Two years after the onset of the Ice Age, the first hundreds of millions of living beings in the Spiritual World had rapidly perished.
Most of the world had prepared for this moment, but not everyone had been as efficient in dealing with the disaster.
The weakest and least prepared, whether in terms of strength or even alliances and food reserves, perished in the first few months of this new era.
However, most of the beings in the Spiritual World survived the onset of the Ice Age relatively well, with states such as the Black Plain Empire coping well with this initial moment of calamity.
Powerful tribes also survived the beginning of the calamity well, but everyone in the world was already suffering from the initial effects of climate change.
With less free spiritual energy in nature and with it becoming more difficult to move around the world, the movement of experts away from their tribe or family headquarters was already slowing down significantly.
Travel had become a problem that the powers of this world were quick to avoid!
As a result, non-essential partnerships were put aside, and some old agreements were finally nullified.
That was the case with many of Minos' agreements regarding alien technology, which his allies themselves wanted to end.
Even the Sky Whale Tribe had already informed Minos that their agreement would be put on hold from now on, as what they had been receiving over the last few months was not worth the risks of traveling around the world.
Thus, after years of preparation, Minos was finally free of the restraints that had prevented him from pursuing some of his most ambitious plans!
...
In the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire...
Minos was meditating while the energy around him vibrated intensely, causing several people nearby to look in his direction with smiles on their faces.
"He's reaching level 91," Ruth commented to her harem sisters as the entire imperial family watched Minos' progress, possibly his last before the aliens arrived.
Abby, currently at level 89, the same as Ruth, Gloria, and Isabella, smiled, imagining that Minos would soon be able to maintain a nearly 100% efficient partnership with her.
'I will probably reach level 90 before he reaches level 92. By then, I'll be able to use my fusion to summon high-level beings of the 10th stage, which he will surely be able to control to our advantage!' The blue-haired woman thought to herself while her two red-haired harem sisters stood next to her, talking to Ruth.
Minos' mother, currently at level 88, was also there with her mother, father, and grandchildren, all of whom had stopped what they were doing to watch the brown-haired man's progress.
Oswald was at level 87, and he couldn't help but play with Rowan and Kendrick as he watched his grandson solidify his cultivation at level 91.
"Look, you little brats. Learn from your father. That's how you cultivate." Oswald said as he ruffled the hair of the two, one currently at level 75 and the other at level 64.
Meanwhile, Sarah, Lily, and Hollie were with Emlyn and Kyla, the two Celestial Foxes currently at levels 87 and 85.
With their success in developing safe methods to evolve the talents of beings of all kinds, these two had already undergone their evolutions before reaching level 88, as the subjects of Minos' experiments had been until a few months ago.
But they weren't the only ones. Some weaker and less talented individuals were currently in the Spatial Kingdom, having passed on their level talents in order to overcome the bottleneck of the 7th stage.
That was the case with Alina, an army soldier, and Mia, Minos' former secretary, and Peter Freeman's current wife.
Peter was currently at level 83 and was in the Spatial Kingdom to undergo the talent change that his wife, Mia, who was currently at level 70, had successfully completed.
Alina was also currently at level 70, and her decomposition skills were again helping the empire's highest-level professionals within this Spatial Kingdom.
Both were very happy to have been the first with Blue-grade talent to experience the qualitative evolution through chaotic energy and were now cultivating hard.
As many people observed him, Minos opened his eyes, his cultivation stabilized at level 91.
Looking at the group around him, Minos would soon respond to many congratulations while looking at the positions of the three level 99 Demigods who were cultivating in his space.
'Based on their progress, I believe Henry will reach level 100 around the start of the Continental Tournament. But Aarav and Willow will take longer. They are much older than Henry, so it's only natural that they will take longer.' Minos thought, confident they would all succeed before the aliens arrived in his world.
'The dragon cultivating to reach level 100 should also advance towards the start of the Continental Tournament. That will help me draw the Gods' attention away from me.'
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Father. I hope I can advance to level 81 before the Continental Tournament." Sarah said as she approached her old man and hugged him.
"You will." Minos smiled as he stroked his daughter's red hair. "Before the Continental Tournament, I'm going to make you and your brothers absorb a large amount of chaotic energy. That will help you grow faster in the years before the war of the worlds."
"What is your current fighting ability?" Lily asked.
"I think I can fight level 98 Demigods and win. But I still can't beat those old level 99 people." Minos was sincere, feeling he wouldn't be in danger if he used the Divine Sword against such individuals, but he wasn't sure he could beat or even kill someone of that level.
"Incredible! Father really is off the charts!" Hollie hugged Minos as her eyes lit up.
Minos smiled at his children before asking them to go back to their cultivation and give him space to continue his business with the scholars in his Spatial Kingdom.
He was at a critical moment in his experiments and studies and would soon be using the new technique his group had developed based on the methods of the Ancient Folk.
In addition, it was time for him to test his own theory on the alien robot he had with him.
His group had already learned a lot from this metallic corpse, but now it was time for him to try out on this creature what he had done with living beings from his world!
He looked at the mid-level Demigods in his group and then motioned to the giant robot.
"Let's get started. Prepare to take cover if necessary." He announced, knowing that he alone could deal with such a creature but that if he succeeded, his group might have to take some precautions, at least temporarily.
All those involved immediately took their positions while Minos took his place, ready to begin one of the experiments he had been most looking forward to since becoming a Demigod.
