The Rise of the Black Plain
chapter-2623

A few days later, one of the four Supremes at Segiel's disposal left Armhands' major post, leaving only three Supremes and Minos' two mounts under her command.

In the coming days, Minos would not be able to produce any new 12th stage specialists. But the headquarters would be active during those days, and he would lead the preparations to receive the possible enemies that might soon come their way.

Just as Segiel wanted to hide her plans from her enemies, they also needed to hide their movements from their allies and fellow guild members.

Consequently, Minos and his faction were acting as the major driving force behind this effort, being the only ones aware of the commander's plans while moving Armhands' forces around as if everything was normal.

Minos and his family continued their activities, with him using his supernatural abilities to find clues as to how they should act to achieve the best possible outcome.

...

On the outskirts of Examire, Kendrick and Lily were going about their business in the city, which was normal for guild members of their rank and cultivation level.

Examire was the headquarters city, an important center for aliens from all over the continent, with a lot of trade and services necessary for the development of the guild's activities.

Many of the areas explored by the guild produced materials and resources that the guild members would eventually trade in this city with merchants, who would transport these resources far away or trade them locally themselves.

Among the various activities that Armhands was involved in, handling negotiations, escorting resources, and meeting regularly with local leaders were all part of the guild's routine.

There were also parallel or secondary matters. For example, if a guild member needed something from the outside world, they would often have to come to the city, deal with problems, make deals and partnerships, and so on. After the headquarters city on the floating island, Examire was the second place in Oqia where Armhands members spent most of their time.

But while most of the beings in the headquarters were external members, Grandmasters, and low-level Sovereigns, most of Armhands' members roaming around Examire were inner members, mid-level and high-level Sovereigns.

Lily and Kendrick were together, chaperoning a regular meeting of local merchants, having just left the local Chamber of Commerce, where a fellow guild member, level 111, had just led their group to the event in question.

"Kendrick, I heard that you have the same ability as your father. Is that true?" The level 111 alien asked, since he spent most of his time in Examire and wasn't privy to everything that went on at headquarters.

"Not exactly. It has some similarities with his. But to say that I have the same ability as him is like saying that every flame is the same." Kendrick smiled as he walked next to the man, looking around and doing his guard duty.

Although this man's cultivation was superior to Kendrick's and Lily's, he wasn't strong. Kendrick and Lily were officially there to guard this Senior Officer, an expert in diplomacy and guild business.

Meanwhile, Lily also monitored her surroundings, but also contacted those in her group who were more hidden in the city.

'Stay alert, Lily. The enemies will try to attack both of you. You need to be ready to move with Kendrick as soon as the signs we're waiting for appear,' Ruth said in her stepdaughter's mind as she hid underground in this area.

From where Ruth stood, several members of the Minos faction were using spatial formations to monitor several of their teams around the city.

Almost all the members of Armhands, like Kendrick and Lily, around Examire today were members of the Stuart family faction, prepared for the enemy attack that could happen at any moment.

Only a small fraction of the men on the surface of the city, like the level 111 Sovereign Kendrick and Lily were escorting today, knew nothing and were just going about their normal routines.

'I know. I'll keep an eye on the area and be ready to move.' Lily replied.

Meanwhile, Rhett kept an eye on Hollie, who was attending a meeting with local young geniuses.

Although Minos had never invested his time in meetings with great talents outside of the current inheritance he was vying for, such events were quite common in cultivation worlds.

Competitions and the like were held all the time, not only to encourage new talents to show themselves but also to give them a chance to join the great powers. Young genius competitions were great opportunities for various powers to entertain large groups of their ordinary people.

Most people in the cultivation world were not used to the battles and dangers typically faced by warriors like Minos. Most lived in cities all their lives, venturing out little or not at all.

Many cultivated with resources and "bought" almost all of their progress. For this mass of the population, which was most of the people in this world, watching geniuses fight was the closest they would ever get to witness high-level combat.

As a result, genius gatherings and tournaments were quite common everywhere, whether in Zocarro or the Spiritual World.

Hollie was accompanying a group of talented high-level Grandmasters from her guild, escorting the most promising external members of the Armhands who would soon attend a pointers exchange in Examire.

While she pretended to be on guard around the "youngsters" who were actually much older than her, she solemnly ignored the other Sovereigns who stood around the members of their own forces or kept an eye on the geniuses without organizations present at this meeting.

Meanwhile, young warriors waiting to show their skills to the world and gain support from their own forces or groups they didn't yet belong to clashed in this first of many meetings scheduled for the coming weeks.

'It's going to be hard to put up with these guys... I hope I don't have to do this job for too long.' Hollie thought to herself as she endured several arrogant comments from guys three times her age who weren't even Sovereigns.

'I hope my father understands soon when the enemy is coming.' She continued to monitor her surroundings, the Hydras' Amulet around her neck.

While they prepared to ambush the enemies, Minos was in a hard-to-reach area of Examire, watching the future as he prepared to join the fight as well!