Gideon clapped his hands together and said, "That's a good idea. Setting up a sect can combine all the powers of the Ambrose family into one. We'll be able to compete with the other big families once more."
Gideon had been cultivating his power lately, so he understood the benefits of his family having their own sect. He knew that building his power wouldn't only lengthen his life but also increase his strength, and he was looking forward to that part.
Although Earth was important to him, Gideon was very taken with the idea of immortality, as well as the wonders that lay outside the planet.
Flora rolled her eyes at Gideon. "Will we still be a family in a few hundred years if we're all immortal?" she teased. "I might get sick of you two."
Alex smirked and replied, "I'm sure I can put up with you."
"That's good to hear," said Flora, and then she looked at Alex curiously. "How do you plan to pass on your skills?"
Alex turned his head and looked at Maya. "I want Maya to teach you, and I'll teach Dad and the others."
Flora was surprised by the plan. "Has Maya agreed to that?"
Alex raised his eyebrows at Maya, letting her respond.
"Do you really think I can teach?" she asked, frowning a little. "I haven't done it before."
Alex smiled and nodded. "Of course. We still need to establish a sect, though. Hmm, let's call it the Gold sect. You can be the sect master, and I'll be the protector."
Maya was slightly embarrassed as she said, "I only have three golden cores. How can I be the sect master?"
She suddenly felt the weight of his expectations for her. After all, the gap between her and Alex was huge. It would take a long time for her to go from three golden cores to seven, and by then, Alex would probably have broken through to the nascent level, making him even stronger.
Alex gave Maya a look full of trust and solidarity. "We'll just be passing on what we've learned," he assured her. "The rest will be up to the individual. After we set that up, I'm keen to explore your galaxy."
Maya hadn't expected that last statement. "You want to go to my home?"
"Yes, I'd like to meet the man from Wolf City that disrespected you," Alex said. His less-than-friendly intent was evident in his expression.
Maya bit her lip and said, "He's a high-level nascent master, so you need to be careful. He won't be easily defeated."
Alex had already lost a golden core because of her, and she didn't know how long it would take for him to recover. She didn't want Alex to take risks for her again.
He took her hand and replied, "Then we'll repair the broken golden core before we go."
Maya was happier with that. "All right," she said. "I will help you pass on our knowledge first. I'll gladly accept the role of sect master for the Gold sect."
**
In the days that followed, Maya concentrated on teaching, while Alex went into seclusion to repair his seventh golden core. It depressed him to find that he was unable to restore it even halfway. The damage was too great, and even the revival pills didn't help him.
As he sat pondering his dilemma, a whirlpool suddenly appeared in the portal that connected the divine realm and Earth in the Tomb.
Bernie, the strange bird that Alex had befriended, had been looking for food within the Tomb. When it sensed the abnormality of the portal, it immediately flew to investigate.
As it did, two people came through it from the other direction as the vortex in the gate rotated.
When the bird saw them, it froze on the spot. It let out a low whimper and sent a signal to Alex.
Alex and Bernie had already formed a telepathic connection, so the moment the bird sent the signal, Alex felt it. He had also previously placed a spell in the Tomb, which revealed the situation to him instantly.
He sat alone in his room at Lion Ridge and laughed loudly. What he had just seen was a rare treasure.
He grinned as he thought, These divine-level warriors look wilier than the last ones. But since they're here, I'll use them to give me nourishment. If I can absorb their golden cores, then I'll be able to repair mine in one step.
He got up and was about to leave when he thought about Elsa and wondered if she might know the identities of these newcomers. He knew she was at Lion Ridge, so he called for her help.
Elsa had been helping to nurture the immortal medicine at Lion Ridge, as she was famous for growing herbs at the Snow Palace sect in the divine realm. She was working with Edith, who was also skilled with plants, and she had become one of the strongest golden core warriors at Lion Ridge. Having met Alex, she knew to keep her skills in check around him, and she gladly carried out her role with the medicinal plants.
Flora liked her too. Of course, she was still on the hunt for a wife for Alex, so that had factored into her assessment.
She had given up on the idea after Alex had told her that Elsa's method of cultivation was unusual and that she wouldn't be a good match for him. With the appearance of Maya, Flora had moved on anyway.
Elsa was planting in the medicinal field. When she heard Alex's call, she floated over and said, "Hi, Alex. What's the matter?"
She found Alex to be very mysterious. Every time she saw him, he became more difficult to fathom, but she still found it hard to resist him.
Alex smiled at Elsa and asked, "How's it going? Are you adapting to Earth well enough?"
"I'm fine," she said. "But thank you for your concern. Some things are similar, but the food has a unique taste."
She really liked the food on Earth. Truthfully, she was happy with most things and didn't think about the past much at all.
Alex got straight to the point. "Someone from the divine realm has come through a portal."
Elsa didn't know what she had been expecting him to say, but it hadn't been that.
"Will you follow me to see who it is?" he asked. "I hope that these people won't be a disappointment." He winked at her.
He laughed at the surprised expression on her face. Then he took her arm, and they headed northwest.
Maya looked toward the spot where Alex had disappeared and wondered where he had gone.
She thought through her options, and then she followed him.
Alex looked over his shoulder at Maya, who was chasing after him. He smiled and said, "Someone from the divine realm has come. Let's go and take a look."
Maya was taken aback. "Someone from the divine realm has come here?" she asked in surprise. "Why would they do that? They're not coming for you, are they?"
Alex chuckled. "It's just a bunch of amateurs. They may be powerful, but we can take them."
He grinned at her. "Let's go. Maybe we can go to the divine realm together. It will be like a vacation."
"All right," Maya said, liking the idea. "I'm in."
Before long, the three of them arrived outside the Tomb.