The herbalist’s workshop was closed to everyone for a night and a day. Nobody knows what is happening in the room except for a consistent series of explosions that shakes the entire building and threatens to demolish the place.

Even the customers were not spared from the startling commotion, and they wonder what kind of experiments the young master of Snowdrifts is concocting. Perhaps, it was because of his contribution to the training centre in the city – an equally startling stratagem that could raise cultivation speeds by 50% - which the people began looking forward to the results of Kairos’ study.

When the two finished, they wordlessly stared at their creation: A beautiful liquid in sparkling ruby red sat in a bottle on the desk.

“This is it?”

“It is.”

“It’s amazing how simple the ingredients were, to make it.”

“Rather, I’m amazed that young master could think up of such a method. And, that it actually works! With this, we can replace the healing salves, or at least to some degrees.”

Kairos nodded with his eyes ablaze. The use of their creation would be fairly important for the future of the Snowdrifts, and he looked forward to it.

However, even with his sharp presentiment, he did not foretell just how significant their Healing Scent would become.

Afterwards, he was taken away by the master blacksmith, Siegfried. He had allowed himself to be the third in line, but in return, he had received plenty of discounts from Helena and Laksa. Still, when he grabbed Kairos and pulled the boy towards his forge, he said, “Little Kairos don’t favour old man Sieg. He went to Laksa’s place first, then almost forget this old smith at Helena’s flower shop.”

Kairos struggled a while then sighed and said, “Uncle Siegfried, you’re taking advantage of me.”

Siegfried broke into a wide, happy, smile, and a hearty laugh.

“That’s because you call Laksa uncle and Helena Aunt, but address me as Master Siegfried. I thought you said we’re a family?”

“That… I didn’t know that Uncle Siegfried is such an approachable person.”

“Why? You think that my great muscles aren’t approachable?”

“N...nn…no.”

“You don’t know their beauty.”

"....."

After Kairos entered the forge, all news of him was cut off. It was even more secretive than in Helena’s workshop.

Even the apprentices were not allowed to disturb their work.

The master smith was also researching an illustrious, experimental, refining method. It was a project passed down by many who failed before him, and it sorely required a fresh new air.

He was pleasantly surprised when he heard the ability of the Heart’s Echo, as well as having the Breath of the Ancients technique.

In a blink of an eye, the blacksmith took Kairos under his wings, and taught him all that he knew, as well as giving the boy several forging manuals. Techniques and studies that were the accumulations of the vanquished north.

He did not need to repeat any demonstration twice, and by saying one concept, the young master could derive a dozen more on his own. The blacksmith grew fonder of the boy than ever before and was immensely proud. Without knowing when Siegfried thought of Kairos as his second son.

Likewise, Kairos was amazed by the magnitude of the craftsman’s character and thought highly of his teacher.

Of the techniques he learned from the smith, the most unexpected reward he yields was an art called the Sixty-four Fiend Slayer Strikes. It was a hammer skill used to refine metals completely, but at the same time, it was an unfathomable martial art that was passed down since time immemorial.

However, what was even more shocking was the fact that this technique can also be called a direct upgrade of Alan’s self-made Sixty-four Meridian Point-strikes.

Of course, both techniques had similarities because they were derived from the same astral formation as the one Kairos used to create his Bagua Formation.

Although it was the same starry skies, cultivators that gained inspiration from the stars had different interpretations.

There were some like Kairos who used it to make formations, others like Alan who saw it as the meridian points in one’s body, or even those who infused the insight into crafts.

With a little adjustment, and incorporating the Sixty-four Fiend Slayer Strikes with their Formless Stance, Alan could improve his current skills by leaps and bounds.

After teaching Kairos everything he could in short notice, the blacksmith explained the magnum opus he was aiming for with his research.

The master craftsman wanted to create living puppets. Ones with conscious thoughts and could grow on their own, yet completely loyal.

It sounded frightening for Kairos until Siegfried laughed and explained that he had no wish to transmute life forms. Instead, he knows that even a blade of leaf or a branch from the tree has a will, and wishes to forge a vessel that could direct the spirit of nature to one’s intents.

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It sounded like magecraft to Kairos, especially since he had studied dragonic spells from Aisa, and in this subject, he became completely enticed by Siegfried.

Instead of directing the power of nature to carry out spell effects, the puppet would harness energy and come alive with the will of the world.

Unfortunately, the Primordial Dragon advised that such an endeavour would be fairly difficult to accomplish at their level.

It required more than magic, but also metallurgy, alchemy, runes weaving, Dao infusion, and a couple of other unorthodox techniques.

However, instead of dampening the blacksmith's spirit, when Kairos conveyed what he learned, Siegfried was flared up with more excitement than the boy had ever seen. At least, it was possible to succeed.

The next few days spent were brimming with activity. Besides the forge, Kairos alternated himself between the other arts. He had become a shared disciple between the three masters. After focusing on learning all that he could from them, he was sent to Xuan Xian to learn the ways of a clothier. It was an art that Siegfried told him would greatly aid him in weaving runic embroideries onto his clothing.

Although the benefits would be far less potent than talismans written in beast blood, it would be more lasting so Kairos eagerly picked up all that he could.

He learned every concept with top speed, even how swiftly sponges absorb water would be put to shame. But, afterwards, it was the slow and arduous process of gaining experience and insights. There are only limited things he could learn from another, and there were still many things to find out with his own hands.

A few days later, he consolidated the ideas and new findings he gained from his Heart’s Echo and started teaching them to the three masters.

New metallurgy refinement methods were discovered every time he touched an ore and was told of its treatment preference. Similarly, the ingredients for food and pills would whisper their secrets to him.

The four of them quickly found their hands full in trying out these new methods. They were excited at the new theories and incorporated as much as they could into their current practices.

Helena studied the way to resolve pill poisoning. When cultivators use pills, there will be residual drugs left in their system. Not only will it decrease further medication effects, but there might also be side effects like allergic reactions. Kairos introduced her to what the Purifier does in the kitchen. When she learnt that there is an established method to remove impurities in culinary arts, she almost beat up Laksa.

The two other masters also benefited greatly. Siegfried picked up inscription from Kairos and Laksa learned to display his food in a stratagem on the platter to gather five elemental heavenly energies.

Their shared disciple, Kairos, on the other hand, started having more and more time on his hands. During his frequent breaks, he would always hang out with Ling’er and Relestia. It was the only time they could see Kairos and Relestia behave like children while the adults watched with warm smiles on their faces.

After spending a week learning all kinds of trades in the Gilded Snow, Kairos finally decided to leave for Rutea Village. During this time, his father had very much enjoyed himself during this time. He bought any items that he wanted, and eat and drink all he could. The tab would go to the Astroire manor, but as owners of the business, it would still be cheap to purchase at base cost.

The Princess wanted very much to go with him, and almost cried when Kairos was about to leave, but having promised him that she would heal Ling’er back to health, she would not renegade on her words.

They hosted a banquet for the group’s departure with Laksa finally fulfilling his promise. They found out why the chef was a noble back in his days. The master chef brought out a hundred and eight unique dishes, fit for an imperial feast. Each plate was made delicately with fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meat that they had never seen before. Some of the dishes shone radiantly while others were luminous like the moon. There was also transparent food; those shook when moved, those that were hard like crystals, and those that swam around like a fan.

Some dishes were so beautiful that it looked a breath-taking scenery to be admired instead of actual food. There was a miniature misty forest – those that looked at it couldn’t tell if the wisps were from heat or coldness, and a dish that looked like a golden desert with a tiny pyramid on top, even a transparent bowl filled with fish-shaped crystal dumplings that looked like a deep sea aquarium.

Just the visual effects alone were enough to stun the group, but it was the mixture of fragrances that dragged their souls away.

Laksa had to call them back spirits back before the food went cold.

“Isn’t this… What’s the name? Ah, isn’t this the Blood Wraith apples? I thought the Blood Wraith went extinct?” Helena exclaimed the moment she recovered. After all, Laksa just summoned all the food out at the same time from his Time-space ring.

Laksa laughed merrily like it was a compliment and said, “Indeed!”

“But this was a vicious plant demon species that was hunted to extinction because such monstrous things shouldn’t exist in this world. Do you mean there are still one out there?”

“Nonsense, who’d dare to rear one. I wouldn’t want to bear the sin of wiping out cities.”

The rest that was paying close attention felt cold sweat roll down their backs. What kind of demon fruits are they feasting on?

They later found out that the Blood Wraith is a creepy tree that lures preys over with a cry for help. It could mimic the voices of young creatures or little girls and boys. When its victims come closer, they will be poisoned with a powerful toxin and become its nutrient. But some of them wouldn’t die. It’s not that they are immune, but the plant that let them live. These people have contracted with a virus that makes them fond of the Blood Wraith, so much that they will return to their homes and bring more victims over.

“What about this crystal carrot thing?”

“It’s the extinct Kakar… I meant Carat Carrot.”

“What about this vegetable…”

“It’s the extinct Vegeta... Vegetarius…”

“And this root?”

“It’s just ginseng.”

“You sure it isn’t a burdock root?”

“…..”

The feast was filled with ingredients that cannot be found anymore. Fortunately for Time-space rings, they are preserved freshly.

The food was so delicious they engorged themselves, almost inhaling everything in. What was enough for non-practitioners to eat for three days, they finished in a one sitting. Their bodies could absorb more energies than ordinary people, but they still needed to concentrate heavily on digesting this much food.

The next day, after struggling with their bloated bellies, Kairos, Vouno, and the fifteen disciples left.

The masters stood by the door watching them depart, disappearing down the road.

Helena turned to the other two, and she quietly asked them, “Don’t you two find it hard to face him?”

Siegfried and Laksa scratched their heads almost at the same time, “Why? Because of our children that passed away?”

The three of them had been working together long enough to be intuitive of each other’s emotions.

Helena immediately nodded, “Yes… How did the two of you get over the past? You seemed to have… accepted him as your son.”

“Perhaps, we really thought of him as a son…, but we didn’t get over what happened. When no one is around except Siegfried and I, we will drink a toast to little Sieg and Lak, and this old fogey would always end up bawling his eyes out.”

The thickly muscled blacksmith trembled then punched the cook on his arm, “N… nonsense, you’re the one that brawls your eyes out.”

“I don’t deny.”

A soft reply.

The herbalist watched them with a wistful smile. As she walked back into the Gilded Snow, she whispered in a barely audible voice, “Next time that you’re drinking, invite me along.”