Chapter 217: Bai Fu’s Full-Power Outburst, a Strike Beyond S+ Rank
Upon realizing he could still be saved, Representative of the Keura Tribe, Reynolds, temporarily calmed down and swiftly switched into actor mode.
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As someone who had lived nearly a century and served as the Representative of the Keura Tribe, he possessed exceptional talent in acting—no less than Bai Fu.
He placed a hand on the nearby chair, his body trembling slightly, feigning a frightened appearance. “This is too sudden. My mind is a bit confused right now. I think I need a moment to make sense of what’s happening.”
As he spoke, Reynolds simultaneously pondered where exactly Bai Fu had learned of his collusion with the Secret Tower.
This was crucial.
If he couldn’t figure this out, then even if the Secret Tower eliminated Bai Fu, he would likely be unable to remain in the Starweb and would have no choice but to defect to the Secret Tower.
Once he lost his status as the Representative of the Keura Tribe, he would become a redundant figure to the Secret Tower. Would they still accept him?
Maybe. But even if they did, they would treat him like garbage and toss him aside.
Reynolds could not accept such an end.
He racked his brain.
Could Bai Fu have obtained the intel from someone close to him?
No, impossible.
All communication between him and the Secret Tower was done through the S+ rank Esper the Tower had dispatched. Their method of communication wasn’t verbal or digital but through coded messages conveyed via playing chess.
They had been cautious to this extent—how could anyone close to him have detected any flaws? And even if they had, they should have reported directly to the acting chairman, Claville.
Which meant—the problem lay with someone on the Secret Tower’s end?
“Useless trash!”
Reynolds exploded in fury.
Was the Secret Tower a spinning top? Every time they saw Bai Fu, they got whipped by her. It was one thing to be whipped himself, but now he was also dragged into peril.
Still, after figuring it out, Reynolds relaxed considerably.
If the leak truly came from within the Secret Tower, then as long as Bai Fu was dealt with, he had nothing to worry about.
Rumors from inside the Secret Tower claiming he colluded with them?
Pure slander—clearly a scheme to sow discord!
At that moment, Bai Fu’s voice suddenly rang out in the room: “Are you deliberately stalling for time? Do you have reinforcements?”
“How could that be? It’s just that, I...” Reynolds suddenly let out a long sigh and shook his head. “In fact, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. The moment I took that step, I knew no good would come of it. I just didn’t expect it to come so soon. So, yes, I’m a little shocked.”
As he spoke, he poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Bai Fu.
“Interested in hearing the story of an old man nearing the end of his days?”
Reynolds gently swirled the wine glass, his voice hoarse. While speaking, he turned to gaze out the window, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
The atmosphere thickened!
If someone added fitting background music, it could have the intoxicating pull of aged wine.
Bai Fu shook her head. “Not interested.”
Reynolds’ hand shook, almost throwing the glass.
Hey, why aren’t you playing by the script? I’ve already laid out the image of a man with his own burdens. As the saint, shouldn’t you draw on your compassionate nature and listen to the story I just fabricated with sympathy?
He wore a bitter expression, his voice slightly aggrieved. “You were the one who asked me to explain. To explain properly, I have to start from that rainy night fifty years ago.”
Reynolds forcibly steered the conversation back into his narrative.
Bai Fu interrupted him directly: “I’m not interested in your story, nor particularly curious about the details of your collusion with the Secret Tower. I only want to know where the Secret Tower hid the Dissociative Agent Base Sample. If you don’t know, tell me who does. Their location works too.”
Dissociative Agent Base Sample?
Reynolds froze. He’d heard of it, and precisely because he had, he was confused why Bai Fu went through all the trouble of exposing his identity just for that.
“Why are you asking about that?”
“You don’t need to know why. Just answer honestly.”
The Spinning Magic Blade whirled in the air, spreading a chilling murderous intent through the room.
Reynolds hesitated for a moment. “Are you really Bai Fu?”
This time, he wasn’t stalling—he genuinely wondered. Bai Fu didn’t usually talk like this.
Bai Fu raised an eyebrow.
Not going to behave? Then she had no choice but to act harshly.
Coincidentally, she had recently acquired a Psychic Construct called [Mind Lock]. The skill Descent of the Deity that came with Mind Lock was essentially an advanced version of Combat Etiquette. If Combat Etiquette alone was enough to create a spectacle, then Descent of the Deity was even more entertaining.
Bai Fu lightly tapped the pendant on her chest. Reynolds instinctively felt something was wrong—but it was already too late.
Within the illusory realm, a strange force entered from the top of his head. The next second, upon seeing Bai Fu, an overwhelming, bizarre feeling surged in his heart—
This was a deity—a god he must worship eternally. Offering even his heart to her would be worthwhile!
Reynolds was terrified by this sudden thought.
“You...”
“Get down, like a puppy.”
Bai Fu’s voice echoed.
Before her words even finished, Reynolds was already lying prone on the ground, wearing a sycophantic expression.
Bai Fu nodded in satisfaction. Psychic powers—truly fascinating.
“That was just an appetizer. If you still refuse to cooperate, next I’ll control you to start a livestream. In front of the entire Edge Worlds, you’ll call out to the Master of the Secret Tower while stripping and dancing. After that, stroking yourself or doing a little ‘craftsmanship’ would make for a wonderful performance. I’m sure such a livestream would draw massive attention.”
Even before Bai Fu finished speaking, Reynolds was nearly collapsing from fright. If he were really made to do something like that—even if everyone knew afterward that he’d been controlled—his life would be over.
He had lived nearly a hundred years. To be subjected to something like this just before death—wouldn’t that render his whole life meaningless?
Vicious. Absolutely vicious!
The person before him couldn’t possibly be Bai Fu. Bai Fu would never do something so wicked!
Who was trying to harm him? Who deliberately disguised themselves as Bai Fu to provoke a conflict among Bai Fu, the Secret Tower, and the Starweb?
Reynolds’ heart pounded furiously. At this moment, Bai Fu smoothly released the Descent of the Deity control.
“Now will you talk or not?”
“Yes, I’ll talk.” Reynolds, thoroughly terrified, didn’t dare refuse. “Before that, can I ask one question? You’re not Bai Fu—who are you really?”
If I’m not Bai Fu, who else could I be?
Bai Fu curled her lips. “Talk!”
Reynolds had no choice but to give up a name—
Wood.
This Wood was responsible for acquiring special materials and frequently moved around outside. Few had ever seen his true face. Reynolds only had a special means of contact because Wood had previously done business with the Keura Tribe.
“He’s Scalpel’s right-hand man. There’s no way he doesn’t know where the Dissociative Agent Base Sample is.”
Bai Fu nodded slightly.
Mind Lock was truly handy. What a shame—if she had New Year’s power from the Sanctification Order, it would’ve been even better. That would completely eliminate the possibility of the other party lying.
“Now tell me about the parasitic insects the Secret Tower handed to you.”
Reynolds began speaking, his face despondent—but inwardly, a flicker of hope rose again.
It had already been nearly ten minutes since Bai Fu broke in. The S+ rank Esper from the Secret Tower should have realized something was wrong by now, right?
...
At the same time—
Shudun Star Spaceport.
After losing signal contact with Reynolds for over ten minutes, the S+ rank Esper sent by the Secret Tower, Bangula, refused to wait any longer. He quickly contacted the Secret Tower in secret, reporting what had happened and seeking instructions.
“The parasites had just been deployed, and now we’ve lost contact with Reynolds. Could it be that the Starweb discovered our plan ahead of time?”
The steward furrowed his brows, anxiety rising in his heart.
The parasites couldn’t be exposed yet. The number deployed was still too low, and the spread too limited. They had to suppress the information no matter what.
“Go check the situation. If it’s just equipment failure, that’s fine. But if Reynolds has been exposed and captured by the Starweb, then...”
The steward paused, eyes turning sharp. “Kill everyone.”
“Yes!”
Bangula couldn’t help but grin. If killing was permitted, then everything would be easier.
He picked up his weapons and immediately left the ship, heading straight for the hotel where Reynolds was staying.
As a Body-enhancement type S+ rank Esper, Bangula wasn’t as fast as the speed-type Espers, but he was still lightning quick. While Reynolds was still trembling as he described how the Secret Tower handed him the parasites, Bangula had already reached the hotel.
“Beep—beep—”
At this moment, Bai Fu’s communicator suddenly rang.
【Abnormal energy fluctuation detected!】
Energy fluctuation?
She quickly turned to look out the window. Beyond the transparent glass, in the pitch-black night sky, a figure wreathed in deep blue flames stood out strikingly.
“Who’s that?”
“Someone I don’t recognize.”
“Could something bad be about to happen?”
Bangula’s sudden appearance drew immense attention. Tension began to brew, on the verge of turning into panic.
Bai Fu immediately cast a Spirit Sight skill. The attribute panel popped up in front of her.
Level: 110
Strength: 1659
Undoubtedly an S+ rank Esper. The attribute panel didn’t show his faction, but Bai Fu guessed he was likely from the Secret Tower—because the moment he appeared, Reynolds’ emotions surged noticeably.
So this was the backup you’ve been stalling for?
High strength, high agility, high constitution—this man was definitely among the elites of the S+ ranks. No wonder Reynolds had confidence.
Unfortunately, she had already advanced to S+ rank herself. And this time, she wasn’t alone—lurking in the shadows were two more S+ rank Espers: Scarlet Leaf and Cecia.
“This is all you’ve got?” Bai Fu asked Reynolds.
Reynolds didn’t dare answer recklessly now. He gave an awkward smile—fortunately, Bangula’s arrival helped shift the focus from him.
Bangula clenched his right hand tightly, and in an instant, the martial qi that burst out from within him exploded like heavy artillery, blasting the nearby roads into fragments.
The ordinary people walking along the streets had never imagined things would suddenly turn out like this. One by one, they screamed and wailed in terror.
"Bai Fu, I didn’t expect to run into you here."
Separated by a window, Bangula and Bai Fu locked eyes.
He knew it was no longer possible to handle this matter peacefully.
A pity—according to the original plan, once the parasites were activated, everyone on Shudun Star would die. Now that he had caused such chaos, managing to kill even one percent would already be decent.
But if he could kill Bai Fu here, then what did it matter if everyone on Shudun Star survived?
"You people from the Secret Tower really are like lingering ghosts. Since we’ve met, I’ll send you to join your companions."
A towering killing intent rose from Bai Fu.
Bangula remained unfazed.
In his eyes, last time on Jingu Star, Bai Fu had only managed to kill Tonglu and the others by borrowing outside power. Now that she had nothing to rely on, the tide would turn!
Still, Bangula was not arrogant.
He was a pragmatist. He only pursued efficiency in killing and did not care whether his methods were honorable.
He had already joined the Secret Tower—no one would praise him for playing fair.
"You won’t be alone. I’ll have the entire city buried with you!"
Electric sparks flashed in Bangula’s eyes as he suddenly surged his qi. Violent energy surged forth. Under the impact of the qi, the entire ground seemed to tremble. Cracks opened up in the earth, swallowing pedestrians, swallowing skyscrapers—an apocalyptic scene.
Bai Fu’s expression darkened. So he was really killing civilians, huh. As expected of someone from the Secret Tower.
Watching Bangula’s complete disregard for Combat Etiquette, she no longer held back. She had originally wanted to test whether Bangula had allies nearby, but now that was unnecessary. She needed to have Fei Ye and Cersia reveal themselves to stop Bangula immediately.
The moment they met, Bai Fu struck Bangula with a Descent of the Deity.
At the instant Bangula’s movements showed a brief lag, Bai Fu transformed into Wraith Form, surging toward Bangula with an Advanced Force Field.
Her speed was far inferior to Bangula’s, so she didn’t expect to instantly kill him by stacking Dark Burn and True Punishment. Instead, she intended to use the Force Field and Psychic Legion to draw Bangula’s attention. Once Cersia’s ambush succeeded and Bangula’s speed dropped, then she’d land the big blow.
Faced with Bai Fu who suddenly appeared before him, Bangula remained composed.
His martial qi-formed shield effectively neutralized the effects of the Advanced Force Field. He twisted and darted through the air like a swimming dragon, moving so swiftly he was impossible to track. The qi that burst from him fell like artillery shells, reducing the city inch by inch into ruins.
"So ruthless."
Finally freed, Representative of the Keura Tribe, Reynolds, inhaled sharply.
He wanted to take the chance to flee, but he feared that Bai Fu would suddenly turn on him if she discovered his attempt. After much internal debate, he simply dialed the Secret Tower Chief Steward’s communicator to call for aid.
"Bai Fu again?" The Chief Steward’s eyelids twitched.
"Bai Fu?" Reynolds quickly clarified, "No, the one attacking me isn’t Bai Fu!"
"Not Bai Fu? What do you mean by that?"
The Chief Steward froze. He had seen the video Bangula sent with his own eyes.
Reynolds explained, "It’s a fake Bai Fu. She deliberately disguised herself as Bai Fu to attack me."
He recounted what had just happened along with his own deductions. Hearing this, the Chief Steward’s expression darkened.
Now that Reynolds mentioned it, it really did make sense. Based on Bai Fu’s character, even if she threatened Reynolds, she wouldn’t go that far.
This style of action...
The Chief Steward suddenly thought of someone.
Yes—exactly the one who wrote the essay accusing the Master of the Secret Tower of being the consort of the Dark Domain Insect Queen!
Wasn’t the threatening language identical to that essay?
Yes, that essay was likely written by this fake Bai Fu!
A towering fury surged in the Chief Steward’s heart. That essay had brought extremely negative consequences to the Secret Tower. If not for it, the Secret Tower wouldn’t have so many factions in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster tailing them. Their plans would have gone much smoother.
Damn it, who was impersonating Bai Fu and sabotaging them?
"Hold her there. I’ve already dispatched the Abyss Stalker. She must die today!"
Bangula, receiving the order, paused. This was the first time he had heard such a hard directive from the Chief Steward.
"Don’t worry, Chief Steward. I alone am enough..."
Halfway through his sentence, Bangula suddenly felt a chill rise in his body, as though his life was slipping away.
Wait, this was...
His face suddenly changed.
It was Life Wither. This was definitely Life Wither!
"Cersia!"
A furious roar echoed in all directions.
He should have realized it earlier. Cersia had betrayed the Secret Tower and followed Bai Fu. With Bai Fu here, how could Cersia not be?
It was too late.
Life Wither had restricted his movements. Bai Fu would not miss this golden opportunity.
And indeed, the moment Cersia activated Life Wither, Bai Fu triggered Blessing of the Mind and merged with Yulia. Her Inspiration soared to 2138 points, and under such immense augmentation, the resulting Dark Burn erupted with unprecedented might.
The dark flame formed by psychic energy surged into the sky, nearly covering half the heavens.
Before the triple strike of Dark Burn landed, Bangula only had time to turn around.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blazing flames pierced through Bangula’s chest. He flew like a cannonball, and in the next second, a massive white damage value—"32037"—floated above his head.
But that wasn’t the end.
Bangula’s body crashed into the ground, gouging out a trench several kilometers long. Before he could even stand, the explosion effect of Extra-dimensional Erosion triggered again.
"-4780"
Another massive damage value floated up.
Bangula’s HP bar had just over fifty thousand, and within seconds, four-fifths of it was gone. A long string of debuffs immediately appeared next to his name:
【Severely Injured】, 【Dark Burn】, 【Bleeding】, 【Weakened】...
With the debuffs came a barrage of negative emotions—shock, pain, fear.
Go.
He had to go. Now.
Otherwise, he’d definitely die here!
Bangula staggered to his feet. He couldn’t care less about the Chief Steward’s orders anymore. He raced toward the starport, frantically summoning his ship while cursing nonstop. Wasn’t Bai Fu supposed to be just an S+ rank Psionicist? That attack just now definitely surpassed S+ rank!
"Damn, how can he still run like that?"
Bai Fu was stunned. She hadn’t expected Bangula to run so fast despite his injuries.
She immediately gave chase.
At this point, if Bangula escaped, she’d lose all face.
Bangula fled. Bai Fu pursued. On the other end, the Chief Steward was already in complete disarray.
Hey hey hey!
He kept calling out to Bangula but received no response.
What the hell was going on? Cersia was on Shudun Star too? What about the fake Bai Fu? And where was Bangula?
"Quick, get me to Shudun Star at full speed!"
The Chief Steward could only keep urging.
Minutes later, Bangula met with a ship rushing out of the starport. He immediately dove into the hatch.
"Lord Bangula, are you alright?"
"Fire! Quick, fire at Bai Fu!"
Bangula clutched his broken right hand, shouting furiously.
The lackeys in the ship didn’t dare defy orders and quickly operated the ship’s cannons.
Bangula hoped to use the ship’s firepower to slow Bai Fu down and buy time to escape. To that end, he even ordered the gunners to aim at the Ulyssian residential area.
"I don’t believe you’ll ignore those Ulyssians and keep chasing..."
As he spoke, Bangula’s body suddenly froze. He saw Bai Fu standing directly in front of the ship’s cannons, arms spread wide, taking a deep breath.
What was she doing?
A terrifying thought surfaced in his mind—
Was she going to block the cannons with her flesh?
Impossible. No way she could survive that. Bai Fu was just a squishy Psychic Priest!
Bangula’s eyes turned red. So she liked blocking, huh? Then he’d let her block to her heart’s content!
Boom!
Two preheated laser cannons fired simultaneously, roaring across the sky like dragons, engulfing Bai Fu in an instant.