One year later...
After the investigations began regarding the man who turned the key in the statue of Henricus Longus in the City of a Thousand Races, the Longus family group finally reached a crucial point in their actions!
After following Minos' tracks in the Ancestral Sea for months, the patriarch Longus' men connected the person they were looking for with the one behind the instability in the Central Continent.
They had discovered Minos' name and his origin!
This had happened a day ago when the leader of this group had sent his information to their leader while he was already in the Black Plain Empire.
However, he not only sent Minos' location and identity. This man also sent Emperor Stuart's relationship with Maximillian Flamen, someone who had sworn to protect him from Demigods!
...
"What? He got protection from a fucking level 99 Demigod?" Patriarch Longus exclaimed upon receiving this information, finding it hard to believe that an expert like Maximillian would waste his time with Minos.
Another Demigod was standing with Patriarch Longus at his family headquarters, expressing concern on his face.
"That... I don't know what to say. From what our men said in their report, it's quite possible that this is not a hollow promise, patriarch." That middle-aged, blond-haired man said, somewhat unsure. "It seems that all the problems of this young Minos have been solved with the resurgence of Maximillian Flamen."
"But it's absurd!" The patriarch exclaimed. "That Minos is still only a Spiritual Saint. What kind of expert would pay attention to him?"
"Maybe not on him, but on the words themselves." The Supreme Elder of that family, level 90, said. "Perhaps Minos is no big deal, but if we go against Maximillian's words, we may incur his anger for defying his words."
Patriarch Longus could understand that reason to avoid acting thoughtlessly against Minos and was silent upon hearing that.
"Then we can't send Demigods. Instead, we will send our high-level Spiritual Sages to this Minos.
We'll give him the option of giving us the Spatial Kingdom ring and joining us or dying for his insolence!" He said, determined to steal the inheritance left by his ancestor to Minos.
A level 90 woman, who was also standing there, then said. "I think we'd better wait for a moment. This Minos seems to be an excellent fighter. Let's analyze his situation first before we move.
If we're going to stand against him, I'd rather do that after we're sure how much power he has.
Let's not forget that he received the soul fragment from the ancestor along with all his cultivation understanding. There are also all the resources that were in that Spatial Kingdom..."
Hearing that, those two men couldn't help but agree that they needed to be careful with Minos.
He had methods above normal, he should have a high-rank innate ability, and he could escape to the Spatial Kingdom.
Considering that last detail alone, they had to be cautious about their approach.
If Minos cowered, he could hide in this region of space and stay out of their reach for several years and eventually return stronger and take revenge.
So if they were going to act against him, they had to be as prepared as possible. Otherwise, all could be lost!
"Very well, have this group in the Black Plain Empire keep watching this Minos but do nothing. I want his profile drawn. I want to know all his abilities.
A new group to intercept him will leave after a year." The patriarch said after thinking for some time.
...
The next day...
The group of men from the Divine Continent, watching the surroundings of Dry City, received their leader's orders.
Seeing that he should wait, the group leader, a level 90 Demigod, felt a little frustrated since he was so close to the man with the Spatial Kingdom that would save his family from decay.
However, the patriarch had not just sent orders in his communiqué. Instead, he had explained the problems they had to worry about, and the man leading this watch group agreed with his leader's concerns.
As such, even though he was anxious to take the Spatial Kingdom from Minos, he would not disobey his patriarch to act in haste.
He looked at his men hiding in a pocket of space and said. "We are going to divide up by this state. I want you here to pay attention to things regarding Minos and the local forces. I want to know everything possible about his combat abilities.
You have one year."
"OK!"
Those people soon moved on from there, leaving only this Demigod in the vicinity of Dry City while the others traveled through wormholes to other areas of the empire.
'In a year, I will know everything to find out about you, Minos Stuart.' His eyes narrowed as he watched this target from afar, tens of miles from the core of Dry City.
...
Meanwhile, in Dry City...
It was noon, and the sun was scorching hot on this sunny day. But the city continued its routine, with its thousands of Spiritual Sages coming and going through this metropolis's outer and inner areas.
Spiritual Sages could be felt here and there, even considering that many were around the empire's strategic points, such as the submarine city, the End area, and the capital cities of Vogel, Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock.
But this was only natural. As time passed, more and more Sages were emerging in this state.
One of the most recent individuals to advance to the 9th stage in Minos' forces had been his mother, Maisie Coleman, who had advanced the week before.
Another who had advanced in this period had been Minos' mount, Little Green, now at level 80.
In addition to them, six other cultivators had advanced from level 79 to 80 in the past 12 months, raising the level of the local forces a bit more.
But internally in the Stuart family. Minos and Gloria were battling to gather as much spiritual energy as possible to reach level 80, while Ruth, Abby, and Isabella worked to get close to that level.
As such, there were more experts coming and going around this city while Minos was out there talking to his men.
While he was doing this, he had no idea that a Spiritual Demigod was watching him!
