Chapter 224: Cunning Villain Bai Fu, Advanced Knowledge Acquired
Bai Fu readily accepted the new quest.
At this point, even if she wasn’t tempted by the quest rewards, for the sake of her own safety, her best choice was still to cooperate with Simoon.
Once she stood beside Simoon, that Dark Domain Insect Queen definitely wouldn’t let her go.
Rather than passive defense, it was better to launch a proactive attack!
Just like this operation—although it borrowed the momentum of the Vow Master and the Tiane Eye Alliance, the final result could be said to be quite satisfactory.
All she had spent were a few stacks of Prayer Cards and the cost of renting a spaceship, yet she successfully took down four S+ rank and one Calamity rank members of the Secret Tower, as well as an Abyss Stalker. The gain was nothing short of outrageous.
“The kill reward is 51.2 million XP. That’s not a high amount, but we also managed to seize four spaceships in this operation!”
Buying four spaceships would easily cost over a million Credit Coins.
Bai Fu was in great spirits and immediately began tallying up her quest rewards.
First was the mission to protect Red Ring Star.
【You have completed the Emergency Quest [Protect Red Ring Star]. Rating: Perfect. Reward: 50 million XP, 20 Attribute Points, 100 Tiane Eye Alliance Reputation.】
Without hesitation, she dumped all 20 Attribute Points into Inspiration, bringing her base Inspiration to 1523 points—still 473 short of the 2000 needed for Awakening.
That gap looked large, but as long as she spent more time sticking with Yulia and upgraded the 【Heart of the Apostle】 to the sixth level, the remaining gap would only be 233 points. After that, she just needed to raise the level of her secondary class 【Moonchasing Dancer】 a bit, and soon she could stack her Inspiration to 2000 points.
That’s how it was when one was using cheats.
The only things obstructing Bai Fu’s Awakening were XP and Advanced Knowledge.
After discovering the path of exploiting players to generate a constant stream of XP, her only real concern left was Advanced Knowledge.
“With my performance in the Tiane Eye Alliance this time, I should have earned further attention from the Investment Group. Once I get back, I’ll try contacting Andras to see if he can get me some Advanced Knowledge.”
Next was the quest to help Scarlet Leaf ascend to Calamity rank.
【You have completed the Hidden Quest [Scarlet Dream]. Reward: 20 million XP, Blessing of the Scarlet.】
The so-called 【Blessing of the Scarlet】 was a special item that, when used, allowed Bai Fu to summon a 1:1 replica of Scarlet Leaf’s True Spirit.
Although it was a one-time-use item, being able to summon a Calamity-rank True Spirit to aid in battle was more than enough to describe its value as priceless.
“At a crucial moment, this could be a life-saver or a game-changer.”
Bai Fu happily stored it in her inventory.
Shortly after the Quest Completion Prompt sounded, she received a new game notification.
【You have triggered the Hidden Quest [Malice from the Void].】
【Quest Description: The Void Catastrophe that Scarlet Leaf experienced in her youth was no ordinary disaster. A massive secret lurks behind this calamity, and one day that secret will reveal itself to the world.】
【Quest Objective: Maintain Favorability with Scarlet Leaf above 60 until the next quest is triggered.】
【Reward: 1 million XP】
After seeing the details of the quest, Bai Fu was shocked.
This quest was far too easy for her—Scarlet Leaf’s Favorability toward her was already at 100. Just like with Anya, at this point, even if she inexplicably beat Scarlet Leaf up a few times, her Favorability wouldn’t easily drop below 60.
However, it was the first time she had encountered a quest in this format.
“The description directly mentions that a massive secret lies behind the disaster—one that involves a Calamity-rank Psionicist. The follow-up to this quest probably isn’t something I can handle right now.”
Bai Fu frowned slightly.
Fortunately, there was still time before the quest would proceed. She could use this period to strengthen herself as much as possible.
In Bai Fu’s view, to improve her strength at this stage, besides grinding Stats and collecting Advanced Knowledge to reach Calamity rank, she should also focus on completing the Secret Tower elimination mission for a massive Credit Coin payout. Oh right, increasing her Plot Participation and waiting for official buffs during version updates was another viable path.
After this operation, her Contribution toward eliminating the Secret Tower rose from 17.2% to 28.1%, and her Plot Participation in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster reached 4.3%—a highly promising trend.
“The flowers have bloomed, now it’s just a matter of harvesting the fruit.”
Bai Fu closed the data panel and cheerfully walked toward the slowly descending Scarlet Leaf in the sky.
She had made a killing in this battle.
Likewise, Scarlet Leaf had also thoroughly vented in this fight.
Years of repression were finally swept away after she transformed into a firebird and slashed out those lotus-like dozens of strikes toward Centurion.
At this moment, Scarlet Leaf felt mentally refreshed and full of fighting spirit. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Bai Fu seemed like it could melt sugar.
If it weren’t for the tens of thousands of Red Ring Star residents watching, and the countless cameras pointed their way, she would have pounced on Bai Fu the moment she landed.
“Congratulations.”
Bai Fu smiled as she spoke.
Cersia, who stood to the side, also offered her blessings, though she seemed much less willing compared to Bai Fu.
Of course she wasn’t willing!
Yulia was one thing—she hadn’t had direct conflict with Yulia—but her history with Scarlet Leaf involved life-and-death stakes.
And now, Scarlet Leaf had ascended to Calamity rank. Could she still sneak a taste of Bai Fu in the future? Could she still tie up Scarlet Leaf and bully Bai Fu in front of her?
One misstep, and now she was steps behind.
Cersia looked up, her eyes filled with resentment as she watched Bai Fu’s back.
She absolutely couldn’t sit around and wait. Otherwise, she might not even get a sip of Bai Fu’s soup in the future.
The problem was—she had no idea how to eliminate the spider monster inside her and fully master that life-based Esper Power.
Maybe...
Cersia’s gaze shifted to Yulia, whose eyes were narrowed and face bore the unmistakable expression of an older woman’s smirk.
Maybe it was time to approach Yulia and propose a collaboration.
Everyone had their own thoughts.
Not long after, local news reporters of Red Ring Star all turned into professional sprinters, dashing at top speed to Bai Fu’s side.
“Saintess! Saintess!”
“Void Valkyrie! Void Valkyrie!”
They couldn’t wait to get the inside scoop from Bai Fu and Scarlet Leaf about this battle with the Secret Tower.
This was massive news.
Whether it was Bai Fu orchestrating everything from behind the scenes or Scarlet Leaf suddenly ascending to Calamity rank and decapitating Centurion—it was enough to draw immense attention. Whoever could dig up some insider info would instantly make a name for themselves in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster’s journalism scene.
Oh right, Cersia could be interviewed too!
Once a top general of the Secret Tower, now unexpectedly defecting to Bai Fu’s side and even helping her against the Secret Tower here on Red Ring Star—was it Bai Fu’s irresistible charm that made her crave a taste of Fu, or was there a hidden story?
The reporters crowded in layers, leaving no space at all.
This situation continued until reinforcements from the Tiane Eye Alliance arrived and finally restored order.
Commander Mitchell had accompanying soldiers form a perimeter line to prevent any bold journalists from barging into Bai Fu.
Then, he began questioning Bai Fu about the details of the battle with the Secret Tower. As he listened, he sighed inwardly.
According to the original plan, they were supposed to coordinate and attack Centurion together, and the higher-ups of the Tiane Eye Alliance had already braced for major casualties in this battle—especially after hearing Centurion’s broadcasts, they feared Red Ring Star might face a total massacre, and even a 10% survival rate seemed doubtful.
But reality had taken a completely unexpected turn.
The first time Centurion appeared on screen, his right hand was missing, his left arm broken—he looked utterly wrecked, clearly having taken a brutal beating.
That scene alone was shocking enough, but the next moment was even more unbelievable—
Centurion was sliced mid-air into smithereens!
Terrifying to the extreme.
Judging by Bai Fu’s performance in this battle, even without backing from a behemoth like the Star Covenant Organization, her faction alone was enough to be considered top-tier in the entire Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.
A meteoric rise, truly.
It hadn’t even been two years since Bai Fu entered the Starsea.
Mitchell was immensely glad that the Tiane Eye Alliance and the Starweb Commonwealth were allies, and the Starweb Commonwealth had excellent relations with Bai Fu—allowing them to also build a connection with her.
At this point, anyone with eyes could see that Bai Fu had unlimited potential. For civilizations at the galaxy scale, forging ties with such a powerful and influential Psionicist was tremendously beneficial.
In this vast and chaotic universe, one couldn’t survive without connections.
...
Bai Fu didn’t tell Mitchell everything.
Not because she didn’t trust him, but because if the Secret Tower learned she could borrow things from the Vow Master, they might get too scared to bother her again—and that was not the outcome she wanted.
After brushing Mitchell off with a few perfunctory remarks, Bai Fu immediately opened her communicator, edited the surveillance footage captured by the ship during the battle with Garrett and Moxin, and sent it to a news media outlet on the Starweb Commonwealth side with whom she had collaborated several times.
A dozen minutes later, the video appeared on the front pages of various forums in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.
Many people were interested in the process of Bai Fu’s clash with the Secret Tower, and now that on-site footage had been released, it immediately drew massive attention.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the camera angle of this video seemed a bit off.
In the video, Garrett and Moxin were shown with their backs to the camera, while Bai Fu faced it directly.
If one guessed correctly, this footage was likely shot by the Secret Tower themselves.
As the video continued playing, viewers found the content increasingly intriguing.
First of all, two Bai Fus appeared in this battle.
Secondly, from the dialogue, it was clear that Garrett and Moxin intended to use themselves as bait and then use ship’s cannons to attack Bai Fu.
Considering that Bai Fu had looked perfectly fine during interviews, did that mean she had once again blocked a ship’s cannon?
Soon, viewers realized they were wrong.
Bai Fu hadn’t blocked the cannon, because the target of the cannon wasn’t her at all—it was the Abyss Stalker entangled with Cersia in the distance!
The fully charged ship’s cannon fired once and severely injured the Abyss Stalker, a key asset of the Secret Tower.
The Abyss Stalker let out a silent wail in deep space and rolled about. When it tried to escape directly from the battlefield, the Secret Tower's ships all opened fire in unison.
These cannons weren’t as powerful as the initial main cannon, but after two volleys, they still blew the already heavily injured Abyss Stalker to pieces.
During this process, Garrett and Moxin were sweating profusely with anxiety.
They tried to stop their ships, but their shouting was all in vain—no one listened to them. They even attempted to shield the Abyss Stalker from the cannon fire, but just then, the two Bai Fus and Cersia charged up together, preventing them from going anywhere.
In the end, they could only watch helplessly as the Abyss Stalker was killed.
At the end of the video, Garrett and Moxin’s faces filled with despair appeared at the center of the screen, bringing immense satisfaction to all who bore grudges against the Secret Tower.
You dogs, weren’t you arrogant before? Ah? You’ve got what’s coming, hahahaha!
The despair of the Secret Tower juxtaposed with Bai Fu’s composure only made her appear even more formidable.
On the forums, crowds of people were praising Bai Fu’s heroic performance, chanting her name, while many others were discussing why the Secret Tower’s ships suddenly attacked their own.
“What else could it be? Under Saintess Bai Fu’s divine guidance, they’ve renounced evil and embraced good!”
“The Secret Tower’s big ship is already in turbulent waters. The crew must be trying to jump ship and offer this as a pledge of allegiance.”
...
The Master of the Secret Tower watched the video in full, then read through all the top comments beneath it.
Fortunately, the Chief Steward was seated beside him, or he would have erupted like a volcano and smashed the entire conference room to pieces.
Not long ago, the Dark Domain Insect Queen had sworn she could take out Scarlet Leaf and Bai Fu, but who would have thought that the moment she appeared on Red Ring Star, she scared herself right back into hiding?
Upon receiving that news, the Master of the Secret Tower slammed his head against the wall in fury.
You boasted for so long and this is what you deliver?
Just when he barely managed to calm himself down, Bai Fu’s edited video began circulating online.
Upon seeing that the Abyss Stalker had been blown up by their own ship’s main cannon, he nearly fainted from rage.
Betrayal, betrayal, all of it was betrayal!
The sound of heavy, bellows-like breathing filled the conference room. The Master of the Secret Tower’s face turned crimson, as if dyed with red ink.
No one dared provoke him at this time, afraid they’d be used as a punching bag.
No one knew how much time had passed. Just as the atmosphere in the conference room was becoming thick enough to condense into liquid, the Chief Steward finally shut off the virtual screen in front of him.
“I trust everyone now understands how we lost this battle?”
The Chief Steward looked around the room, his eyes revealing no emotion. He spoke indifferently, as if discussing something unrelated to himself.
Everyone in the conference room nodded in agreement.
What else could it be?
A mole on the inside, then an ambush by Scarlet Leaf who had secretly ascended to Calamity rank.
This defeat wasn’t unjust, but even so, the rage was uncontrollable, and along with that anger came a sliver of fear—fear of Bai Fu.
After so many clashes with Bai Fu, aside from the one large operation on Onandi Star where they ambushed and captured some Undying Ones, they hadn’t gained any advantage.
Losing once was bearable, but losing so many times made it impossible not to feel fear.
Sigh, it had to be said—this failure dealt a massive blow to the Secret Tower.
The four S+ ranks aside, the deaths of Centurion and the Abyss Stalker would cause many of the Secret Tower’s original plans to become unviable. They would have to draw up new strategies, which was one reason for today’s meeting.
The Chief Steward highlighted several key points in the video. After pointing out the need to eliminate all traitors, he shifted the topic back to Bai Fu.
“Our losses were enormous, but there is one piece of good news worth mentioning.”
He enlarged a screenshot of Bai Fu and Hei Fu fighting side by side and displayed it for everyone in the conference room.
The others were puzzled and cast questioning glances.
The Chief Steward explained, “I consulted professionals. That slightly weaker Bai Fu is most likely not a real person but a True Spirit summon. During battle, she repeatedly shielded Bai Fu from attacks. If we follow this line of reasoning, we might finally understand how a mere Psionic Priest like Bai Fu was able to block a ship’s cannon on Shudun Star.”
A True Spirit summon?
Those who understood immediately realized what the Chief Steward meant.
That day on Shudun Star, it was clearly Bai Fu’s summoned True Spirit who jumped out and blocked the cannon. After the True Spirit was blasted apart, Bai Fu jumped out herself, deliberately crashing into the ruins, even flinging off a shoe to create the illusion that she had taken the cannon hit.
“Cunning villain!”
The room echoed with curses.
After venting, everyone felt much better.
Phew—
So Bai Fu hadn’t yet reached an unmanageable level of power.
That made sense.
If she had truly ascended to Calamity rank, she wouldn’t have needed traitors within the Secret Tower to ambush the Abyss Stalker with ship’s cannons—she could have blown it up herself.
But that didn’t mean she should be underestimated.
She was cunning and resourceful, and she had Scarlet Leaf—already at Calamity rank—by her side, along with Cersia, who could ascend at any time.
“We must find a way to eliminate her quickly. Otherwise, if she reaches Calamity rank, she’ll become an endless threat.”
After some discussion, they ultimately decided that during the assault on the Sanctification Order, they would also send the long-brainwashed Undying Ones to give Bai Fu a surprise and finish her off completely. To ensure her death, the Master of the Secret Tower once again sought out the Dark Domain Insect Queen.
...
While the members of the Secret Tower were busy planning their operation, Bai Fu had already left Red Ring Star with Scarlet Leaf and the others.
There was no reason to stay any longer.
The most pressing matter was still to collect Advanced Knowledge as soon as possible to prepare for her ascent to Calamity rank.
This operation had definitely infuriated the Secret Tower, and what awaited her next would be their retaliation like a violent storm.
This was her opportunity—if she could survive this wave of attacks, she would soar to the skies, firmly establishing herself at Calamity rank, and secure her footing in the Edge Worlds.
Calamity-rank power was already enough to command a degree of authority on the great stage of the Edge Worlds.
What excited Bai Fu even more was that before she could even reach out, Andras had already contacted her.
Upon hearing her request, Andras immediately said everything was ready. As soon as the approval was finalized, he would send her the Advanced Knowledge she needed.
“This is it!”
Half an hour later, Bai Fu successfully received the long-awaited Body Cultivation and Psionic stream Advanced Knowledge from Andras.
Excellent, excellent—it was time to squeeze out all that experience she had worked so hard to extract from the players!