Pei Guang looked around the area, scanning every detail before stepping forward confidently.
Dan Heng had already shared the method for unlocking the Ambrosial Arbor's seal, which required a ceremonial process. But seeing Pei Guang's self-assured demeanor, he decided not to press the issue.
His plans were often unorthodox, sometimes bordering on absurd, but the results always spoke for themselves.
Leading the group down a massive staircase, Pei Guang's gaze lingered on the surroundings. His sharp eyes took in every corner, making Bailu uneasy.
"Ah Guang! This is my home, you know!" Bailu huffed. "Can you at least not loot too much?"
Pei Guang instantly put on a serious face. "Your home? Then it's my home too. Don't worry, I won't just grab random stuff."
Bailu was relieved—until Pei Guang added, "But those eggs over there look pretty good."
Her smile froze. Something about that didn't sound right, but she couldn't quite figure out what.
The Scalegorge Waterscape was crawling with enemies—beasts mutated by the Arbor's power and leftover bio-weapons from past Xianzhou experiments. These creatures, influenced by the Arbor and the Stellaron's energy, had re-emerged.
Guided by Phantylia's will, they were scattered across the area to delay Pei Guang's team, buying her enough time to claim the Arbor's first fruit.
Phantylia planned to use the Arbor's energy to create an immortal body—one that couldn't be destroyed. For that, she needed time.
What she didn't consider, however, was Pei Guang's ability to bypass problems entirely.
Pei Guang studied the maze of roots and the creatures patrolling the area before turning to Dan Heng. "Dan Heng, you were flying earlier, right? Standing on a flower or something? So you can fly?"
Dan Heng nodded, unsure where this was going.
Pei Guang's eyes lit up. "In that case, why bother with all this? Can't you just fly us over?"
The group turned to Dan Heng expectantly. Sweat started to form on his forehead. "I mean… I can try?"
Pei Guang clapped his hands. "Perfect. Let's test it out."
Stelle raised her hand. "Uh, how exactly are we supposed to fly?"
"Easy," Pei Guang replied. "We'll sit in the trash cans, and Dan Heng can carry us. Let me count—eight of us, right? Perfect, two cans."
He pulled out two trash cans. Dan Heng's eye twitched as he recalled the last time they pulled something like this in Belobog. He had once been a serious, grounded person—before Pei Guang came along and dragged him down a chaotic path.
Still, he had no regrets. He wasn't anyone's replacement anymore. He was just Dan Heng.
Steeling himself, he agreed. "Alright. But flying like this will be slow, and if these creatures have ranged attacks, we'll be vulnerable in midair."
Pei Guang nodded thoughtfully. "True. If we get shot down, this'll all be a waste of time. Hmm… got it!"
He pointed to the sea split by Dan Heng's power.
March 7th's eyes lit up. "I get it! We can use boats to cross the water, and Dan Heng can fly us down once we're closer. That way, we skip the maze and the fights."
Stelle grinned. "Classic Ah Guang—always thinking of ways to skip straight to the end."
Pei Guang shook his head. "No, no. Using boats still takes too long. We'd have to circle around the whole area. I've got a better idea—since you guys can control water, how about we make a floating water road in the sky?"
Stelle clapped her hands. "Ah! Like an aerial river for us to sail across! That's genius!"
Pei Guang stopped Stelle. "Hold on for a moment. Don't praise me just yet. I haven't finished talking."
"Once we create the water road in the air, March 7th, you'll use your six-phased ice to freeze it solid. Then instead of using boats, we'll ride a minecart on the ice."
March 7th blinked. "Riding a minecart? On ice? Can that even work?"
Pei Guang's expression grew serious. "Of course it can. You don't know this, but boats aren't the fastest things on water. The fastest way to move on ice is with a minecart. When it's on ice, it's basically flying. I'll show you later—this thing's practically a land cruiser."
Dan Heng and Bailu exchanged glances. "What do we need to do?"
Pei Guang laid out the plan. "Like this, and then…"
After the explanation, he turned to Stelle. Stelle glanced around nervously, then asked, "What?"
"Where's my compliment?" Pei Guang raised an eyebrow.
Realizing what he meant, Stelle clapped her hands and declared, "Ah Guang, you're amazing! Truly a genius full of wisdom!"
Seeing her cheer him on, Pei Guang nodded in satisfaction. Meanwhile, Bailu and Dan Heng began testing his idea, using their water manipulation abilities to create a flowing path of water.
In just a moment, the path of water appeared beneath their feet.
Watching the process unfold, Jing Yuan's expression turned serious. He had to admit, Pei Guang's unconventional ideas always seemed to work. Given the current situation in the Scalegorge Waterscape, this waterborne approach really did save time compared to hacking through obstacles.
Still, he was worried about the seal. As far as he knew, even after splitting the sea, they would need a specific ritual to unlock it. But seeing Dan Heng completely unbothered, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself and observe how this so-called player would handle it.
Pei Guang took out a minecart and loaded it with nine trash cans—one for each person, including Jing Yuan.
Bailu and Dan Heng then combined their powers, creating a suspended stream of water in the air. March 7th froze the stream with her six-phased ice, forming a long, icy path. Six-phased ice followed special Imaginary laws, making it nearly unbreakable unless attacked.
As for whether this floating ice road made any sense physically? Six-phased ice didn't care! Imaginary laws were the foundation of this world, and regular physics just had to take a backseat.
Once the ice road was complete, Pei Guang placed the trash can-filled, wheel-less minecart onto the frozen surface. Within five minutes, they were all seated inside their trash cans, ready to go. If they had taken the normal route, they'd still be debating whether to break through obstacles or take detours.
Bailu and Dan Heng powered the "boat" using their water manipulation, creating streams that pushed the minecart forward. Dan Heng's lotus platform floated behind, acting as an additional boost.
The vehicle began moving slowly. March 7th, looking left and right anxiously, asked, "Ah Guang, are you sure this is going to work? It's moving slower than Dan Heng's flight speed."
Pei Guang shook his head. "Don't worry. I've got years of gaming experience, and this feature isn't a bug—it's just how the game's mechanics work. As far as I know, this kind of travel can theoretically reach the speed of light. Players call it the 'lightspeed boat.' Mine happens to be a minecart with the wheels removed, but it still works the same."
Hearing this, several team members who understood physics fell silent, their expressions growing tense.
Given the influence of Imaginary laws, the world's basic physics already had plenty of quirks. Even so, reaching light-speed wasn't supposed to be simple—whether through technology or raw power. Yet here they were, watching Pei Guang push the boundaries of what should be possible by putting a wheel-less minecart on ice and pushing it could reach light speed…
The minecart picked up speed as it slid along the ice, propelled by Bailu's controlled water flow. Even though Dan Heng hadn't increased his force behind it, the minecart kept accelerating—faster and faster.
Five seconds in, it had only traveled a small portion of the distance. But after another five seconds, it began to move at a visibly unnatural pace.
By the twenty-second mark, the minecart was already approaching the speed of sound. With just ice and water pushing it along, it defied all logical physics.
Jing Yuan, seated in the middle of the nine trash cans, folded his arms and silently observed.
Based on this acceleration, if the ice path were infinitely long and Bailu kept providing water propulsion, they could genuinely reach light speed.
But that raised an even bigger question—how could a wheel-less minecart, ice, and water, with no Path-related powers involved, achieve this level of speed? What kind of logic-defying force was this?
He was grateful the ice path wasn't endless. Otherwise, the entire galaxy might have witnessed a trash can-filled minecart breaking the light barrier over Xianzhou Luofu.
And now Jing Yuan understood why Fu Xuan had shown that complicated expression when describing Pei Guang. After witnessing this firsthand, he felt the same way.
In less than a minute, the group had bypassed the entangled roots of the Arbor in the Scalegorge Waterscape, flying past hordes of beasts and enemies arranged by Phantylia.
And the landing?
The ice path ended directly above the Ambrosial Arbor. The minecart, now moving at incredible speed, would drop straight onto it.
But what about injuries from the fall?
If this were back in Belobog, Pei Guang might have worried about that. But in this group of nine, not a single one was ordinary.
Pathstriders—those who wield Path powers—might struggle with precise flight, as it required either advanced control or inherent talent.
But falling safely from great heights? That was practically basic training.
The group demonstrated their unique skills as they landed.
Jing Yuan, ever the composed general, executed a flawless landing, stirring up a small cloud of dust. Even an intergalactic gymnastics panel would've thrown up perfect 10s—and probably a standing ovation.
March 7th, true to her title as the cutest girl in the crew, landed gracefully, flashing a bright and cheerful smile that radiated youthful energy.
Dan Heng and Bailu relied on the power of the Vidyadhara to descend effortlessly, light as feathers.
Seele and Silver Wolf? Silver Wolf simply activated her Aether Editing ability, teleporting herself and Seele straight to the ground without any drama.
And Welt? As the reliable elder of the group, he went for the classic superhero landing—one knee and one hand down, striking a dramatic pose. He even "slightly" revealed his fondness for flair in the process.
And then there was Pei Guang.
While everyone else showcased style and grace, he chose pure practicality.
He curled up inside his trash can, filled it with water for cushioning, and let it drop. The trash can hit the ground with a bounce—once, twice—before finally settling.
Pei Guang popped his head out, checked that everything was intact, and then gave a satisfied nod. "See? Isn't this way faster than running around fighting everything?"
Jing Yuan stared at him, wordless.
Sensing Jing Yuan's confusion, Dan Heng patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it. Ah Guang always pulls off things no one else would even think of."
"How do you just accept this so easily?" Jing Yuan asked.
Dan Heng thought for a moment. "Ignore the process. Focus only on the results. It makes dealing with him a lot less stressful."
And the results?
No one could deny the speed. From setup to execution, they'd cleared the entire distance in under ten minutes. If they'd gone the traditional route, they'd still be fighting gorillas in the Scalegorge Waterscape right now.
No one was happier than Pei Guang himself.
After this successful experiment, he unlocked a new blueprint labeled "Lightspeed Boat," solidifying his reputation for breaking every rule of physics.
Blueprint: Lightspeed Vessel
By utilizing ice, water flow, and a vehicle, this marvel can achieve speeds approaching light. When constructing, please consider the size of the area, maintain the route, and prioritize safety. Proceed at your own risk.
Pei Guang was more than satisfied with this unexpected blueprint. Truly, this fully explorable world was living up to its potential—even wonders of engineering could be discovered. The only regret he had was that this wasn't a farming sim. If it were, he'd already be plotting to build a galaxy-spanning masterpiece.