In the sprawling, ever-evolving world of Teyvat, time flows like an arrow—but some quests stick around like a stubborn slime, just waiting to be squished. Even in 2026, a Traveler might stumble upon the legendary Moonchase Festival’s second act, Path of Gentle Breezes, thanks to the occasional rerun of past festivities or a dusty quest log that never got cleaned up. So, for those brave enough to help the ever-proud Cloud Retainer whip up a traditional dish, here is a delightfully chaotic guide to following the aura trail, finding ingredients, and not getting frozen mid-stir.

First things first: Is Part I just a distant memory?

Absolutely. To even unlock the Contraption-Contrived Cooking Course: Part II, every Traveler must have already cleared Part I alongside Cloud Retainer in Liyue. Once that prerequisite is met, the Event menu will politely point toward the haughty adeptus’s location. She’s probably somewhere near the stone forests of Minlin, lamenting the inadequacies of mortal cuisine. Approach her, and the quest for rice (yes, humble, glorious rice) will officially begin.

Why rice, you ask? Why not something more… magical?

Because Cloud Retainer does not simply accept ordinary harvests. She demands rice that has been blessed by the winds of a gentle breeze—or at least carried safely through a monster-infested gorge. This is where the aura trail mechanic shines. Players will need to follow an ethereal, barely visible trail that floats through the environment. If the trail seems more elusive than a Dendro-infused treasure hoarder, a quick glance at a recorded playthrough might jog the memory, but honestly, the trick is to look for glowing greenish motes that twist around rocks, trees, and waterfalls like a bored Anemo spirit. Stick close, don’t blink, and eventually the path will lead to a good old-fashioned escort mission.

That’s right—a “protect the cargo” daily commission in disguise. A balloon carrying precious supplies will slowly trundle along a set route while enemies spawn left and right. Hilichurls, archers, maybe a Mitachurl if the universe has a particularly mean sense of humor. Travelers who treat this like a speedrun will find themselves swarmed. The wiser approach is to jog alongside the cargo, popping bursts of elemental damage, and occasionally wondering why anyone thought transporting rice on a fragile balloon was a good idea. But hey, Cloud Retainer’s recipes demand sacrifice.

Once the cargo is safely delivered, the rice is secured, and the cooking minigame beckons. This is where the real gourmet chaos unfolds. The cooking interface itself is a simple button-mashing dance—press the correct actions as they appear, easy as a Sweet Madame. However, the kitchen floor becomes a battlefield. Every few seconds, a Cryo Slime or a Pyro Slime will waddle into the cooking area, absolutely determined to ruin the dish. A Cryo Slime can freeze the pot, stalling progress and leaving the Traveler with a block of ice where a meal should be. A Pyro Slime, on the other hand, will gleefully set everything alight, turning the prized rice into charcoal crisps. The answer? A well-timed elemental skill that eliminates these intruders before they can sabotage the culinary masterpiece. And for the love of all things delicious, do not use Pyro against a Pyro Slime unless you want to cook an explosion instead of dinner.

Cloud Retainer watches all this with her trademark condescension, offering backhanded compliments that only a thousand-year-old bird could deliver. “One supposes it is passable… for a mortal.” Her quest dialogue is pure comedy gold, and hearing her praise the final Moonchase dish is worth every singed eyebrow.

Now, a pro tip straight from 2026’s collective wisdom: back in the early 2020s when this event first graced Teyvat, it had a hard deadline—October 11th. Players who procrastinated found themselves in a panicked, sleep-deprived rush to clear everything in one evening. History has taught us the folly of such behavior. IF the Moonchase Festival returns in a rerun, whether in a seasonal event archive or a limited-time revival, do not leave it until the final minute. Plan a relaxed evening, perhaps with some real-life rice crackers, and savor the adventure.

What’s the deal with the Nintendo Switch version anyway?

Ah, the eternal question. As of 2026, the promised Switch port remains the stuff of legends—a running joke among the Teyvat faithful. It is “coming soon” in the same way that Paimon will one day stop talking about treasure. In the meantime, enthusiasts can enjoy Genshin Impact on PC, PS5 (and yes, even that dusty PS4), iOS, and Android. The cross-platform majesty ensures that no matter where you are, you can chase aura trails and fend off slime invasions.

Is it really worth revisiting a cooking quest five years later?

Undeniably, yes. The Moonchase Festival not only offers a generous heap of Primogems, Mora, and unique recipes, but it also dives deep into Liyue’s culinary culture and the endearing yet cranky personality of Cloud Retainer. The Path of Gentle Breezes segment, with its blend of exploration, combat, and frantic cooking, encapsulates the whimsical chaos that makes Genshin Impact so beloved. So whether you’re a veteran Traveler clearing an old quest log or a rookie stumbling upon the Moonchase rerun, grab your best polearm, follow that glowing trail, and give Cloud Retainer the rice dish she so deeply—and begrudgingly—deserves.

And if the slimes get too feisty? Just remember: it’s not a culinary disaster; it’s experimental cooking. Or so one would like to believe.