"Enough of this! Spirit Tea, Ancient Ginseng and Godwine? Where are the true pills? Are you not the Grandest Alchemist in this entire Grand Realm?" a blue-haired woman complained while pointing accusingly at Lord Rejin. In her arms, a small white tiger mewled, kinda heartbreaking. It seemed that although the tiger had already reached Tier 2 in barely a year, Lara wasn't that happy.

"As I explained before, I can only help so much. Your husband controls the access to higher resources." the Alchemist answered with a tiny shrug, then glanced up and smiled.

"What?" Lara asked following his gaze.

Stepping out of the Void, Pef emerged into the Mausoleum Station, his shape enveloped in potent Daos and a barely retrained Sword intent.

"Good to see you too." Pef spoke calmly, as he walked towards his wife slowly.

It wasn't just her cultivator senses, but the White Tiger spirit herself, warning her about the strength of the returned Soldier. A million times stronger than last year. "Pef...how?" Lara asked in a surprised tone.

Pef smiled a bit sadly, then turned towards Rejin. There wasn't even a comparison to his last impression of him. Where formerly Rejin appeared a powerful bastion of power, he was now only half as strong as himself. Then again, Rejin wasn't a warrior, but a scholar. "Hello there, old friend." Pef addressed the Alchemist in a kind voice.

"Just tell me you're going to deal with this...nuisance, Lord Pef. For some time, people keep asking me unreasonable requests, mostly involving your own reserved resources." Rejin muttered in a displeased voice, and leaned back in his marble throne.

Pef nodded graciously and held a hand out towards Lara. "Come here, my dear. Let's see what your little tiger needs."

Seeing the young tiger getting grabbed and rudely manhandled by Pef, Lara rose an eyebrow. 'I thought you would smack Pef with your ghost paws, or something...'

'It wouldn't do anything to him, except perhaps annoy him.' the White Tiger growled back, feeling intimidated by the blonde teenager.

"Looks strong enough to be a Soldier already. I say some Practice in the Mausoleum would serve your tiger well." Pef decided after considering the stats on the little White Tiger.

He turned towards Lara, who bit her lips in indecision.

"There is a monster in there, it might eat it, or the spirit." Lara answered as a timid White Tiger spirit appeared beside her.

But Pef just shook his head, and spun the small tiger in his palm. "The Taotie doesn't like hurting beasts, and least of all a spirit beast like himself. Just be careful and not cheat, White Tiger. The young one must struggle on his own." He explained while imparting some cultivation techniques and Skills to the small beast.

Things like sharpening his claws into Void Claws for example, jumping across space or hiding in shadows for better hunting results, for example. Then to make it all better, the Legion Indoctrination Method will allow the young tiger to Devour his prey and grow even faster.

The spirit White Tiger looked confused at Pef as it felt his body transform, becoming stronger and faster, while also starting to hurt profoundly in his bones. "The Legion Method will need at least a month to do its work, but I suggest a whole year." he advised the White Tiger in a firm voice.

Looking towards his body with a sorrowful look, the spirit beast nodded, signaling agreement. He already understood most Legion techniques by now, simply from living beside Lara and other Legion Soldiers based at the Mausoleum. Devouring his kills wasn't anything new or different for a beast anyways, the Legion Method just made everything faster.

"I hear there are great hunting grounds in the Green Realm of the Mausoleum. Though perhaps we will start in Orange, and work our way slowly."

Pef grinned at the beast and stepped beside Rejin. "As for you, Lord Rejin...we have some work to do." he proposed while holding a hand out.

In the second Rejin touched his hand, he drew the Alchemist in his inner world, so that he could start learning proper Alchemy, and also renew his relations with the people still residing inside Rejin's inner worlds. However, to his surprise he found out the Nine Universe Cauldron remained beside him, unmovable at all.

'You're even heavier than my Heart Ruler...' Pef grumbled inward, as his hand was stuck on the Divine Artifact.

'Learning Alchemy is a life-long challenge, young one. That shattered blue star you call Icefire is rather remarkable though. Perhaps, with it and your glove, you do have a chance to learn.' the Cauldron spoke in his mind, still as powerful and unyielding as he recalled.

'You were once a star, Icefire? A blue giant maybe?' Pef wondered inward, drawing the ice-cold flame forward.

'I was not a giant, only a toy, held in a glass ornery to look pretty, while children learned about the elements and the universe. Until I began to learn as well. Then I was discovered and cast away, and found myself locked in that Mirror Realm. But I had forgotten about all that, until this old Cauldron touched my mind.' Icefire said in a relieved tone.

'The Celestial Academy...they used to teach profound things there, as the Heavenly Hegemony, the Great Houses and the Holy Sects sent their brightest to study there. I also learned some Alchemy while I was there, carried by my...former user. And then, the World Tree died...and the War in Heavens began.' the Cauldron continued in a far away voice.

'Still, I spoke with the Nine Shades Bamboo...the Tree is not really dead, only broken.' Pef mused to himself.

'The World Tree...thought itself invincible. Over 100 Supreme Daos under its leaves, and unmatched in all Heavens since times immemorial. But as always, cultivation produces geniuses sometimes, and those can break all the rules. The Twin Angels of the Big Dipper Sect, the Red Critic of the Red Lotus House and the Sad Medusa, the rogue cultivator from the Barren Sands. Each of them found a way to break the rules, or perhaps they conspired together. Either way, they broke the Heavens and the World Tree as well.' the Cauldron explained in suffering voice.

'And so, the lower realms are now full with fugitives or scattered artifacts from the former order.' Pef spoke as he began to deduce the rest.

'The only fugitive is your Taotie friend. And he didn't run fast enough. The rest, were probably considered too difficult to destroy, or too troublesome for other reasons. So I expect you intent to fight the Taotie, in his Violet Realm? Prove yourself equal the Jade Emperor himself?' The Cauldron continued, somewhat amused.

Pef froze for a moment, finding his plans too easily figured out by a Tier 9 entity, even if it was only an Artifact.

Then he shrugged. 'I can already win that fight, Ancient Cauldron. But I want to win with style. And thus, I need your help.'