"In the past, there were others who wielded Icefire" Pef spoke softly as he opened his eyes to stare at the cold blue flame. His voice sounded quite certain.

"Three people, since the Sect was founded. We were a powerhouse in the Nine Continents back then." the Saint admitted with a sad voice.

"Where are they now? Even a small youngling like mine would be enough to safeguard their Ascension to Divinity." Pef hummed thoughtfully.

The Saint frowned as he turned to stare the at wonder Holy Son. A potent Sword Skill was decent enough anyways, especially if the Skill power grew with the cultivation.

But the boy's knowledge was more than outstanding, even surpassing the Sect Master at his respectable Monarch Realm. Even if the boy read entire libraries at high speed...it was quite peculiar.

"The Sect Founder, is believed to have Ascended indeed. There are records of him sublimating into white gas, then vanishing." the Ice Saint said in a respectful tone. "As for the other two, one was a girl, and she vanished on the way to the Nine Continents Tournament, while her guards were all killed. The third one...he left and founded your Snowflake Sect, with a modest cultivation, Emperor Realm or such."

Pef just nodded as he attempted to connect with the main Icefire but failed. He suspected he would need Emperor Realm to be able to initiate a mind connection with the flame creature.

"The Founder was a bit silly. There is no need to lose your body at Ascension. Simply anchor your dantian with something heavy like gold and become a physical god. I'll have to think of a way to restore him into a real body, but not now. I'm still too small." Pef spoke with a careless wave.

The Ice Saint glared at the disrespect, then mulled over the words for longer. "You speak of divinity and these physical gods with such ease and confidence. How?"

Pef turned towards the Saint, and poked his nose playfully. "Say please, frosty guy!" All the while the boy grinned with big dimples in his cheeks.

"...." Angry flames burst into the Saint eyes, as he stared menacingly at the blonde boy.

"Anyways, go bring my fly guy here. I promised to heal him, and the Icefire is a good doctor." Pef demanded as he took out a notebook from his storage ring and began writing the problem and possible cures on a free page.

"That's..." the Saint stumbled.

"Well, if you offer to be my fly guy instead, I accept too. You would be a faster horse, frosty guy." Pef countered with a pleasant tone.

"Crazy! I must be going crazy..." the Saint muttered as he flew away.

Left alone with the Icefire, Pef began making paper airplanes and sending them into the cold flames, carrying his messages and body diagrams with drawn blockages of the Sky Herald.

It was perhaps childish, but Pef was once more a child so he could enjoy it. And teasing the Saint was the icing on the cake.

The man was too stuck in his ways to be molded easily, but everyone had a keyhole into their heart. And this Pef had the Heart of a Sword, a Dao into the heart of his enemies.

Not something mere mortal cultivators could withstand, so it just took patience and a few tries.

As for the Icefire...Pef had a few ideas what it was and why it was here, only there wasn't any way to check.

"Holy Son!" the Sky Herald exclaimed as the last paper plane burned inside the Icefire.

"Walk next to the flame and open your mind, fly guy. It can hear your soul." Pef explained as he pointed out the required spot at the edge of the octagon.

"...As you say, Holy Son." the Sky Herald whispered, ignoring the terrifying fear caused by the Icefire.

"Now fly, fly guy!" Pef demanded as he glanced at the Saint with a small grin.

The Sky Realm Master lifted himself in mid-air for a few seconds, then faltered and fell as his mana circuits congested. Only this time, the man didn't reach the floor of the cave, being held in the air by an invisible force, that rotated the injured man curious.

"See, frosty guy? You should learn to trust me more. That Holy Son title isn't mere words." Pef whispered in fake confidence.

"..." the Saint just observed the process with his enhanced senses, as unhealable injuries and damaged meridians were repaired by an invisible surgeon.

A minute later, the force retracted and the Sky Herald landed on the stone floor unconscious.

"No more small flame, this time." the Saint noticed with a frown.

"Oh? I know someone who can take one little Iceflame right now." Pef spoke in a teasing voice.

The Ice Saint snorted as he grabbed the sleeping Herald and drew him out, setting the man down beside Pef and he began to check the result of the magical operation.

"Indeed it worked. The mana circuits were cleaned and enlarged, and another meridian was opened as well. Little Songtie will fly again." the Saint said in a relieved voice.

"Fly guy will ascend before you, Ice Saint. Because he listens to me." Pef spoke in a careless voice as he took out his notebook again.

"... Who do you think will receive the Icefire? Sect Master Pingli?" the Saint asked curious.

"Grandpa Gonxian, from the Alchemy Hall. He came with me from the Snowflake Sect." Pef said with a large smile.

"Hmmm. A connection...with the Snowflake Founder. I suppose it's possible. But if he doesn't..." the Saint departed leaving a faint threat in the air.

Pef just shrugged. He remembered just such magical flames from his memories, weak red ones and powerful green ones. Blue flames and Icefire, it should work.

Even if not, just coming near the Icefire should help the Elder reach Sky Realm much sooner.

'Don't let me down, Icefire' Pef whispered inside, while flicking another paper plane into the cold flames.

'Tiny flame' the Icefire answered in his mind, just as the Saint returned with the old Elder in tow.

"Holy Son? Is this the True Icefire?" the Elder asked in amazement and reverence, while taking in the imposing cold flames and the small boy seated on the cavern floor.

"Yes, grandpa. Go and show it your blue flames. But be polite, the Icefire is rather cranky today" Pef spoke with level tone.

The Saint glared at the blonde boy but remained silent, and cautious. Truly, today a lot of the Sect history was being re-written.

If only the blonde devil was more respectful.

As the blue flames sprang from the Earth Realm Elder's hands, the air in the cave shifted, becoming warmer. The Icefire itself shifted a hue in its coloring, as it bent and melded with the blue flames.

'Gift for gift' the being spoke again in Pef's mind, as a tiny Icefire sprite jumped out and landed on the Elder's hand then vanished inside.

"Errr?" the old man asked in surprise.

"Now try to fly, grandpa. Just jump" Pef demanded on a hunch.

The man jumped and didn't land again, held in the air by a tiny insight into the Dao of Gravity.

Pef glanced at the Saint and smiled cutely.

The Saint smiled back awkwardly. It was a huge victory for his Sect, recovering the use of Icefire, yet why did it feel he had lost?