Thor charged at Loki.
The sound of metal hitting metal and the crash of lightning echoed through the massive throne room.
Sam didn't stay to watch. This was a family matter. Thor needed to deal with his brother, and Sam knew Thor would win.
He turned around and walked out through a large side door, leaving the brothers to fight it out.
Little D sat quietly on his shoulder, her tiny head turning as she scanned the beautiful palace.
Sam walked down the long, quiet hallways of Asgard.
The spiritual energy here was so thick it felt like walking through warm water.
He soon found himself stepping outside into a massive, open garden.
It was breathtaking. The garden was filled with glowing flowers, silver trees, and calm, crystal-clear ponds.
Standing by a pond was a beautiful woman in an elegant, flowing dress.
She had a kind face and warm, wise eyes. Her energy was incredibly peaceful, like a calm sea.
Sam stopped and gave a deep, polite bow.
"You must be Queen Frigga,"
Sam said softly.
Frigga turned and smiled. Her eyes were full of motherly warmth.
"And you must be the man who saved my son,"
Frigga replied, her voice gentle and melodic.
"Thor's heart has changed. He has finally grown up and learned humility. I have you to thank for that."
"He did the hard work,"
Sam said modestly.
"I just helped him see clearly."
Frigga walked closer. She didn't look at him like he was a fragile mortal, the way Loki did. She looked at him with deep understanding.
"I have lived for thousands of years,"
Frigga said quietly.
"I was raised by witches, and I have read the oldest books in the universe. I know what kind of energy flows through your veins. You are not a sorcerer. You are a Cultivator."
Sam was slightly surprised, but he smiled.
"You know our ways, Your Majesty?"
"The path of Qi is very old, even to the gods,"
She nodded.
"It is a path of great discipline. I can see the deep lake of energy inside you. You are at a turning point. You are looking for a way to break through."
Frigga waved her hand gracefully. A beautiful, glowing wooden chest appeared on a stone table nearby.
She gently opened the lid.
Instantly, the smell of pure, concentrated life energy filled the entire garden.
Sam's eyes widened.
Inside the chest were roots that glowed like starlight, leaves that looked like frozen fire, and flowers that hummed with ancient, heavy power.
"These are the rarest herbs from across the Nine Realms,"
Frigga explained.
"Some have grown in the dark, icy caves of Jotunheim. Some have bathed in the pure light of Alfheim for over a thousand years. I want you to have them, as a gift from a grateful mother."
Sam stepped closer, his heart beating fast. This was exactly what he needed.
Tony's fast-growing farm was amazing, but it couldn't create the pure, ancient magic found in these other realms.
"Queen Frigga... this is too much,"
Sam said in awe.
"With these herbs, I won't just increase my energy. I can use them to break through to the Golden Core stage."
"The Golden Core?"
Little D asked from his shoulder, tilting her wooden head.
"Yes,"
Sam explained, his voice filled with excitement and reverence.
"Right now, my Qi is a liquid lake. But with this much ancient, pure energy, I can compress that lake into a solid, golden star inside my Dantian. A Golden Core."
He looked at Frigga with deep gratitude.
"At the Golden Core stage, my mortal limits will completely break,"
Sam told them.
"My cells will stop aging. My lifespan will become just like yours, Queen Frigga. I will be able to live for thousands of years."
Frigga placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"A long life is a heavy burden, Sam,"
She said softly.
"You will watch the world change many times. But I see the kindness and peace in your eyes. Earth will need a protector who can stand the test of time. They will need you."
Sam looked down at the glowing chest of herbs.
He thought about everyone back on Earth.
He was going to live long enough to protect them, their children, and the generations to come.
"Thank you, Your Majesty,"
Sam said, bowing deeply once more.
"I will not waste this gift."
Frigga smiled warmly.
"I know you won't. Now, find a quiet place here in the garden, Cultivator. It is time for you to step into immortality."
Sam sat down on the soft grass near a silver tree.
He closed his eyes and began to meditate. He took the glowing herbs from the wooden chest.
He didn't need a heavy metal cauldron here.
The spiritual energy in Asgard was so pure and thick, he could use his own body as the fire.
He consumed the ancient herbs one by one.
Immediately, a massive wave of raw power exploded inside him. It wasn't wild or painful; it was deep and heavy.
Sam guided the power down into his Dantian.
He pushed his deep lake of pink Qi together.
He squeezed it tighter and tighter, using all of his focus.
The liquid energy began to spin. It spun faster and faster until it started to shine with a blinding golden light.
With a soft, chiming sound that only he could hear, the lake compressed into a single, perfectly solid point.
It was a Golden Core.
Sam opened his eyes. They flashed with bright gold light before turning back to their normal, calm color. He looked at his hands.
He felt completely different. He felt whole.
His heart beat with a slow, powerful rhythm. He could feel that his cells had stopped aging.
He had stepped out of the mortal cycle.
He was now truly immortal.
Little D clapped her tiny wooden hands from a nearby rock.
"Congratulations, Master!"
She cheered.
"Your energy readings are beautiful. You are practically a sun!"
Later that evening, the sounds of fighting in the palace were replaced by music and loud laughter.
Thor had successfully stopped his brother. He had saved the bridge and the kingdom without killing him.
Loki was locked away safely, and Asgard was at peace.
To celebrate the victory, Thor threw a massive feast in the grand dining hall.
There was endless roasted meat, fresh fruit, and sweet golden wine.
Thor walked over to Sam's table carrying a giant cup of wine. He looked tired but very happy.
"To my friend, Sam!"
Thor shouted, raising his cup for the whole room to see.
"The Cultivator who speaks the truth and stands strong!"
The Asgardian warriors cheered loudly and banged their cups on the tables.
Sam smiled and raised his cup too. It was a good night.
He sat with Thor, Queen Frigga, and the great warriors, enjoying the peace he had helped create.
The next morning, it was time to go home.
Sam and Little D stood at the edge of the Bifrost. Thor gave Sam a tight, brotherly hug.
"Earth is lucky to have you as a protector,"
Thor said warmly.
"I will come visit when my duties here are done."
"We will be waiting for you,"
Sam smiled.
Heimdall turned his giant sword in the control panel, and the roaring rainbow bridge pulled Sam across the stars.
In a flash of bright light, Sam was back on Earth.
He landed smoothly right on the balcony of Tony's Malibu mansion.
The sun was shining over the ocean.
Sam walked downstairs to the basement lab. Tony was there, typing on a glowing holographic keyboard.
"Look who is back from outer space!"
Tony grinned, walking over to give Sam a high-five.
"How were the aliens?"
"They are very loud, but they throw a great party,"
Sam laughed.
Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth pouch. He placed it carefully on Tony's desk.
"What is this?"
Tony asked, looking at the pouch.
"I got it from Queen Frigga."
Sam explained.
"I saved some tiny roots, leaves, and seeds from across the Nine Realms. They are the rarest magical plants in the universe."
Sam looked at the large, high-tech greenhouse at the back of the lab.
"I want you to plant them, Tony,"
Sam said seriously.
"Use your Arc Reactor farm to accelerate their growth. If we can grow these here on Earth, we will have a limitless supply of pure energy. I might need them in the future to make more Heavenly Pills for myself, or to help others grow stronger."
Tony looked at the glowing roots inside the pouch.
His eyes lit up with pure excitement.
He loved a good science project, especially when it involved breaking the rules of nature.
Craze: Aunt May is super hot...
[email protected]/phelio 40+ more chapters for $7 only