Chapter 188: Domination of the Night Overlord Sweeps Through Thousands, Bai Fu’s Plan to Become the Poster Girl!
The secret societies of Azure Sky Star had always been at odds with one another.
There was only one source of origin in the legends. Although many Demon Gods could be born from it, who would be willing to share their hard-won source with others?
Only, this time the situation no longer allowed for continued internal discord among the secret societies.
The Demon God had returned—defeating multiple secret societies, including the Drifting House, in a single encounter!
Although this was largely due to the complete lack of psychological preparedness on the part of the Drifting House and the others, who were caught off guard, it still demonstrated that it was extremely difficult to take on the Night Overlord with the strength of a single faction.
"At this moment, we must set aside our prejudices and work together to eliminate that rampaging Demon God!"
In the conference room, the president of Azure Sky Star's largest secret society, the Cult of Pain, delivered a fervent and impassioned speech.
With him taking the lead, the other secret society leaders, despite their mutual disdain, followed suit in their rallying cry.
What Demon God nonsense—Azure Sky Star belonged to the people of Azure Sky Star, and the source belonged to them too!
Seeing that the crowd's emotions were successfully roused, the president of the Cult of Pain nodded in satisfaction. "The Demon God's strength is strange and unpredictable, and she also has several followers. I believe a direct assault is unwise."
"Indeed."
"Sounds reasonable."
"Does the president have a good idea?"
The president of the Cult of Pain said, "I wouldn’t call it a good idea, just a little makeshift plan I came up with. I think it's best for us to split into two forces—one to launch a frontal attack, luring the Night Overlord away from the Dusk Cult, the farther the better. At that moment, the second force will immediately strike and take over the Dusk Cult. If we can capture a few of the Night Overlord’s followers, our chances of victory will greatly increase. Even if we can’t capture them, pincer-attacking the Night Overlord is still better than a head-on confrontation."
That’s right!
This proposal received approval from most attendees. They exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.
How many benefits could come from killing a Demon God?
No one knew for sure, but when the time came, they’d just rely on their own capabilities!
After the meeting, the president of the Cult of Pain passed through several secret doors and arrived at a sealed chamber deep beneath their headquarters.
Under the dim lighting, within the oval glow, a mass resembling black sludge drew immediate attention.
“Great Demon God.”
The president of the Cult of Pain bowed respectfully.
Yes, that pile of black sludge was a Demon God. There was one residing right there in the underground chamber—this was the president’s confidence in daring to challenge the Night Overlord, Bai Fu.
You are a Demon God? Well, I’ve got one too—along with a whole bunch of helpers. How could I lose?
This wasn’t arrogance on the president’s part. Growing up on Azure Sky Star, how could he have imagined that the vast universe was filled with incomprehensibly powerful superhumans?
The black sludge on the ground contracted inward upon hearing the call, eventually forming a mud-like humanoid figure.
“Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me until the Day of Descent?”
A hoarse voice echoed in the chamber.
The president of the Cult of Pain said, “Great Demon God, the Day of Descent has arrived ahead of schedule.”
He relayed the Night Overlord’s return.
The Demon God in the chamber was stunned.
Wait, what? The Night Overlord returned from beyond the heavens? What kind of strange plotline was this? He had no idea she had such abilities or background!
Yet no matter how confused he was, he didn’t deeply question Bai Fu’s identity. After all, he too was a native of Azure Sky Star. He simply sighed in the shadows, realizing that the Day of Descent had come several months earlier than expected—surely due to some accident involving the source.
“Go then. I’ll appear at the critical moment to help you subdue the Night Overlord.”
With this promise, the president of the Cult of Pain beamed. With those words, he felt everything was in hand. Still, out of caution, he secretly contacted his partner in Azure Sky Star’s largest nation, the Nation of Star Pursuit, requesting them to send troops to support him when the time came to contend for the Night Overlord.
...
“I see.”
In a guest room at the Dusk Cult, Bai Fu nodded continuously as she reviewed the intelligence extracted from the Drifting House and other secret societies.
Most of the intel revealed by the Drifting House’s leader and the others was already known to her—largely worthless. But the information about the source was different.
[Azure Sky Star originally had no legends of Demon Gods. These myths emerged centuries ago. One day, the Heavenly Dog devoured the sun, and an unidentified object flew in from beyond the heavens. From that moment on, Azure Sky Star had the source, Demon Gods, monsters, and various catastrophic phenomena.]
The people of Azure Sky Star generally had two interpretations of this tale.
One: the story was completely fabricated. Heavenly Dog devouring the sun? It’s just an eclipse—no need to exaggerate.
Two: though the story had lost many details, it was largely true. The so-called unidentified object marked the birth of the world’s first Demon God, ushering Azure Sky Star into a mysterious age.
After reading the story and considering her own experiences on the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster, Bai Fu developed a third theory.
She had long pondered how players on the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster could connect to the starry sea through Fragment Star’s ship, thereby entering the Star Sea Era. But how did players on other Newbie Planes enter that era? Surely the devs didn’t just spawn mining or exploration teams on every Newbie Plane at the new version launch?
It wasn’t impossible, but it felt crude and out of sync with previous strategies.
After reading the legend of Azure Sky Star, Bai Fu felt she had grasped the key.
She boldly speculated that Azure Sky Star’s “source” was a special item from the starry sea, just like the “True Spirit Pillar” of the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster. Like the True Spirit Pillar, this item had special powers and was crucial for players to travel to the starry sea. Whether it was tied to a mission in the starry sea remained to be seen.
Then she made an even bolder guess: not just Azure Sky Star—other Newbie Planes must also have items similar to the “True Spirit Pillar” or NPCs like Fragment Star.
It sounded deliberate—and yes, it was deliberately designed!
In the universe of "Above the Stars", where civilizations abounded, selecting twenty-odd planet-level civilizations in the Dark Zone that had some connection to the explored universe as starter planets for players wasn’t hard at all.
Bai Fu grew excited.
If she was right, her big break might be coming.
A planet’s fate-determining item—in a fantasy novel, that’d be a foundation of destiny!
“If I gather the destiny of over twenty Newbie Planes… Destiny’s Child? Don’t kid me—I’ll become the Mother of Destiny, alright!”
By then, every Newbie Plane would be connected to her. All players would rely on her to enter the starry sea. That “setting” alone would be enough to make her the game’s poster girl.
Being the poster girl didn’t mean she had an immortal plot armor—some games loved sacrificing their poster girls—but it would firmly establish her popularity among players. Even if other super-popular characters appeared, they wouldn’t fully eclipse her brilliance.
“Alright, alright, this Azure Sky Star ‘source’ is mine for sure!”
Bai Fu closed the files.
“It’s about time I deal with those secret societies outside who don’t know their place.”
She stretched lazily and walked out of the room.
Even though her strength had already far surpassed the limits of a Newbie Plane—by as much as two major tiers—Bai Fu still approached the matter of dealing with the secret societies of Azure Sky Star with utmost seriousness.
After cleaning up the leaders of the Drifting House and others, she deployed a large number of nano-scout robots and miniature Bai Fu units around the Dusk Cult. Under such a tight surveillance network, even if the secret societies of Azure Sky Star launched nuclear warheads at her, she could react in time and use the ship’s shield to defend.
Clearly, the secret societies of Azure Sky Star had not expected her to be so meticulous. At that moment, they were still feeling quite pleased with themselves.
“This newly awakened Demon God seems incredibly arrogant, not taking any precautions at all.”
“No precautions is better for us. If she were alert, our plan might not work.”
“The Cult of Pain is urging us already. Let’s begin!”
With a command through the communicator, the two-pronged force of the secret societies launched into action. One wave surged toward the Dusk Cult like a tide.
Their battle cries soon reached everyone inside the Dusk Cult.
“Fufu!”
Whether they were players from Azure Sky Star or early followers of Bai Fu from the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster, they all looked toward the just-emerged Bai Fu with eager eyes.
They yearned to perform in front of her.
Bai Fu nodded slightly. “Go with Anya, Yulia, and Vic.”
Anya’s strength ranked among the top tier of Azure Sky Star. Still, for safety, Bai Fu had arranged two A-rank bodyguards—Yulia and Vic—to accompany her.
Anya, visibly excited, immediately led the players in a charge out of the Dusk Cult.
Afterward, Bai Fu glanced at Hiye and Xia Shi. “Let’s go deal with the other group.”
“There’s more?” Hiye was slightly stunned.
Bai Fu replied, “Not only more—they’re the main force. Over three thousand of them, plus some infantry vehicles.”
Three thousand?
Hearing that number made Hiye’s fingers itch.
Since her Ethereal Form progress had exceeded 50%, she hadn’t fought at all. Initially, she was emotionally down and didn’t feel like doing anything. Later, Bai Fu raised her Compatibility Rate with the Prophet to 42%, and she felt less depressed, wanting to stretch her limbs. But Bai Fu had constantly stopped her from making any rash moves.
It left her speechless.
What the hell—her Ethereal Form was just over 50%, not like she was pregnant. Why was Bai Fu acting like this was a huge deal?
“This time…”
Bai Fu said, “Wait until I finish questioning them before you act. Otherwise, if you kill them all right away, I’ll have to spend more time investigating everything myself.”
Hiye quickly nodded.
Guests follow the host’s lead, after all.
As the two wrapped up their conversation, they turned around and saw the Psionic Venerable’s legs trembling.
Th-th-three thousand?
Could they really win? Even against a Demon God, facing so many secret societies seemed daunting.
Bai Fu couldn’t be bothered to explain. She led Hiye and Xia Shi around to the rear of the Dusk Cult.
A few minutes later—
Just as the president of the Cult of Pain was issuing attack orders, he suddenly noticed three figures appear out of thin air not far away.
“It’s… wait, the Night Overlord!”
His pupils shrank sharply upon recognizing Bai Fu. He hadn’t seen how she arrived at all—only attributing it to the special powers of a Demon God.
If he were alone, he’d probably have turned and fled by now. But he wasn’t alone—three thousand people stood behind him. These weren’t ordinary folk but elite operatives selected from various secret societies. They carried extensive gear and artifacts to amplify psychic attacks and also brought a vast arsenal of modern weaponry.
Submachine guns, machine guns, portable launchers, armored vehicles…
So many people, so many weapons gathered—an overwhelming force. The president of the Cult of Pain felt more confident than ever.
Unless someone carpet-bombed them with missiles, who could stop him now? This was enough force to wipe out a nation!
He laughed heartily. “I was going to find you myself, but you came to me instead. So what if you’re a Demon God? Today, we’re going to slay a god right here!”
He swung his right arm down forcefully. Instantly, the three thousand elites launched their assault.
It was a stunning spectacle.
Cannon fire and bullets intertwined, tearing the forested area behind the Dusk Cult into shreds like a flaming storm.
Next came a massive psychic attack launched simultaneously by all three thousand individuals. The myriad of methods layered together transformed the entire space into an eerie, ghostly blue.
“What terrifying power.”
The president of the Cult of Pain looked up. This overwhelming force made him feel the insignificance of an individual. Yet instead of fear, he grew even more exhilarated.
It was precisely because individuals were so small that he yearned for the power of a Demon God, yearned for the power of the source that surpassed even Demon Gods.
And now—his chance had come!
“Everyone stand down—let me finish her!”
The president of the Cult of Pain turned into a shadow and charged at the already-buried Bai Fu, all while pulling out the token given to him by the black sludge Demon God.
“Hahaha, well done, well done!” A sharp laugh rang out from the token. “It’s been centuries—I’ve finally awaited the Day of Descent. Today marks my resurrection!”
From within the token, a shadowy figure slowly emerged.
Man and shadow both wore cheerful grins. But the moment they burst through the smoke and flames stirred by the explosions, those grins froze.
Nothing was wrong!
Bai Fu stood there perfectly fine—not even a wrinkle on her clothes!
How could this be?
A massive wave of fear surged in the hearts of all who stood against her.
The president of the Cult of Pain felt like he’d plunged into an ice cavern. The black sludge Demon God reacted even more violently—having not yet been fully summoned, it immediately tried to retreat.
Screw this—don’t summon me! Shove me back in!
It had realized—this couldn’t possibly be just the Night Overlord. The Demon Gods of Azure Sky Star were strong, but none were this strong.
But it was already too late. From the moment they had arrived at the Dusk Cult, it had been too late.
Bai Fu conjured a Piercing Spear out of thin air. A massive moon-white light lance shot out from her palm, crossing over a thousand meters in an instant. Everything in its path—people, armor, vehicles, trees, rocks—was pierced through.
“What kind of move is that?”
The nearby survivors were terrified. Some dropped straight to the ground, paralyzed with fear, finding they had no strength left in their legs to run.
Bai Fu stepped forward and smiled as she asked the black sludge Demon God, “Demon God?”
The black sludge Demon God quickly put on a fawning grin. “Ah, yes yes yes, I am the Demon God.”
It was the first time the president of the Cult of Pain had seen such an expression on the black sludge Demon God's face, but he felt no contempt. In this situation, who wouldn’t crumble?
“Tell me where the source is,” Bai Fu asked.
The black sludge Demon God pulled a bitter face. “I don’t know. If I did, I’d have gone for it already.”
“Really?”
“Really. Couldn’t be more real.”
“Then what use are you to me?”
With a press of the Advanced Force Field inward, in less than a second, a massive -3200 damage value floated above the black sludge Demon God's head. Then, its head tilted—and all signs of life vanished.
“You…”
The president of the Cult of Pain was so frightened he couldn’t even speak. Not in his wildest dreams had he imagined the gap in power would be this vast.
Slaying a god?
This was slaying a god indeed—just not the one they had intended. It was the god he had relied upon who was slain!
Bai Fu asked, “What about you? Do you know where the source is?”
The president of the Cult of Pain shook his head, but a second later, he nodded furiously. “I know who knows—Ichi and Teresa. They both know.”
Oh?
Bai Fu raised her eyebrows. She knew those two—they were protagonists of Azure Sky Star. As expected of protagonists, they really did know more than most.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Bai Fu smiled and nodded at the president of the Cult of Pain.
The president of the Cult of Pain smiled back. No, no need to thank me. I wouldn’t dare…
Boom!
A surge of psionic energy blasted from Bai Fu’s palm and instantly engulfed the president of the Cult of Pain.
After taking out two people in a row, Bai Fu finally received the main quest she had been hoping for on Azure Sky Star. The objective was simple: explore the secrets of the source and eliminate the psychic catastrophes that had ravaged Azure Sky Star for years.
“Hey, you already got what you wanted. Isn’t it my turn now?”
Hiye’s voice broke Bai Fu’s train of thought.
Bai Fu shrugged helplessly. She always felt that Hiye and Anya were of the same age group. “Take it easy. Don’t wreck the place. Don’t hurt the innocent.”
Hiye patted Bai Fu. “Relax. I’ll only kill those who charged you earlier.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Hiye transformed into a fire phoenix and dove into the crowd.
That earlier Piercing Spear had already shattered the secret society members’ mental defenses. After watching Bai Fu kill the black sludge Demon God and the president of the Cult of Pain in an instant, not a single one of them dared to resist.
They were either slumped on the ground crying for mercy or desperately fleeing in retreat.
This was a disaster. Why had they followed the president of the Cult of Pain here?
Despair spread like a plague.
Hiye had started out quite happily, but after slaying over a dozen people in a row, she suddenly felt bored.
She didn’t enjoy killing—she only enjoyed the thrill of battle, even if it was like fighting ants. But now, the “ants” weren’t even fighting back—what was the point?
Fortunately, she quickly found a substitute target.
After killing one particularly vocal psychic who had been calling to kill Bai Fu earlier, she suddenly looked up. Through the thin clouds, she spotted several aircraft above.
These were the reinforcements the president of the Cult of Pain had summoned from the Nation of Star Pursuit.
“What do we do?”
Hiye turned to Bai Fu with a questioning look.
At the same time, inside the aircraft, the pilots were also seeking orders from their superior, General Yasini.
They had witnessed everything—how Bai Fu had instantly slain both the black sludge Demon God and the president of the Cult of Pain, and how Hiye was massacring the battlefield. Even though they were flying high above, their knees were trembling.
Soon, a command came through the communicator.
“To deal with a monster like her, we must go all out. If she dares to kill the president of the Cult of Pain today, she’ll dare to kill us tomorrow. Bomb her! Flatten her and the Dusk Cult with missiles! Don’t worry—I’ll send more reinforcements!” said General Yasini, both shaken and furious.
He wasn’t angry because the president of the Cult of Pain—his decade-long partner—was dead. Their partnership had always been about the source. What enraged him was the massive threat he now perceived.
If they didn’t kill the Night Overlord now, she would become a huge threat once the source was revealed!
The pilots nodded helplessly.
They truly didn’t want to fight Bai Fu, but General Yasini had given the order—what else could they do?
Fire.
With a barrage of missiles, surely even a Demon God wouldn’t survive, right?
“I’d advise you not to act recklessly.”
Just as one pilot was about to press the missile launch button, a cold female voice rang out in the cockpit.
“Who?”
He and Yasini were both startled.
The next second, the pilot was shocked to see Bai Fu floating beside his aircraft.
“Y-y-you…”
Bai Fu didn’t say another word. She simply raised her finger and pointed upward.
The pilot looked up—and saw Hiye’s kilometer-long battleship above the clouds. Compared to that, his aircraft was an utter joke—calling it trash would be a compliment.
Bomb her with missiles? Who could withstand a ship like that?
The pilot screamed and yanked the control stick, fleeing at full throttle. The other aircraft quickly followed, each one retreating faster than the last.
“I thought you’d shoot them down,” Hiye flew over to Bai Fu.
Bai Fu said, “I’m not here to fight them.”
On the ground, she casually grabbed a terrified psychic and asked about Yasini. To her surprise, she learned that Yasini was likely connected to the president of the Cult of Pain.
“Oh?”
Bai Fu raised an eyebrow.
She had originally planned to let Yasini go, but now he made for a perfect example.
“Let’s go find Yasini.”
Now that she knew Ichi and Teresa knew the source’s location, Bai Fu no longer held back. She piloted the ship directly over the capital of the Nation of Star Pursuit.
The appearance of the massive battleship instantly detonated public discourse across Azure Sky Star.
Aliens? Or something else?
People in the capital trembled in fear—from the president down to ordinary civilians, all turned pale.
Moments later, Bai Fu flew out from the ship.
Countless eyes and cameras focused on her—a true spotlight. Their gazes were filled with fear or curiosity.
Bai Fu descended slowly, landing right in front of the president of the Nation of Star Pursuit, facing countless aimed weapons with a relaxed expression.
“Take it easy. I mean you no harm.”
“Wh-who are you?” the president asked, forcing himself to stay composed.
Bai Fu replied, “You can call me the Night Overlord.”
Night Overlord… Demon God?
The president was stunned.
Bai Fu said, “I’ve come here today for two reasons. First, to eliminate the psychic catastrophes on Azure Sky Star. For that, I need the help of Ichi and Teresa—they’re the only ones who know where the source is. I hope they’re watching the news and will contact me soon. The second matter is to ask—where is General Yasini?”
The president said, “I… I can’t fully believe you, not when you’re a Demon God.”
“Is that so.”
Bai Fu nodded. She activated her Psionic Perception skill. A few seconds later, she gave another nod.
“I already know where General Yasini is. No need to trouble you.”
As soon as she said that, she raised her right hand. A surge of psionic energy erupted and, in an instant, crossed over 200 meters and blasted Yasini—hiding in a room—into fragments.
It all happened so suddenly that no one could react.
“Yasini conspired with the president of the Cult of Pain and tried to kill me for no reason, so I had no choice but to send him on his way. Enough about that wretch—let’s talk about eliminating the psychic catastrophes on Azure Sky Star. These disasters have plagued this planet for centuries, bringing untold suffering and scars. I believe it’s time to put an end to it all. That’s the wish of countless people here—and it’s what I, as the Night Overlord, have always aimed to do!”
Bai Fu smiled brightly, but to the president, it was a source of terror.
A monster—a complete monster!
He screamed inwardly, but didn’t show a trace of it on his face. He could only nod with a grief-stricken expression.
“I… I will immediately rally everyone to find Ichi and Teresa.”
Bai Fu nodded in satisfaction.
She hadn’t meant to frighten the president—it was just that this method was more efficient than wasting time searching for Ichi and Teresa herself.
The sooner she completed this main quest, the sooner she could confirm her earlier theories—and the sooner she could harvest the players of Azure Sky Star.
Though this might temporarily cause fear and resentment, once she truly eliminated the psychic catastrophes, that fear and resentment would vanish instantly.
Bai Fu stood quietly in place.
Faced with curious gazes around her, she occasionally smiled and nodded in response.
Her courteous demeanor caused many of Azure Sky Star’s people to momentarily set aside their fear and recall her words.
Was the Night Overlord truly here to solve the psychic catastrophes?
They hoped so—but didn’t dare hope too much.
An hour later, the president of the Nation of Star Pursuit returned with the news Bai Fu had been waiting for—
Ichi and Teresa were on their way!