. But I did get to see one of Mr. Minos' divine techniques when he destroyed the Chambers family's young master's cultivation."

"Hmm, I saw that too. It was terrifying. In fact, I felt in my own skin the suppression of that technique!" The other two commented with solemn expressions.

The feeling of not being able to move even an inch was genuinely terrifying. So, naturally, these three men who had felt the power of the Spatial Sword could never forget that moment.

Hearing this, another person in the crowd asked anxiously. "What was Mr. Minos' technique like? Was it that powerful?"

Ward nodded in agreement and responded. "Yea. Mr. Minos stopped the space for tens of meters, causing dozens of cultivators to stand motionless at that moment, without even being able to move or speak!"

"We could see everything around us, including Mr. Minos moving like nothing, was happening. But that was just for him. For us, we were frozen, as if our bodies had stopped obeying our orders."

That was the expected effect for people of lesser cultivation than Minos. For people at levels close to this young man, the sensation would be as if their bodies were getting heavier, slowing down their speeds.

But for people much weaker than the young Stuart, no matter how hard these individuals tried, they couldn't even feel this apparent weight. It was as if their bodies had stopped taking orders from their souls, and they were stuck in that situation!

Anyway, hearing the declaration of the three men, the people in that place had open mouths and shining eyes, shocked and happy to know a little more about this local leader.

Ordinary people didn't fight, but they liked to talk about great talents, especially those in leadership positions like the sovereigns.

There were always rumors, or even legends, about the strength of these cultivators that filled the lives of these ordinary workers with emotion.

After all, if they couldn't enjoy the life of battles, defying the skies, and reaching high levels, they could still follow the stories of other individuals...

That was also a form of entertainment for this part of human society.

But not only that, when knowing about the feats of a sovereign, ordinary citizens were inclined to trust more and even praise these high-level cultivators, as in the example of Minos.

Anyway, the group in that bar who was listening to the story of those three figures soon dispersed, going to their respective responsibilities.

They had listened carefully to every word of Ward, and the other two men had spoken, and they couldn't wait to tell their friends and relatives about it!

On the other hand, the three men stayed around for a while longer as they celebrated their first day of work in this city. They had been bothered by those people earlier, and now they finally had some peace...

"Ward, have you already visited the local library?" One of them asked, at the same time, in which he was drinking a mug with a golden liquid inside.

"No, I spent the rest of the night rested yesterday, and I only got to know better about this place this morning when we went to work. Why?"

"I haven't been there yet. How about we do it after we're done here? I heard that the movement there tends to be less at night."

"Yes, let's do it." The other two agreed.

...

And quickly, another whole day passed in the Dry City.

By this time, several of the former captives who had come from that base to here had fully recovered after experiencing the many services of the city.

The local basic food itself was enough to help them improve fast since the foods sold here were all of the high spiritual concentration.

Thus, even if these people didn't have many crystals with them, recovering just by diligently feeding and cultivating was enough for them!

And because of that, many had already got used to the rhythm of this place, with almost all of them having been employed.

Humans were highly adaptable creatures, so it wasn't difficult for these people to get into the local routine.

Also, having things to do, a home to call their own, and even having their own goals made it easier for them. It was easier to accept changes when they pretty much only benefited you...

So, even if some of these people couldn't leave the walled territory, they didn't feel bad about it. In fact, many of them wouldn't mind spending their entire lives 'trapped' in a place like Dry City.

With so many opportunities around here, they had no interest in leaving!

Anyway, amid these days that have passed since the arrival of the group of Minos, rumors about the divine strength of Minos had already spread through the streets of the Dry City.

The thing had gotten out of control. When the news had spread by word of mouth, with people who heard the information from others who listened to the report from others who knew it, many versions were already available...

...

Two people were working in the fields of the Black Plain, picking mangoes in a place wholly of trees full of this fruit.

The two carried straw baskets while using some simple tools to gather those fruits. And during this physical work, they talked while they felt the sun warming their skin.

"My friend, I have to tell you about what my brother told me the other day." One of them said.

"Speak."

"I heard that a few days ago, Mr. Minos invaded a base of evildoers, single-handedly, having killed a Spiritual King with one blow!"

"Oh? Is that what you're talking about?" The other one laughed for a moment and then opened his arms and said proudly. "You are out of date. I heard it wasn't just one, but two Spiritual Kings!"

"What?" The man exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm, I'm telling the truth. Mr. Minos slaughtered those two, one was human, and the other was a spiritual beast. Anyway, he defeated them using only one arm!"

"I heard that Mr. Minos is already one of the strongest in our region!"