As Pei Guang explained, he removed the butterfly effect and the spoon effect, causing the sea to return to normal. After putting Seele's effects back on her weapon, he prepared to reattach Dan Heng's signature effects when Jing Yuan interrupted.
"Maybe… we should skip those effects this time? It's already… a lot."
Jing Yuan had no words left after everything he'd witnessed in such a short time. Splitting the sea with sheer force was one thing, but turning it into a spectacle filled with dancing spoons and butterflies? That was another level entirely.
Dan Heng, however, shook his head. "It's fine. Put them back on. I'm used to it. Without the effects, it doesn't feel right during battle."
Habits were hard to break, and Dan Heng had already adapted to the peculiar traits of his equipment. Sure, the constant meowing sound effects were strange at first, but after using them in combat, he realized how effective they were.
When he first got the effect, he found it a little annoying. But now? Without it, something felt… off.
As for the giant pink bunnies? In his own view, they were just normal weapon effects. The visual nonsense didn't affect his focus, and the meowing even helped throw enemies off balance. As for his teammates? They seemed to enjoy the chaos, so it wasn't a problem.
If enemies were distracted by it, all the better. And if it amused his allies, even better!
Watching Dan Heng reattach the effects and summon the pink bunnies to split the sea again, Jing Yuan chose silence.
He turned toward the direction of the sealed Ambrosial Arbor. A massive dragon head carved into the gate stared back at them. Even this lifeless statue seemed to radiate confusion at the scene unfolding before it.
The dragon seemed to question why its power had been handed over to someone else—why the wielder of this legacy was not another Vidyadhara but a strange man obsessed with ridiculous effects…
Dan Heng gave his weapon a few test swings, releasing colorful bursts of light accompanied by cheerful meows, and nodded in satisfaction.
He turned to the others. "Everyone, let's move forward!"
Jing Yuan took a deep breath, putting the strange visuals out of his mind as he prepared to lead the group forward. However, he first turned to Fu Xuan. "Fu Xuan, I need you to hold this position. Just in case..."
Before Jing Yuan could finish, Fu Xuan immediately nodded. "No problem! I'll defend this place so well it'll shine."
Seeing her so enthusiastic, he smiled approvingly. "It seems you've grown a lot in such a short time."
Fu Xuan pulled out a preservation-type relic she had found earlier. "Spend a little more time around Pei Guang, and you'll grow too. I just don't know if it's good growth or bad growth."
She had come to terms with one undeniable truth—Pei Guang's influence was infectious.
It wasn't that Pei Guang manipulated anyone. It was his strange mix of creativity, confidence, and ridiculousness that made even the most rigid personalities loosen up.
Fu Xuan wasn't exactly sure when she started trusting him so much. Maybe it was when she tried to calculate his past and found it unpredictable. Maybe it was after witnessing his absurd yet effective methods.
Or maybe it was when she decided to believe in his honesty and good nature.
People often formed lifelong bonds in just hours, and she felt that Pei Guang had that effect on everyone he met.
Jing Yuan sighed. "If this is what you call growth, I'll pass. The other generals would laugh at me for the rest of my life."
Fu Xuan leaned closer. "Come on, General. Be honest. Don't you secretly want one of those fun effects? From what I've seen, they don't affect the user's perspective—only what others see. And I swear, some of them even have hidden bonuses. Like that silver mask they have? When they put it on, I felt this weird buzzing in my head."
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. If these effects can actually help in battle, who cares if they look ridiculous? We'll have to talk to Pei Guang more about this later. But for now, Fu Xuan, I'm counting on you. If I don't make it back—"
Fu Xuan immediately cut him off. "Stop that. You'll make it back. And if not, I'll drag you back myself."
Pei Guang tightened his grip on his wooden sword and fixed Jing Yuan with a serious stare.
Jing Yuan, sensing the intensity of Pei Guang's gaze, raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
Pei Guang shook his head. "Not really. I'm just preparing to interrupt if you try to jinx yourself."
Jing Yuan blinked, then nodded in sudden understanding. "Ah, I see. You're worried my words might set off some kind of death flag, right?"
"Exactly!" Pei Guang declared. "You're one of the most generous NPCs I've ever met. If I can help it, I want you to stick around for a while longer. By the way, if we manage to defeat this boss, what kind of reward are you planning to give us?"
Jing Yuan thought for a moment before breaking into a laugh. "Rewards? What rewards? You've already done so much for Xianzhou. No matter what we give, it won't be enough to repay you. Even if I don't make it back, Fu Xuan will make sure the Luofu gathers all the treasures we have and delivers them to you. You've saved countless mara-struck soldiers and boosted our fighting strength by ten percent. Not to mention all the help you've given the Ten-Lords Commission. How could simple material rewards ever match that?"
Pei Guang's expression grew unusually serious. "Forget the gratitude talk. Let me get this straight—did you just say the loot will be even better than before?"
Jing Yuan nodded confidently. "Much better!"
Pei Guang: "Perfect! Don't worry. You're one of the nicest NPCs I've ever met. Even if Luofo explodes, I swear you'll survive. And if you don't? I'll find a way to resurrect you, even if I have to use a revival totem."
Jing Yuan coughed awkwardly. "Wait, hold on! If the Luofu blows up and I'm still alive, I'll be remembered as the biggest sinner in the history of the Xianzhou Alliance!"
Pei Guang waved dismissively. "That's easy to fix. If the Luofu's gone, I'll just take apart the rest of the Xianzhou ships too. No Luofu, no sins. And if we have to go to court? Relax, the judge will be my underling. There's no way I'd let you lose. You're good to me, so how could I let anything bad happen to you? If it comes to it, I'll conquer the entire universe so nobody dares to judge you."
Jing Yuan was stunned into silence. The sheer absurdity of Pei Guang's logic left him both awestruck and terrified.
Most people who said things like that were just talking big, but he had seen enough of Pei Guang to know he wasn't joking. If this man said he'd tear down the universe for someone, he probably could—and would!
Jing Yuan made up his mind right then. No matter what happened, he had to make sure this battle ended in victory. He'd rather die taking the Lord Ravager down with him than risk giving Pei Guang an excuse to go rogue and turn the universe upside down.
Still, part of him couldn't help but feel touched. Having someone so fiercely loyal—someone willing to take on the whole universe for him—was strangely reassuring.
Now he understood why Fu Xuan had been so quick to fall under Pei Guang's influence. For someone like her, who had always carried the burden of responsibility, it must've been overwhelming to meet someone who would stand by her no matter what.
And he couldn't really blame her. Who wouldn't feel moved by such sincerity?
Whether it was NPCs in games or people in real life, gratitude and kindness had a way of earning devotion. Even the hardest hearts could soften under genuine care.
As Jing Yuan pondered this, Pei Guang raised his wooden sword—now decked out with the appearance of a shovel—and shouted, "Alright, everyone! Let's go! Boss fight time!"
The rest of the team cheered, raising their weapons with excitement. Their enthusiasm made it look more like they were heading out for a picnic than facing a deadly battle.
Jing Yuan shook his head and sighed before stepping in line behind them.
The path to the Ambrosial Arbor was now open, but finding the Lord Ravage Phantylia would still take some effort. He could only hope that Dan Heng knew what to do from here.