Agatha didn't comment.
Alex had already noticed her when she had entered the city. What surprised him was that she wasn't much older than he was, and yet she had already reached the divine stage.
She must be a direct descendant of a powerful sect, he thought.
A moment later, two disciples of the Purple Sect entered and said respectfully, "We have already warned the High sect about their behavior, and their master promised us that he would never harass Sword City again. He has punished the three people who were here."
"Agatha, have you become an elder of the Purple sect?" Verity asked in surprise.
Even Magnus raised his head to gape at her.
"Three years ago, she defeated all the senior warriors in a contest and took first place," one of the disciples said proudly. "She was accepted as an elder, and when she ascends to the immortal realm, she will become our leader."
Everyone in the room sucked in a breath of cold air.
The Purple sect was one of the seven great sects of the divine realm, on par with the Crimson sect and the High sect. They were extremely powerful and had existed for tens of thousands of years.
Agatha's ability to beat every one of her generation in the Purple sect to become their number one showed what kind of extraordinary talent she possessed.
Magnus was so excited that his hands were trembling. "Sword City is finally going to produce a sect leader!" he said. Many of the disciples who had rushed over had tears in their eyes.
"Although there are earth immortals in the High sect, they have already lived for more than four hundred years," Agatha said. "They won't live for much longer, so they won't dare to provoke this city anymore. Don't worry, Magnus."
She didn't even look at Alex. Instead, she turned her head and smiled at Verity.
"Go and pack," she said. "We will be leaving soon."
"I'm going to attend the Ascendance Assembly," she explained. "All the elite disciples of the great sects will gather there, and the champion of this year's contest will be decided."
"Has it already begun?" Verity asked. Her eyes lit up, but when she looked at Alex, she looked reluctant. "But I really want Alex as my teacher. He's amazing, and he knows a lot of magic."
"Then you'll come too," Agatha said to Alex. "Then you'll be able to gain experience."
After all, she doted on her younger sister and wanted her to be happy.
Alex was about to shake his head to reject her. Why should I take orders from some woman I've never even met? he thought.
But Verity had already jogged over and tugged on Alex's sleeve, looking like a puppy begging for attention. Alex sighed and helplessly patted her shoulder. "All right," he said. "I'll go with you."
"Thanks, Alex," she said, grinning at him. "You're the best."
Agatha frowned slightly, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
Due to the limited amount of time until the competition, everyone packed up and set off. Verity was desperately excited, and she was looking forward to reaching the Purple sect and learning as much as she could. Magnus had packed seven large bags, worried about leaving anything behind.
Luckily, Agatha was riding a divine-stage beast.
The beast was covered in scales, and its legs were as thick as pillars. It was hundreds of feet long, and every step it took shook the ground. An ancient species, it carried a house on its back, like a moving palace. It was an obvious symbol of Agatha's status in the Purple sect.
In every city that they passed, the city lords would open the doors to welcome them respectfully. Along the way, the sects also sent people to pay their respects. The entire journey highlighted the dominance of the upper sects.
Alex took the opportunity to buy quite a few spirit medicines whenever they stopped anywhere.
The divine realm was rich in spiritual energy, and its herbs were far superior to the ones on Earth, so he wanted to concoct a great medicine in order to advance his power.
Agatha watched him closely, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
On the other hand, the two accompanying Purple sect disciples laughed openly at him.
"Alchemy is difficult," they said. "Not just anyone can do it. Buying so many spiritual herbs is useless if you don't know what to do with them."
Alex didn't care what they thought. If they knew what kind of things he was capable of making, then he was sure that they would be scared to death.
Verity just could not stop smiling. Every day, she would run over and take care of everything for Alex, excitedly waiting for him to successfully create his medicine.
His injuries were improving day by day, and it wouldn't be long before his medicine was ready.
Roughly ten days later, when they were close to their destination, everyone stopped to rest. When Alex found a place to meditate, as usual, a clear shadow quietly passed over him.
"Just who are you?" Agatha asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.
"I was once a peerless celestial sweeping through the world," Alex said, as he opened his eyes. "Do you believe me?"
He had long discovered that, every time he sat alone, there would always be eyes on him. It had clearly been Agatha, but since she hadn't made a move, he hadn't bothered confronting her.
"You said that you were from the higher sects," Agatha said. "But I ordered people to gather the names of the disciples from the various sects, and yours is nowhere to be found." She scowled at him. "But regardless of who you are, I want you to stay away from my sister."
"You think too much," Alex replied, rolling his eyes.
"I'm the senior elder of the Purple sect and its future master," Agatha said. "If you marry my sister, then you'll become the future sect master's brother-in-law. Verity is still young, so I have to watch over her. You're obviously not here for her talent. Do you really want to take her as your student?"
Although Verity was amusing, she was far inferior to her elder sister in terms of power. In this lifetime, she would have no hope of reaching the divine stage, let alone anything beyond.
Alex laughed loudly. "Agatha, you think too highly of yourself!" he said. "I have dominated the world, and I do not rely on women to gain prestige. Besides, do you really think that your talent is so very strong? That you're far superior to your sister?"
Agatha didn't say a word. Even in the divine realm, she knew few people could compare with her talent, so how could Verity compete with her?
"What if I told you that Verity's talent is a hundred times—no, a thousand times—better than yours?" Alex asked. "And that in the future, she could become not just an earth immortal but even a celestial immortal?"
Normally, he wouldn't have cared about such a young woman. But then he had realized that Verity possessed incredible innate power, and he had decided to help her succeed.
Agatha smiled and turned away in contempt. There was only one thing left to say. "The Ascension Assembly is a gathering of the elites of the younger generation. Even the youngest son of the High sect will be there, so you will have to be careful. If you offend such powerful people, then even I won't be able to save you."