"Master Frey, please inspect my elixir."
Lind strode across a room that would suspiciously look like a classroom on Earth, specifically a chemical lab.
There were several cauldrons set up but only 3 were currently in use.
The demoness, Sutra, held up a deeply cobalt blue elixir.
Her bright orange hair drew the eye but her dark gray eyes were serene as he made his way over.
Lind examined it and smiled as he saw it was far better quality than before.
It was peak grade 2 but compared to the competition, it was a night and day difference.
"Very good.
This Transfer Elixir will be good to produce for Demon Soul Realm cultivators."
It was a fascinating concept but demons refine normal Qi into demon Qi for the Demon Soul Realm.
They used arrays most of the ti but Sutra had created an elixir that could work as well.
Demon Soul Stones were best, of course but compared to Soul Stones, they were far more rare.
Lind had gained a great deal of insight working with Sutra during her training.
A poof of smoke ca from behind him but Lind rely cleared the acrid air of anything dangerous before turning to the nearly weeping acolyte.
She was Sabrina from Sarth.
She had been discovered by accident before the competition and sent his way for guidance.
Her ash gray hair was singed and her round face was covered by soot with tears.
Lind patted her head as he examined what happened.
He smiled at one of his oldest mistakes.
"You can't force essence.
You have to feel it, comprehend it like the elents of fire and air inside you.
You are doing much better than I did at first.
I passed out after causing this kind of failure."
Sabrina smiled a bit as Lind's kindness conveyed over.
Also, the truth was easy to see.
Sutra also nodded as she had suffered similar problems.
"I-I will try harder!"
Lind nodded and cleaned up the burnt out refuse in the cauldron.
He gave her so tips and made his Qi visible to mimic essence to practice what he told her.
She still kept trying to force it but she was getting better.
"M-Master Frey?!"
A third voice called out as Lind felt Qi surge at the next cauldron.
Lind used his Sky Touch to bring it under control and safely dispersed it.
The highest of the 3 students was Athena, the aether child from the contest but she let herself get distracted when he was teaching the other 2.
"Again."
Unlike with Sabrina, he made Athena start over without guidance and watched her beautifully guide the essence of her herbs and beast core as a dark gray elixir ca into existence.
Lind examined it and finally smiled.
"Peak grade 2, at last"
Athena smiled wide while Sutra frowned.
They had a kind of contest going on as they were at similar levels but Lind only told them to focus on their foundation.
He taught them as he had been taught.
Instead of recipes, they learned technique, feeling essence, and following their instincts.
The last part was the hardest despite earlier success.
The default thinking that recipes could be easily replicated was the trap of alchemical teachings.
Elixirs were more fluid in that elixir masters needed to feel compatibility and bring together the right herbs and ingredients to achieve a goal.
Experinting was a requirent.
Lind was instilling that process first before sharing what he created directly.
He had already shown how he could recreate their own creations but how those elixirs were different.
Lind had yet to master them but the leads made by them gave him ideas to make his own.
"All right, Sutra and Athena will now try to repeat the current process until you can do it 20 tis in a row while maintaining the quality."
Both nad won paled but Lind only wanted to smile evilly at them.
Compared to Younger Twin, Lind was a rciful God.
"Sabrina, work only on your essence control until the next lesson.
I want to see just that before attempting a new elixir."
All 3 nodded as they cleaned up their work areas before leaving.
Lind then touched a few formations at the front of the room.
One simply took down the isolation ward but the others stopped the imprinting of jade slips with the lessons he imparted to the 3 prospective Maidens.
The aether child and demoness had been offered direct acceptance but wanted to go through the process correctly while Sabrina had already been an acolyte when discovered.
Lind sighed as he collected a few thoughts before heading back to his quarters.
He had not even stepped far when Elder Peta stopped him.
Ever since he t her during the auction, the robust woman warrior had been sort of helping with the many petitions coming to the sect via Starfire House.
A few filters had been put in place and then a few more after so loopholes were found.
Serious issues were forwarded once verified but thankfully those were few.
If Peta was here, he must be eting a new petition.
"Master Frey, the holder of your formation plate has made an appointnt for this evening."
Lind froze.
It was the Forging opportunity.
Unlike elixirs, those requests were far fewer.
People were evaluating the winners from the auction as well as any Maidens willing to talk.
Compared to the shield artifacts now being made by Myriad Treasures, Lind's Forging skills were strictly training since the auction over a month ago.
He nodded to her and continued on his way.
There was a special eting room setup for his petitions but Lind needed to clean himself up.
He probably slled of herbs, burnt refuse, and who knew what else.
His quarters were brightly lit up and the sll of food made him smile.
Qing was on duty tonight for cooking but Shoti was likely sneaking in more at.
He entered and was surprised to hear singing.
Annabelle had a beautiful voice but it was not her voice that stopped him, it was the song!
It was not the language primarily used in Cimria, Sarth, or even so demon variants he knew she had learned.
Lind knew quite a bit by now as well but the language Annabelle was singing in was a great deal like Japanese.
If he was not mistaken, it was the opening the to one of the ani George would listen to during lunches back on Earth.
Lind could not place it but a tear appeared as he suddenly heard George humming the sa the in his head.
The man could be annoyingly emphatic about his hobbies, but he was a good friend.
Lind felt hosick for the first ti in the close to 10 years he had spent cultivating seriously in the Soul Realm.
He would rember Earth but it was becoming a distant mory for reference only until that mont.
"Lind, are you ok?"
Qing had seen him frozen in the main resting room but he only nodded as he followed the sound of Annabelle's voice.
As he kept listening, it was like all the emotional mories buried were surging back up and he let them.
He allowed the nostalgia to wash over him and Lind found Annabelle working on a formation plate in her room.
She was smirking as she sang and Lind just stood in her doorway until it was over.
"That was amazing."
Annabelle jumped as she had not noticed Lind co in but she froze as she saw his face.
He tried to control his emotions but it was hard right that mont.
She ca over and hugged him.
She was always quietly supporting him and he did not appreciate her enough.
As if in reflex, he kissed the top of her head.
Both froze at his action as it was the most intimate he had been aside from allowing her to sleep next to him.
Lind was now embarrassed but Annabelle had given a gift to him.
"You let
rember so happy mories.
Thank you."
Annabelle nodded as she was clearly blushing heavily where he could not see.
He pulled her along and they got ready to eat.
If not for the upcoming eting, Lind would call the night perfect.
????????
"I do not see the point of wasting so many World Stones."
A young man was sipping wine in an expensive crystal goblet.
His pure blonde hair was slicked back while his fine robes were of the best current trend.
The pale blues and golds blended well to complint his perfect skin.
Anyone asked to rate the young man would agree that his dark eyes draw in people and that he is very handso.
His charisma was palpable but any cultivator would recognize an annoying technique flowing around him.
It did little for power or advancing cultivation but it was useful in allowing a cultivator to attract partners.
Many sects and kingdoms forbade the technique, yet it persevered despite their efforts.
Thankfully, the current user did not perform wicked acts.
He rely liked to be adored.
"Your interests are not mine, brother.
Father indulged my wish and it will be my opportunity to benefit."
A raven loched young woman with violet eyes lay on a luxurious couch but her robes were only of functional make.
Silk was reserved for a scarf around her neck but the robes of the sa pale blue and gold were refined items.
Between the 2, the younger woman would be taken more seriously by cultivators.
Both of them were in the middling tiers of the Soul Realm but the young woman was more heavily nurtured compared to her brother.
"I will admit he puts on a good show, but he is just a 6 elental.
How much more use can you get out of him?"
The scroll in her hands nearly tore as she repressed a desire to scream at the narcissistic fool that shared blood with her.
She stashed the scroll away into her storage ring.
Unlike many storage rings that were made of stone, hers were of a fine black tal.
Her brother had one as well of gold but his capacity was far lower than hers.
"Stick to your hobbies, brother, and leave
to my cultivation."
She went to leave but a blur resolved into her brother now looking at her sternly.
If he was truly angered at her snubbing him, it would have been an improvent, but she knew why he was angry.
"You need to step back, sister.
I do not care about your cultivation but if you steal any more from , I will take steps to punish you."
She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes.
If it had been a few years ago, his threat might have ant sothing but now he had missed his chance.
His cultivation only increased if it facilitated his hobbies visiting Midnight Guild.
It was not exactly a scandal but all ambition outside of his hobbies was more problematic.
Thankfully, her father and mother had seen her potential and invested in her.
Only recently had she understood how frustrated they had to be with this fool.
He could not have an accident as he had not broken any rules but the temptation was strong to do so.
Her brother really believed he was going to inherit their father's chair when the ti ca, but it was already gone.
"Sebastian, it is ti for
to go to my appointnt.
Unless you want to explain to the nice Sky Realm Elder why I am late?"
His dark eyes reddened but even he was not so foolish as to cross the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
The recent fallout with the Kingdom of Altair showed how terrifying that sect could be if angered.
"I will not forget this Delia.
My place on the Emporium Council will not be threatened."
Delia smiled for the first ti and it made Sebastian frown as she nodded at him.
"For once, you are correct.
Your place will not be threatened at all."
She humd as she left for the Heavenly Maiden Sect to see what could be Forged for her by Master Frey.
Having a custom item would do far more than secure her inheritance, it would increase her speed of cultivation if she could request details unique to her.
She then headed down after looking out at all of Cimria from her place far above in the Star Piercer that held all the real power of the Stardust Emporium floating far above all the rest of the Indelia Continent.
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