On his return to the Eastern Empire, Vico didn’t approach his people first. He observed the situation from a certain distance, checking for changes visible to the eye, but also spiritual differences related to the strongest cultivators in the area.

The empire he had left behind when he joined Minos was not weak. In fact, if it weren’t for the robots Minos left behind in the Spiritual World, the Eastern Empire would be the strongest remaining state on the continent.

‘My people have prospered well.’ He felt that all those he left behind were still alive and well, stronger by two or three levels compared to when he left.

But these rapid advances of even Demigods did not impress Vico.

Previously, it was almost impossible for a Demigod, even a low-level one, to advance one level in a decade. But much had changed with the end of the War of the Worlds.

Many people had died in the war and just as many had left the Spiritual World to join Minos’ forces in The Adamant Land. While the competition had decreased, the deeds of Minos and his group before their departure had created several legacies. Not only that, they had helped the planet quickly recover from its scourges.

Medicines that were once rarely found every few centuries could now be found in every major city on the continent. Alien technologies that previously only the world’s invaders had could now be found even in small villages.

In just under two decades, the Spiritual World had changed its level of development. It achieved more efficient transportation methods, better arrays, with tools that were revolutionizing cultivation and life.

In addition, many bodies of enemies, whether they were natives of The Adamant Land or Irpoll, had been buried around the three continents. Even though the Black Plain Empire was the great privileged one, the world as a whole had improved in terms of density of laws and spiritual energy.

Places that had previously had a low concentration of energy, such as various parts of the Black Plain Empire, now had high energy levels. Meanwhile, previously rich places became even more dazzling, absorbing the improvement of the bordering areas, becoming closer to the spiritual quality of Spatial Kingdoms.

But if the continent itself had improved, the folded spaces—Spatial Kingdoms—had not been left behind. When the density of energy and laws in an area improved, so did the situation in the Spatial Kingdoms in those areas.

Because of all this, the forces of the entire planet, be they the strongest, like the Stuart family, or the weakest, had made very good use of the last few years and strengthened rapidly.

Young people born before Vico’s departure, who were now around 20 years old, were already Spiritual Emperors, something far beyond what Minos and some of his children had achieved by cultivating on this world.

Vico noticed this as he observed the younger citizens of the former capital of the Eastern Empire. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked at the place where trains, elevators, and many flying ships could be seen.

He headed straight for the palace of the imperial government, where the current leaders of the empire worked together.

The state was no longer ruled by an absolute leader. Vico had left his old home under the command of a council of important figures, which had been managing the second strongest state in the Spiritual World.

“Old companions, I’m back.” He opened his mouth as he appeared in the meeting room of the local leaders, surprising everyone with his words.

The men and women in the area rose from their seats, their eyes widening in surprise at hearing the voice of their former leader.

Half of these people had served Vico all their lives, while the other half had heard stories about him, whether on the allied or enemy side. Part of them were members of the old Western Empire, which had fallen during the War of the Worlds.

“Your Majesty!” They all said the same thing, not understanding what was going on.

They knew Vico would one day return, but it was too soon for that to happen!

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Vico showed one of his hands, signaling calm. “I am no longer your emperor. There’s no need to call me that,” Vico said in a calm tone, relaxing the agitated hearts of the men and women. “I’m here to check on you. I won’t be staying long and I will soon return to Dry City. But I’d like you to introduce me to this place again.”

…

Days passed while Vico, accompanied by his former subordinates or old enemies, traveled around the Eastern Empire.

He wasn’t just curious to revisit the places he had spent so much of his life and how the current changes had transformed them. Being at level 108, there were many things he could do to strengthen or help his companions.

Just as he intended to do with the Black Plain Empire soon, he created a new Spatial Kingdom for those people in the Eastern Empire, helped strengthen the old independent spaces in the area, but also helped improve artifacts, techniques and other things. A cultivator like him could easily observe artifacts, techniques, or even cultivators and identify problems and their proper solutions.

He intended to spend his time doing something like this with his people and with Minos’ family, aware that Callie would also do this with the forces of the Divine Continent in the future.

Vico could also create better legacies than those left by Minos’ group years ago and help even more of the Central Continent’s future generations.

This was also a way for him to keep his history in the Spiritual World alive, so he was doing several of these things with gusto, planning to spend his entire year ahead getting involved in these matters.

But while he was doing this first in his old home, a month had quickly passed since his arrival in the Spiritual World.

While the time for him to return to Dry City arrived, Maisie and Kyla were preparing to leave for The Adamant Land together with the group that would take part in the celebrations for Noah’s birth.

This month had been enough for Maisie and the others to plan the competition, to decide who would go to Zocarro with Callie and Vico, something that would spread across the planet in the coming days.

Soon, the Spiritual World’s greatest remaining forces would start moving to the Black Plain Empire to join the Champions Tournament, set to take place in a year’s time!