The Rise of the Black Plain

While some of the beasts were moving around the area without owners, Minos and his group approached a hollow where there was a small cave for the size of the beasts in the area.

Arriving there, while the rest of the group looked around for potential problems, Minos looked at the path of stones in front of the entrance to the small cave and noticed the same type of fur here and there.

"White fur... That's probably from a Nine-Tailed Fox of Bella's age." Gloria said as she looked at it and smelled the distinct scent of the fur.

The Sages' sense of smell was very refined. A person at this level of cultivation or higher wouldn't need to get close to something or someone to notice distinct smells.

Since every being had its own natural scent, it was relatively easy to identify the origin of a scent left on something or someone.

Even though there was no other indication that this was the fur of a Nine-Tailed Fox, everyone in Minos' group was sure that this was most likely the elder they were looking for.

Minos continued on, sensing that there was a level 89 being in this small cave. Still, as he got closer, he could sense that this being had a spiritual fluctuation that was rather strange for Nine-Tailed Foxes.

Just as each race had its own unique scent that made it easy to identify the race of anyone who left certain traces, each race also had characteristics that made the auras of its members relatively similar.

Of course, just as humans would have a different smell, each being of the same race would have a different aura. But like the smell, the aura of beings of the same race also had some similarities that could only be found in that race.

For example, Nine-Tailed Foxes were beings known for their mental powers. Meanwhile, snakes were usually associated with their poisonous powers. Therefore, it was easy to tell the difference between the aura types of these two beings because of the vast difference in their affinities.

When he noticed that the creature in the cave that might have belonged to Titus had an aura that didn't match the powers of the Nine-Tailed Foxes at all, Minos immediately decided that it wasn't his target.

'Be on your guard.' He said in the minds of the people in his group, warning them that this was not his target.

Since they were approaching this being, they had to be twice as careful as if they were only going to Titus.

As they followed Minos' recommendation and approached the place with him, the others in their group noticed a bad feeling coming from the being in the place.

As Minos entered the place ahead of everyone else, he saw what looked like a woman standing inside the small cave, which had several strange objects around it that looked like a laboratory.

She had her back to him, but still, the moment he saw her, Minos didn't hesitate and jumped back, feeling a chill run through his entire body.

"Get back!" He shouted before recommending. "Do not look at her face!"

"That's..."

The members of the Sea Folk were very quick to understand things and quickly realized that there was a Gorgon there.

"Damn it!"

"What is a member of that race doing here? Isn't this Phoenix territory?" One of them asked his companions as the creature with its back to the cave's exit turned its face to look at the newcomers.

It had snakes instead of hair, a perfect face that would make any man lose his way, but pulsating orange eyes that looked more like magma dots than the eyes of a living being.

Her torso was very similar to a human's, and she had full breasts with nothing to cover her pink nipples.

But that was the end of her beauty, for below her waist, instead of legs, there was a thick, long snake tail, at least 2.5 meters long.

Then she opened her mouth and smiled as she watched the strange group retreat, revealing her razor-sharp teeth but also the forked tongue in her mouth.

"Oh mine, how disrespectful of you..." She commented as she left the cave interior and quickly came face to face with the group of sea and land beasts and humans. "Do I deserve this kind of treatment without having done anything to you?" She asked them, but her tone was humorous, which told them all that there was a smile on her lips.

But none of Minos' group dared to look at her, knowing that if they did, they could be turned to stone.

Even the strongest of them could have parts of their beings petrified.

One could protect oneself from beings of this race with spiritual energy. However, in addition to the innate power of the members of this race being able to affect even those more powerful than them, it could also damage parts of the body and soul of its targets.

If it couldn't petrify an enemy's entire body, this power could do so in smaller parts. It could damage one's spiritual structures to the point where it could go from hindering their future progresses to spiritually crippling its targets!

Aware of this kind of risk, even the level 91 Demigods in the group did not look at the woman's face but only observed her hands and feet to determine how she would act against them.

"Who are you? What are you doing in the Phoenix territory?" The Sea Folk leader asked as she circulated her energy, ready to act if necessary.

"Phoenix territory?" She asked, laughing. "Woman of the Sea Folk, you don't understand how the division of power works on the Continent of Beasts. This is a territory without owners. Even the enemies of the Phoenix can walk through this place without causing a clash of tribes or even a hunt."

Theoretically, this area belonged to the Phoenix Tribe's sphere of influence. However, the tribe's territory only counted the areas directly controlled by their people or allies.

Since this area was part of the 10% of this continent that was not controlled by anyone, even though it was within the Phoenix's sphere of influence, it was not really part of that tribe.

Even if a member of this tribe appeared there right now, the mere fact that this Gorgon was there would not be enough to start a confrontation between the two parties.

Minos knew this, and just talking about phoenixes wouldn't scare this Gorgon. Not wanting to start a confrontation with her but also curious about her presence in this place, he asked her. "Is this Titus' cave? Were you here because of him?"