Chapter 233: Sublime Moon Bai Fu, the Guide of the Galaxy Version
Bai Fu once again received adoration from countless people.
This time, the scale was much larger than the one after the end of the Tianshu Star War.
When the spaceship she was on landed at the Azure Sky Star Starport, a deafening roar erupted outside.
Looking out, the open space on both sides of the main road outside the starport was already packed to the brim with people. Fortunately, the robot units were maintaining order; otherwise, even the slightest mishap could have led to a major accident.
At this moment, the crowd either held light boards or balloons in hand, cheering loudly. The slogans varied, but they all pointed to the same person.
"Bai Fu!"
"Saintess of the Dark Zone!"
"Silver Moon!"
Alongside the thunderous cheers came the booming of ceremonial cannons.
Crack–boom–bang—
A 99-gun salute of the highest honor to welcome the arrival of the Saintess of the Dark Zone!
Every Starweb citizen knew that Bai Fu truly deserved such respect. From the moment she arrived in the Starsea, she had ceaselessly stirred the passion of the Starweb populace with her dazzling achievements.
She had beaten down the interstellar pirates who ran rampant across the Chaos Starpath. She repelled the Dark Domain Insect Swarm rampaging across Tianshu Star. She persistently thwarted the outreach of the Secret Tower's claws, and not long ago, she led the charge and utterly destroyed the Secret Tower.
When this news first broke, the entire Starweb went into a frenzy.
Strong!
Too strong!
In the Starweb’s opinion arena, Bai Fu had long been the most dazzling star, but no one had expected her brilliance to reach this level.
For a time, journalists, civilians, and Starweb officials—countless people—had been looking forward to Bai Fu's arrival at Azure Sky Star.
Some wanted to interview this ultra-hot figure up close.
Some wanted to personally thank Bai Fu for her contributions to the Starweb.
Many clearly understood that Bai Fu’s conflict with the Secret Tower might not have been for the Starweb’s billions of civilians, but the outcome saved countless Starweb lives, avenged those who had lost loved ones to the Secret Tower, and created a safer developmental environment for the Starweb, benefiting every citizen. It was truly a boundless merit.
"Welcome!"
When Bai Fu set foot on the ground, Clavel, the Rotating Chairman of the Starweb who had long been waiting at the starport gate, immediately stepped forward to greet her.
The honor guard following him played a joyous tune, while celebratory ships sailing in the sky displayed welcome messages on virtual screens.
They were not only welcoming Bai Fu but also the rest of the Dark Moon Tide Corporation, including the players.
It was Bai Fu who insisted on including the players.
She hoped that during the Starweb's celebration, a special mention would be made to thank the players for their continued contributions in defeating the Secret Tower.
The Starweb quickly agreed.
What surprised Bai Fu was that the Starweb didn’t just give a brief mention but instead organized a grand "military parade" ceremony.
Everyone who contributed to the destruction of the Secret Tower deserved praise.
Clavel transformed the road leading from the starport to the largest United Plaza of Azure Sky Star into a "Path to Welcome Heroes Home."
First came the Starweb soldiers who had battled the Secret Tower for years, followed by him and Bai Fu, and then over a million players who followed behind Bai Fu.
What a spectacular scene this was!
Bai Fu was amazed by the grandeur of the Starweb.
The participating players were even more stunned, mouths agape.
Some of them had experienced the cheers of NPCs on Origin Star while following Bai Fu, but that scene was not even one-hundredth of today's. In truth, they had never imagined they could stand on such a stage to enjoy cheers. No other game had ever offered such a moment.
It should be noted that Azure Sky Star alone had a population of 1.2 billion.
According to the honor guard, this special "parade" was being broadcast across Azure Sky Star via global holographic projection. Counting the viewers throughout the Starsea, they had become the center of attention for at least tens of trillions of people.
【So refreshing!】
【Although the game has a protagonist, we’re not just side characters—we’re protagonists too】
【This kind of treatment only comes from following Fu-fu. How could it be this great following other NPCs?】
Even those players who had yet to enter the Starsea, or who had been recruited by the likes of the Vow Master, were dumbfounded upon watching the livestreams of the Digging‑Princess and others.
They looked at the Vow Master and other NPCs beside them, then looked at Bai Fu, chatting and laughing with Clavel.
Who was the one who truly cared about players and treated them as people rather than tools?
It was Bai Fu!
【Starting today, I am Bai Fu's most devoted supporter】
【If Bai Fu didn’t exist, the Starsea would be eternal night!】
【Get it away, get it away, I can’t bear to watch this anymore—I’m dying of envy】
【Damn it, this storyline was originally just background lore, never intended for players to join. But then the Digging‑Princess unearthed Bai Fu early, and those who followed her got to enjoy this. Jealousy, envy, and hate!】
【With the collapse of the Secret Tower and the start of Version 2.0, what will our next main storyline be?】
【No idea, but once I enter the Starsea, I’ll save up immediately for a ticket to join Bai Fu】
Through this one parade, the players were treated like saviors, and Bai Fu earned the admiration of countless players. A true win-win.
After the parade, Clavel brought Bai Fu to the very center of the United Plaza.
There, in front of the crowd, he detailed Bai Fu’s contributions during the final assault against the Secret Tower.
Even before the specifics were revealed, people already thought Bai Fu was incredible. But once the details were made public, the crowd was utterly stunned.
The once-unrivaled Secret Tower was, in Bai Fu’s hands, crushed like a toy. That was the true might of Bai Fu!
Taking advantage of the peak atmosphere, Clavel held a memorial for those Starweb citizens who had perished because of the Secret Tower.
"492 years ago, our brave ancestors repelled the invasion of the Phantom Civilization..."
"491 years ago..."
"..."
"Today, it has all finally come to an end. All the fallen shall now rest in peace."
Clavel’s speech was met with thunderous applause. At the end, before handing the stage to Bai Fu, he declared before everyone that from this day forward, Bai Fu would forever be a friend of the Starweb.
At that moment, Bai Fu, standing at the center of the stage, seemed to glow with holy light. Even if she wasn’t a Saintess, she had now become one.
Ahem.
Bai Fu cleared her throat and gazed into the distance.
Clavel asked her to say a few words to everyone present. It was a perfect promotional opportunity, but directly promoting herself or her Dark Moon Tide Corporation would have been inappropriate, so she took a different approach.
The best promotion isn’t a direct hit, but to turn herself into a personal IP that continuously attracts attention.
Her current image was that of a Saintess, of the Sublime Moon—so she would continue to embody sanctity and sublimity!
Bai Fu first thanked everyone who came to see her in person, then expressed her gratitude to the Starweb officials, her quiet supporters like Yulia, Scarlet Leaf, and the players.
Finally, she shifted the topic, suddenly bringing up Onandi Star.
"It’s been three years since I arrived in the Starsea. My hometown has been saved, but Onandi Star... When I met Vic, I promised him I would try my best to find those Ulyssians who had been scattered. Unfortunately, with just my own strength, this task is far too difficult. I need help."
"So, everyone, may I make a request here?"
"If, in the future, any of you find Ulyssians captured by interstellar pirates, I sincerely ask you to take a moment to contact the Dark Moon Tide. I thank you all in advance."
At that point, Bai Fu bowed deeply.
Clap clap clap!
Instantly, applause surged across the plaza like a tidal wave.
No one had expected Bai Fu to say this—not even Vic, who had followed her to the plaza.
Vic stared blankly at the radiant Bai Fu, overwhelmed with emotion, unable to utter a single complete sentence.
If he had never met Bai Fu, what would have become of the Ulyssians?
Most likely, the Ulysses Civilization would have long vanished from the Starsea.
"Need this?"
At that moment, Yulia handed a piece of paper to Vic.
"Thank you." Vic took it. "She... has she always been like this?"
He was referring to Bai Fu.
At that moment, Ichi, Teresa, and other NPCs who had previously been recruited into the Quiet Garden by Bai Fu all turned curious gazes toward Yulia.
They knew Bai Fu was formidable and respected, but they didn’t know why she was respected.
"Her, huh."
Yulia nodded with a smile.
She was cunning, with more schemes than the holes in a coal briquette. Sometimes she was even shameless, yet she truly radiated a light that made others instinctively want to follow.
"Back on Origin Star..."
Yulia began recounting Bai Fu's past—one she had edited, omitting the unpleasant parts and retaining only the good. She understood this was the best moment to strengthen the cohesion of the Quiet Garden, and she had to step forward.
Everyone listened intently.
The grand celebration finally concluded with praises for Bai Fu.
What happened here swept through one galaxy after another like a storm, eventually reaching Sui Xi, who had now arrived in the Taim Civilization.
Looking at Bai Fu on center stage, Sui Xi felt momentarily lost.
When she first met Bai Fu long ago, she thought Bai Fu was a mere ordinary woman—someone who would spend her life busy but never truly save those in need of saving.
But now, things were completely different from what she had believed.
Could someone who advanced from A-rank to Calamity-level in just two and a half years be called ordinary?
And those cheering joyfully, offering heartfelt applause to Bai Fu—had they not, in some way, been saved?
"What are you doing here? Lord Frank is looking for us, let’s hurry over. We might soon witness the Descent of the Apostle!"
At that moment, Elron emerged from the side, interrupting Sui Xi’s thoughts.
Sui Xi nodded and stopped watching the radiant Bai Fu on the virtual screen.
...
After the celebration, Bai Fu’s reputation rose again, but the benefits she gained extended far beyond that.
She stayed on Azure Sky Star for several more days, signing deals with numerous companies that had rushed over. Now possessing both fame and power, these companies sought to forge ties with her by investing in the newly constructed Onandi Base.
To these wealthy benefactors, Bai Fu gave due courtesy.
Money, for someone aiming to build a superpower rivaling the Star Covenant Organization, was never enough.
Besides, the newly built Onandi Base was still empty and truly needed these companies to bolster its presence.
In the end, when Bai Fu departed Azure Sky Star, she found an additional ten million Credit Coins in her bank account.
Considering she would earn even more by selling the items she had collected from players, she decided not to hold back on spending.
Buy buy buy!
First, she bought advanced experimental equipment and Psionic Crystals for Yulia, then state-of-the-art mechanical fabrication and network devices for Summer Poem. After that, she bought a super combat suit for Anya, and finally set her sights on the spaceship trading market.
After struggling in the Starsea for so long, it was about time she got herself a true flagship.
After much comparison, Bai Fu spent eight million on a "Stargod-class" spaceship manufactured by Titan Industries. The Stargod-class was designed to match the Supernova Legion’s "Star Shuttle-class"—the same type piloted by Frank. It came with a mainstream warp engine used by Universe-scale Civilizations and a cruise system. It was several times faster than Scarlet Leaf’s ship, not to mention its superior armor and shields.
"This eight million was well spent. Now my efficiency in farming XP from players on other newbie planets will skyrocket."
Bai Fu was extremely satisfied with her new spaceship and named it [Quiet Night].
After returning to the Star Covenant Organization’s Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster branch, Bai Fu hosted a celebration ceremony of her own—to commemorate the fall of the Secret Tower and her ascension to Calamity-level.
Well, truthfully, it was just an excuse to farm XP from players.
That one stroke netted her 320 million XP.
Now her players had all grown wise. Knowing that Version 2.0 was coming and the level cap would be raised to level 50, they weren’t in a hurry to spend their XP.
"Damn it, not willing to give anything now, huh? Just wait for the next version—I’ll squeeze every drop out of you!"
After the celebration, Bai Fu officially moved all her assets to Onandi Star.
Since Lemang had stepped down, Scarlet Leaf formally took over as the branch director. Technically, she should have stayed to manage operations, but instead, she dumped her work onto Green Sludge and ran off to find Bai Fu.
"Seriously?"
Green Sludge was speechless.
A branch director obsessed with cuddles was truly worthless!
Scarlet Leaf hadn’t meant to rush, but since Cecia also went to Onandi Star, she feared that if she didn’t follow, Bai Fu might end up turning into Cecia’s clone.
Bai Fu was such a pure-hearted girl—she must not be deceived by a cunning woman like Cecia.
She had to protect Bai Fu!
After a month of hard work, using Titan Industries’ automated construction toolkits, the first base of the Quiet Garden on Onandi Star rose up and was officially put into use.
"Things are looking up!"
Bai Fu smiled until her eyes curved into crescent moons.
The player capital was built, her strength had risen to Calamity-level, and before Version 2.0 officially arrived, she was fully prepared to welcome players into the Starsea and serve as their guide.
Now then, the next steps were clear.
Bai Fu handed the task of managing the players to Anya, left Hei Fu in Anya’s care, and set off on the Quiet Night to scout for other newbie planets.
This was crucial.
Version 2.0 would be her breakout moment. She needed XP—a massive amount of it. The 1.2 million players under her weren’t enough, so she had to dig up even more.
In truth, she was already a little late.
The developers had recently posted a maintenance update notice.
As everyone had expected, Version 1.5 was just a brief transitional phase.
By the time she arrived at the newbie planet, the players would likely have already been forcibly logged out due to the update.
Farming XP?
No one left to farm!
But it wasn’t a big deal. Bai Fu quickly came up with a new plan.
After all, squeezing XP from players didn’t have to happen only on newbie planets—it made no difference where it was done. Players would give her the same amount of XP regardless. What mattered was securing them first.
That part was easy.
Bai Fu planned to visit several newbie planets while players were offline, establish cooperative ties with the local civilizations, and claim territory in advance.
Then, when other forces in the Starsea arrived for various reasons, she could jump out and say—
"This place is already under contract with Bai Fu. Go back where you came from."
Don’t like it?
Too bad.
This way, players would have no choice but to enter the Starsea through the "Bai Fu route." And once they did, they’d be hers to squeeze.
Of course, players would never guess she had such cunning plans. When they logged back in, they would only feel surprise.
Damn, Fu!
"Perfect!"
...
As Bai Fu piloted her spaceship toward the nearest newbie planet, the Origin Consortium's Taim Civilization faction convened an emergency meeting.
They had reviewed all of Bai Fu’s reports, fully aware of her strength, her relationship with Andras, and her agreement to attend an internal meeting with him in a few months.
All they could say was—the situation had exceeded expectations.
Bai Fu had grown too fast—so fast that even before they could come up with plans against her, it had already become difficult to act on them.
Even so, for the sake of their agenda, they had to do something.
"I heard the Taim Civilization is highly unstable right now. Not long ago, someone tried to assassinate the Leader at a rally. He survived by luck and sent out numerous exploration teams deep into the Dark Zone to hunt the assassin. If things keep going this way, conflict could break out at any time. We must act quickly to secure maximum profit. Wait too long, and we won’t even get the scraps."
The head of the Hampton family looked around at the others seated beside him.
One person nodded. "Let’s intercept Bai Fu midway. Make sure she never reaches the meeting. Without her as the 'benchmark,' Andras won’t be able to convince anyone. If we can secure support from just three more seats, we can oust Andras."
"That’s the safest approach. Do you have anyone to recommend? They need to be strong and reliable."
"I’ll handle it. I know some people from the Calamity Legion."
"Calamity Legion? Excellent. If it’s those lunatics, even if they kill Bai Fu, no one will suspect us. It’s all yours, then."
The meeting started and ended hastily, and the Taim Civilization faction of the Origin Consortium went their separate ways to act.