The Rise of the Black Plain

The five weeks that the group would have to wait to leave Aether Terminal for Dream Station passed, with Minos and his 12 companions setting off for their next stop.

Dream Station was at a point equally distant from Aether Terminal and Zocarro, around 35 weeks of spaceship travel, excluding possible delays.

The start of the new journey was, like the departure from Nemo Colony, less worrying and risky. However, with the group in an area of the universe where there were even level 110 Sovereigns, the dangers ahead were enough to put everyone at risk.

Not least, the captain of the spaceship taking them on this journey was a powerful level 114 Sovereign, the strongest creature that most of the natives of the Spiritual World on this journey had ever seen in their lives.

But the departure from Aether Terminal was uneventful, with the group following the recommendations of their more experienced space explorers, focusing on cultivating and not getting involved with aliens.

The weaker ones should let Minos and the stronger ones sort out all the issues, while they should focus on getting stronger. For 8th, 9th and 10th stage people, cultivating in this part of the universe was like cultivating in the first three stages of cultivation in the Spiritual World. Progress came easily and quickly.

This marked the start of yet another journey for the group!

...

Over ten weeks of travel ahead, Minos' group was flying on the spaceship that had departed from Aether Terminal and had 13 stops to make to Dream Station.

After the first two stops, the spacecraft was still running perfectly smoothly, with Minos keeping an eye out for dangers ahead, but not yet needing to take action.

However, he was talking more and more to the aliens on the spacecraft, hearing worrying information about the road ahead.

Today, after lunch, he left the group of aliens he talked to every day and went to the cabin where his group was traveling.

Arriving at that place where the entire group met at the same time every day, he sat down in an armchair and said. "We may have two problems ahead."

"What are you talking about?" Ruth asked solemnly, her expression serious.

For Minos to consider something a problem, that meant it was something with a level of difficulty for Sovereigns of medium level or stronger!

"One problem is about Dream Station. Some aliens are commenting on the fact that a world in the galaxy where this station is located and our target is, is expanding their domains throughout the galaxy.

The danger is not in our landing on Dream Station, but in our eventual stay in The Enchanted Realm. If the rumors are correct, our group may have to endure living on a planet in confrontation with another civilization."

They themselves would not get involved in someone else's war, but it was undeniable that they would have problems if the world on which they would spend a few years came under enemy attack.

The problem of all things was the level of this conflict, how far it was from the level the group was prepared to deal with!

"What's the other problem?" Vico asked.

"The second obstacle is two stops ahead. This shouldn't be as much of a problem as the situation in the galaxy of The Enchanted Realm, but be prepared for a pirate attack in about two months. The enemies shouldn't be so powerful that our ship can be taken, but the dangers could get out of hand."

The group understood Minos' concern, with everyone there agreeing to continue in seclusion for another month and a half and then to protect themselves in formation.

Their group wasn't weak and had plenty of room for improvement, as well as several interesting skills. In particular, Abby had collected quite a few corpses alongside Minos over the months of their journey since their departure from Nemo Colony!

So even though they were worried, they didn't despair at the dangers that lay ahead!

"Let's get ready!" With that said, they returned to the cultivation room of that Starship 666-like spacecraft, where the group could invest in time in the cultivation rooms beyond the minimum they were entitled to.

Minos was investing heavily in the cultivation of his children and wives, while his stronger companions were also getting their opportunities.

...

While Minos and his group prepared as best they could for the problems ahead of them, 60 years had passed for those in Zocarro since his departure from the Armhands' headquarters!

In six decades, Maximillian had improved his powers and position in Armhands, having been in seclusion for over 20 years since Minos left and advanced his cultivation in that time.

He had recently reached level 107 and become an Intermediate Officer, a level above the hierarchy that Minos had achieved before leaving the guild to go to the Spiritual World.

In Minos' absence, he had assumed the position of leader of the faction created by the survivors of his group at the time they joined the guild. Since then, he had expanded the group and improved some factors for his allies.

However, while he had made a lot of progress in those years and strengthened the entire faction created by Minos, Maximillian hadn't done all this without his losses, without giving up certain things!

He was now in a high-end estate in the inner part of the headquarters, together with other mid-level Sovereigns like himself.

In particular, an old enemy of Minos, from the days when this young man was a Law Enforcer, was in front of Maximillian, drinking tea with this native of the Spiritual World.

"I hope you won't stand in my way when Officer Stuart returns from his time away from the guild, Officer Flamen," said the level 109 alien in front of Maximillian. "That brat impeded some of my plans with his actions as head of the Law Enforcement Hall of the external part of the city.

I think about him every day and how I'll make him kneel in front of me after I beat him up!"

Maximillian heard this person's emotional tone and smiled. "I certainly won't get involved in his affairs."

Cleverly, Maximillian would not cause trouble for this and Minos' other enemies. Almost all the young Stuart Emperor's rivals knew about his journey to the Spiritual World and how his cultivation had stagnated over the last six decades. As Minos had simply made too many enemies before his departure, now, as well as the level 109 Sovereign in front of Maximillian, there were at least a dozen powerful Sovereigns aiming for Minos' head!

Some wanted to embarrass and physically harm him, while others truly desired to see him suffer and die!