The Rise of the Black Plain

After some time, Minos had collected his spiritual technique and left that couple training in that place while they better recognized their new cultivation technique. Then he headed towards the official part of his mansion, where dozens of people were already working at this moment.

When he arrived at his office, Minos immediately saw Mia's figure, while six people were waiting for him, sitting on the armchairs in the waiting room of his office.

Four of those six were the Miller family members who had arrived at this location as soon as the mansion's gates were opened to the public as Minos had instructed them yesterday.

They wanted to learn a new cultivation technique from Minos as soon as possible so that they could finally increase their cultivation speeds!

On the other hand, besides these four nobles of the Miller family, Eduard and Joey were also there, waiting to speak with Minos. One had kept guard in Dry City during the days that the sovereign was away and consequently was here to give his report and then return to the Spatial Kingdom. As for the other, he was here to fulfill his official duties concerning the administration of the army.

"You're all here, huh?" Minos said loudly and clearly to those people as he watched intently at the four anxious faces and two curious ones.

Naturally, Joey and Eduard did not expect to find three Spiritual Kings in this place at this time of the morning... So, they were naturally surprised.

Minos then looked at those four and said. "Wait here for about five minutes, and we'll talk." He then turned to his two soldiers and thought to himself. 'Eduard probably doesn't have anything critical to report to me, or he wouldn't have waited all night... As for Joey, he probably has several things to tell me.'

"Eduard, come with me to my office." Minos said as he walked towards that location.

...

After talking for less than 3 minutes with that Lieutenant of the Black Plain Army, Minos had sent him to the Spatial Kingdom right after hearing that man's short report.

After discovering that nothing strange had happened in his town, this young man didn't take long to walk through his office door and start walking towards the exit of that waiting room.

"You five, come with me." Minos said, at the same time making a hand gesture to those people.

And immediately upon hearing that, they all followed him in silence through the halls of the government mansion.

Finally, after a few seconds, they arrived at the mansion's back, where there were some trees, a lawn, and a beautiful fountain.

Several low-ranking soldiers were doing maintenance work in that area at the moment, while stronger soldiers were circulating in the area, observing the streets around this property.

And amid that, Minos stopped in a part of that grass and said to those four people while holding a silver scroll in his right hand. "I will let you learn the basics of this technique. You can decide among yourselves the order of who will learn it first, but after the last of you has finished learning the basics, give me back the scroll."

"Uh? Won't we be able to keep the scroll, Mister Minos?" The Spiritual General asked in confusion.

"No. The agreement was that I would allow you to learn Silver-grade techniques. But I never promised to pass on ownership of the scroll to you." Minos said with a slight smile on his face.

"What? Is that true?" The Level 53 Spiritual King asked in surprise.

It was a regional custom that noble families gave the right to the spiritual technique scroll to their subordinates who earned merit. So, they had naturally thought that it would also be like that in this situation.

"Is that true, elder Archer?" The same Spiritual King from before asked that to that strongest man there, one of the individuals who had signed the Soul Contract with Minos.

Archer then closed his old eyes and nodded in agreement, saying nothing. 'He did indeed use those words in the contract... It seems that this young man will not simply give us ultimate power after all.' He thought to himself.

But for him, this would already be a great advantage. After all, it would make them much stronger than their regional opponents. At the same time, their chances of surviving a stage advancement attempt would be greater!

"Then the family won't be able to pass on such a thing further..." The other Spiritual King there muttered in a low voice as he realized the reality of the situation.

"Hehe, don't worry. My army will be with open doors to welcome some of the most talented members of the Miller family." Minos said in a satisfied manner as he looked at those four individuals.

Upon hearing this, Archer opened his eyes and looked at Minos in realization. 'So that's what he wants!'

'What a clever boy!'

But he soon put those thoughts aside as he sat down on his cultivation cushion in the middle of that lawn and then began to read that silver scroll.

Meanwhile, those other three Miller family nobles sat around and began to wait for their turns. On the other hand, Minos and Joey had sat down on a wooden bench in that part of that property, from where the two of them could see those four people.

"So, Mr. Joey, what's new?" Minos finally asked, at the same time, in which he watched Archer starting to cultivate.

Upon hearing his boss' question, Joey nodded and began to report the most important things he needed to pass on to Minos. "Young master, we have good news coming from Maritime City."

"Oh?"

"In that city, the army forces have already occupied about 50% of the Brown Kingdom's royal guard forts!"

Minos then smiled in satisfaction and asked. "That's great! But how much longer will it be before I have to get involved in this invasion?"

"Not long, young master. I believe that in less than ten days, we will have the next fort taken, and from then on, only the main outpost of that city will remain, where the level 52 Spiritual King is stationed."

"That way, I believe that even before the young master reaches the 6th stage of cultivation, we will be able to finish the operation in the Maritime City."

"Hmm, that's good. But what about casualties? Have we had any? How many soldiers have died since that three Spiritual Kings incident?"

Joey then paused briefly to remember this data, and after about five seconds of thinking, he said. "10 soldiers have died during these last 20 days. Other than that, we have about 40 with more serious injuries, who are currently in the General Hospital."

"Other than that, there are no more casualties or problems among the ranks of soldiers."

"I see... It's a shame." He said in a low voice as he sighed, lamenting over such deaths. "Pass on my message to the families who lost these ten people. We will give them all the rights promised."

"All right, young master."

"As for those injured soldiers, if any of them have lost parts of their bodies, send them to the administrative sector or some internal service of the headquarters. Then, let them focus on cultivation and do less dangerous activities."

"But in the future, when the Dillian become stronger, they may all have the opportunity to recover their lost parts."

"OK." Joey said with a relieved tone. Of course, he had expected this from Minos. Still, it was always good to have some confirmations regarding promises made by powerful people...

And since he was just another of Minos' many soldiers, for him, knowing that these soldiers were being treated well was very important. After all, it was not uncommon for noble families to discard their subordinates who went through such situations!

Anyway, after they had talked about it, those two finally saw that Archer had finished learning the basics of that Silver-grade cultivation technique. 

This Spiritual King then passed that scroll to the strongest person after him in that place, just before leaving towards the exit of Minos' mansion.

He had already learned the basics of that technique, and now there was no reason for him to continue on this property. He could already cultivate without the scroll and do it in other areas, places more favorable for him.

And since he had already known some services in this city, he wanted to cultivate in a more interesting place than this lawn....