Master Gongshu then recalled that before they left, Seele had left a message saying a person named Pei Guang would come by to help. If they needed any assistance, they should turn to him. The mission rewards were already advanced, so they could rely on Pei Guang for help.
Afterward, Seele's team headed straight for the Alchemy Commission, but their way forward was a bit violent. They really charged through, chopping down obstacles as they went.
Pei Guang's team, on the other hand, was slightly unlucky. If they hadn't delayed outside, they could've passed through before Ambrosial Arbor's roots blocked the path. Now, however, they had to find a way to clear the roots, or they'd be completely stuck.
After telling his story, Master Gongshu stood up straight, feeling capable again. He then said, "Everyone, stop chatting. If you want to go to the Artisanship Commission, you first need to clear the enemies here. According to Miss Seele's instructions, she helped you take the rewards, and now you need to help me with a task. It's a bit complicated, but I need you to protect this Creation Furnace. After all, it contains…"
Pei Guang, listening to Gongshu's tale, showed an expression of realization. "I see… I just didn't expect Seele and the others to get ahead of us. Something's waiting for them up ahead, I can feel it. It's like a classic scenario replaying itself…"
As for helping to complete the mission? He wasn't particularly concerned.
Compared to the mission and its rewards, he was more worried about Seele and Dan Heng's safety. As for Silver Wolf? She's a Stellaron Hunter, and after Kafka left the Divination Commission, she would most likely keep an eye on Silver Wolf's situation, so he didn't expect her to be in danger.
However, he was a little worried about the other two, but not too much. According to the system's teammate prompts, Seele had been fighting all the way here, but it was mostly just cutting through enemies without any real danger. Dan Heng hadn't even summoned his Herta Puppet to fight.
Moreover, with the public storage space, although they couldn't teleport to their location, Pei Guang could quickly provide various material support. In extreme cases, he might even consider ignoring Xianzhou's warnings and directly summon the Star Destroyer to clear the area.
March 7th, concerned, asked, "Do you think Seele and Dan Heng will be in danger?"
Pei Guang replied, "If we hadn't prepared at all, according to the usual scenario, one of them would definitely be in danger. But now, we can calmly clear the map and proceed smoothly. I can say with confidence that as long as we haven't reached the Ambrosial Arbor, the final boss will definitely not appear."
Hearing this, Tingyun asked in surprise, "Oh? Why are you so sure?"
Pei Guang casually responded, "It's quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's Boss. As long as the player hasn't seen the final boss, it exists in a state of both acting and not acting. Only when we reach the boss's location will it activate and trigger the final showdown. But honestly, Tingyun, you don't need to worry. I doubt this boss is something we can handle. We'll just watch the show from the sidelines."
Tingyun, puzzled, asked, "Why do you say that? You all seem so powerful. If it's "only" the Stellaron and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, surely you can defeat it easily?"
Pei Guang waved his finger, "Ah, you don't get it. Players level up step by step. How could someone who just left the beginner zone be tearing apart late-game monsters on their first map? I bet this boss is designed to make us enemies with this villain, so we'll have more reasons to fight them in the future."
Tingyun replied, "I see, but what if this time, the big boss you mentioned kills us all?"
Her tone was nervous and worried. Pei Guang pulled out a wooden sword and waved it, "What are you afraid of? Xianzhou still has General Jing Yuan. With him around, we have plenty of time to run. If things really go south, we'll avenge General Jing Yuan and the three hundred pulls we didn't get."
Pei Guang spoke with righteous conviction, but it gave the people listening a feeling of wanting to either laugh or cry.
Stelle also swung her bat and said, "That's right! Don't worry. Even if an Emanator-level boss shows up, we can still run away!"
At this point, Welt, for some unknown reason, calmly spoke up, "That's right! If it's just a Destruction Emanator, they can't stop us. With the Astral Express, unless the Aeon itself comes, a Destruction Emanator can't do anything to us—unless..."
Pei Guang was startled, "Unless what?"
Welt grinned, "Unless two come!"
March 7th laughed, "How could two Destruction Emanators show up? If they really did, wouldn't the Hunt Aeon have to come in person?"
Pei Guang thought for a moment, "What if it's an Emanator, but one who has the power of two Emanators? In that case, Uncle Yang, you..."
March 7th slapped Pei Guang on the back, "You're such a harbinger of bad luck, don't say nonsense!"
At this moment, Stelle was quietly watching the conversation unfold. She could tell that everyone was hiding something! Moreover, it seemed like they were deliberately avoiding Tingyun.
No, it wasn't just now. Ever since they came to Xianzhou, it felt like they had been avoiding Tingyun. Even though they were speaking the truth in front of her, they always said strange things when addressing her. It seemed like many of their actions were consciously steering clear of her.
For example, it happened when capturing Kafka. But that method successfully concealed what kind of means they used to capture Kafka. Moving forward, each action either resulted in everyone splitting up to act separately, or there was hardly any combat involved, leaving behind a lot of hidden cards.
Not to mention, Stelle knew that Pei Guang had several cards he hadn't revealed yet, like that wooden sword of his. To outsiders, it appeared to be an indestructible, mysterious object, but Stelle knew that the wooden sword could absorb Stellarons, and after absorbing the one from Belobog, it could attack enemies that had no physical form.
Recalling what Pei Guang had said, according to him, the "Trailblazer" class of occupation was, more or less, a problematic one. So, did he suspect that Tingyun was hiding something?
Stelle felt this was possible. But why would Pei Guang think she had a problem? Even if she was a guide, it shouldn't be enough to cause doubt, let alone lead to this kind of behavior.
Stelle was pondering this when, from the trash can Pei Guang was carrying, Bailu suddenly peeked out, looking left and right. After confirming that no one was in combat or trouble, she shrank back in. Seeing Bailu's movement, Stelle finally understood.
"Ah, I see!!!"
Stelle understood everything. She had figured out the biggest suspicion about Tingyun. No matter whether Tingyun was problematic or not, for ordinary people, this wouldn't be a red flag, but for Tingyun, it was the biggest clue.
That was... she had outright rejected Pei Guang's invitation!
Thinking back to their interactions, anyone who knew what Pei Guang was capable of would have at least considered traveling with him. Just like Asta, who, according to Himeko, had expressed a desire to "hop on the train," but couldn't leave because the Herta Space Station needed her.
Then there was Bronya, who genuinely wanted to follow along, but since Pei Guang didn't extend an invitation, she assumed she didn't have the right to, and didn't bring it up. Plus, with her role as the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, the reality of her position made it hard for her to even consider leaving.
But Tingyun? Stelle recalled their time together, and although she was reliable, Tingyun had flatly rejected Pei Guang's offer to become a Trailblazer? She didn't even give him a chance to continue explaining? That didn't add up. Something wasn't right.
At that moment, Stelle felt like she was incredibly sharp.