Pei Guang rapidly dismantled the abundant beasts into various materials, while March 7th set up her cauldron for live synthesis. From dissection to "cooking", the entire process took less than ten seconds.
The time spent was primarily due to the cauldron's synthesis animation; otherwise, it would've been even faster.
The nearly hundred abundant beasts were all slain and promptly delivered to Pei Guang for dismantling, while March 7th's synthesis efforts yielded new results. Using the beasts' skin, bones, and teeth, she managed to craft some new equipment.
But as Pei Guang assessed it, he concluded:
"The Abundant Ebon Deer set, once completed, gives stacked buffs across attributes, roughly equivalent to a rare set or even a gold legendary standalone piece. But this gear made from these small fry? Meh. It's usable, but just barely. That's expected, though. Elite monster materials are bound to outperform regular ones—it's only natural."
As for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus? Pei Guang adopted a zero-tolerance policy. Those who had turned mara-struck were eliminated on sight. The rest were swiftly knocked out by Stelle's trusty bat, looted, and tossed into a pile like discarded rags.
In under ten minutes, the battlefield was thoroughly cleared. The beasts had provided ample materials, while the disciples contributed a few minor equipment effects.
With everything settled, Pei Guang turned his attention to the nearby Cloud Knights, who stood frozen in place, too stunned to act.
"Hey! What are you staring at? We're on the same side here."
The Cloud Knights shouted back, "Who's on the same side as you?!"
They clearly remembered that just ten minutes ago, Pei Guang had been speaking to the disciples in much the same way. Now, with the beasts seemingly erased from existence, the disciples either dead or piled up like sacrificial lambs, the scene before them was utterly surreal.
As the Cloud Knights stood in stunned silence, Bailu stepped forward with a cheerful smile, attempting to explain:
"Don't worry, everyone! Ah Guang is not an Abomination of Abundance—I can vouch for that! His actions, while… unconventional, are merely the efficient methods of a totally ordinary person."
The Cloud Knights exchanged glances, clearly unconvinced. Efficiency, they could see. But ordinary? They looked Pei Guang up and down. Sure, his appearance was handsome enough to fit Xianzhou aesthetics, but remembering the earlier sight of him in the full Ebon Deer set? It was hard to believe he wasn't an Abomination.
Before the tension could escalate further, a familiar voice cut through the scene.
"What are you all doing?"
The speaker was none other than Fu Xuan, the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission and the Cloud Knights' overseer for the Alchemy Commission.
Moments earlier, Fu Xuan had experienced a strange sense of foreboding. Following her instincts, she cast a divination, only to be greeted with the revelation that Pei Guang's group had already arrived at the Alchemy Commission.
This left her momentarily dumbfounded. She had estimated that resolving the crisis at the Artisanship Commission would take them at least several hours. After all, the Artisanship Commission was vast, and dealing with the Ambrosial Arbor's roots was notoriously challenging. Even with Pei Guang's formidable abilities, it should've been a lengthy process.
Yet somehow, they had already finished there and made it to the Alchemy Commission!
Ordinarily, Fu Xuan wouldn't have come in person, but her divination had repeatedly flagged Pei Guang's presence as significant. Her intuition, combined with her third eye, urged her to investigate immediately.
Furthermore, her divinations generally only provided a general sense of fortune or misfortune to offer guidance. After all, outcomes depend on human effort, and the future isn't something easily deciphered through divination alone.
But this time was different. Her reading didn't just urge her to hurry—it warned that failing to intervene could lead to a major disaster. Factoring in Pei Guang's peculiar nature, Fu Xuan decided it was better to play it safe and head there personally.
And so, upon arriving, she was greeted by the sight of Pei Guang staring down the Cloud Knights. A glance around revealed the remnants of the battlefield: a neat pile of incapacitated Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, ready to be rounded up.
Fu Xuan looked at Pei Guang. "Did anything unusual happen here?"
Pei Guang replied casually, "Unusual? Not really. We just used a little strategy to take out the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and picked up some pretty good loot along the way."
Fu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Good. But... what's with those looks?"
She had noticed the odd expressions among the Cloud Knights. Taking a deep breath, she addressed them. "These people were invited by the General himself to assist us. For the record, the mysterious drink that neutralizes the power of Abundance? That was provided by this Trailblazer. Mr. Pei Guang's methods might be unconventional, but I vouch for his character—he would never harm the innocent."
The Cloud Knights exchanged skeptical glances. Finally, one bolder knight spoke up. "So, he's... the one? The legendary Trailblazer Pei Guang, famed as the 'Three-Headed, Six-Armed, Peerless Warrior Who Fears Not Death'?"
Fu Xuan pinched the bridge of her nose. "Setting aside these over-the-top titles, yes, he is that Pei Guang."
At her confirmation, the Cloud Knights' wariness transformed into excitement. "So it's true! You're the famous Pei Guang!"
They crowded around him with enthusiasm. Among the Cloud Knights, Pei Guang's name carried immense weight. At Starskiff Haven, he had rescued a group of knights. At Exalting Sanctum, he had saved another. And at Cloudford, yet another group owed their lives to him.
Moreover, the Trailblazers' work on Xianzhou had been sanctioned by Jing Yuan himself, and upon Seele's arrival at the Alchemy Commission, it had become known that she had been blessed by the Reignbow Arbiter. With so many accolades, the Trailblazers had earned a stellar reputation, and as their leader, Pei Guang naturally became the face of it all.
The knights' previous wariness quickly shifted into unabashed admiration, a phenomenon akin to the double standards teachers might apply to star students versus underperformers.
A knight who had been dancing earlier exclaimed, "So it was you, Lord Pei Guang! Thank you for teaching us that technique—it's made us much stronger!"
Another knight gushed, "Pei Guang! I'm such a fan! My uncle's niece was rescued by you at Starskiff Haven!"
"…"
"…"
Of the fifty or so knights present, nearly a third had directly or indirectly benefited from the Trailblazers' actions. Pei Guang, being their most prominent figure, was naturally credited with much of it.
Even those unfamiliar with him before now had heard of him through Seele. Upon arriving at the Alchemy Commission, she had quickly bonded with the knights there. Through Xueyi's introduction, the knights learned that Seele had glimpsed the Reignbow Arbiter and subsequently come to Xianzhou, causing quite a stir.
Seele had also shared a key piece of information, cementing Pei Guang's reputation. When asked how she had been blessed by the Reignbow Arbiter, she had replied:
"How? I don't really know. That day, I was just following Pei Guang, learned some truths, and made a firm decision. Then, I saw the Aeon of Hunt. If you ask me how it happened, it's all thanks to the invincible Pei Guang leading the way.
Who's Pei Guang? He is Pei Guang, of course! The Trailblazer, the player, the one and only. If you ever meet him and face danger or difficulty, just send him a quest. He'll take on anything, and as for payment, that's up to you. He usually treats it as just a formality."
It was this account that introduced Pei Guang to those knights who hadn't yet known of him. In Xianzhou, few things carried as much weight as the name of the Reignbow Arbiter, making Pei Guang's reputation soar even higher.
Seeing the Cloud Knights do a complete 180 in attitude, Stelle couldn't help but remark, "Looks like all the goodwill we've been building up along the way really paid off!"
March 7th nodded in agreement. "Yeah! All the people we've saved turned into goodwill points. But judging by what they're saying, Seele's been busy too, huh?"
Standing beside March 7th, Fu Xuan nodded. "That girl and her team fought their way from the Artisanship Commission to the Alchemy Commission. Thanks to her efforts, the Cloud Knights barely encountered any resistance upon arriving here. Your companions are currently resting at the Alchemy Commission, probably waiting for you to catch up."
Fu Xuan had seen firsthand what Seele's group had accomplished. She could only marvel at their efficiency and ruthlessness, thinking to herself that it was no surprise they were part of Pei Guang's crew. Their methods were brutal, but undeniably effective—especially that strange man wielding a pink, fluffy bunny weapon. At first glance, his combat style merely seemed unorthodox.
But Fu Xuan's instincts screamed otherwise. She felt certain that being targeted by that man—or worse, struck by him—would bring nothing but unending misery.