Chapter 307: Descent of the Apostles, Bai Fu’s New Persona
The experiment proceeded very smoothly.
The instant the 【Gate of Ascension to the Ethereal Realm】 appeared, Bai Fu received a new game prompt.
【You have unlocked the advanced map [Ethereal Realm]】
As an officially designated advanced map, the recommended strategy level of the Ethereal Realm was 170–275.
Bai Fu’s current level could be said to be stuck right in the middle of that recommended range—neither too high nor too low.
Once she entered the map, as long as she did not act recklessly, there should not be too much danger.
“Are we setting off now?”
Bai Fu looked toward Buvalo, who stood not far away.
Buvalo nodded. “Exploring the Ethereal Realm is a vast undertaking, not something that can be accomplished overnight. You don’t need to rush this time. If you encounter any abnormalities, return immediately.”
He said so, but from the looks in the eyes of the surrounding Psionic Priests, Bai Fu could tell they hardly took Buvalo’s words to heart.
This was the Ethereal Realm—the holy land in the hearts of billions of Psionic Priests!
If they could make discoveries here, wouldn’t their strength skyrocket?
Even someone like Curse Lord Olsen, a seasoned Transcendent II, could not help but feel his heartbeat quicken.
“Let’s go!”
Someone shouted, and Olsen was the first to step into the Gate of Ascension to the Ethereal Realm.
A few seconds later, all the participants of the plan, including Bai Fu, stepped through the gate.
Swoosh—
Bai Fu suddenly felt both her body and soul chill at once.
When she regained her senses, she was already in an unfamiliar starry sky.
“Starry sky?”
Bai Fu was stunned, wondering if she had been teleported to the wrong place.
She quickly opened the game map.
Sure enough, the words written at the top were indeed 【Ethereal Realm】.
Judging from the extent of the map fog, the size of the 【Ethereal Realm】 was definitely larger than the Explored Universe.
“This 【Ethereal Realm】 doesn’t seem the same as the similar places I’ve seen in other games.”
She looked around but did not see Olsen or the others who had entered with her, even though the teleportation gate back out of the Ethereal Realm was right behind her.
Strange.
Could this be some advanced illusion she couldn’t see through?
Carrying that doubt, Bai Fu flew toward the surrounding planets.
From planets to stars, and from stars to other star systems, she toured dozens of them, and the more she looked, the stranger she felt.
Every planet or star she passed was desolate. Yet this desolation was different from the lifeless planets of the main space.
From her perspective, those planets in the main space, though barren, were still “alive.”
But these planets, though rotating and orbiting as usual in the cosmos, were already “dead.”
Bai Fu did not believe this was an illusion.
She was already a Transcendent—how could there be so many so-called “hallucinations”? If something seemed wrong, then there must be something to it!
With this in mind, she released numerous Tiny Bai Fus, letting them scour various planets to see if they could find anomalies.
And indeed, they found “ruins.”
It was on a planet whose surface was torn as though massive beasts had ploughed it over and over.
Between the cracks of the rocky layers, Bai Fu saw some stone structures.
She had never seen such architecture before. Yet what caught her attention wasn’t their style, but rather that these simple stone-built structures showed no signs of weathering at all, as if time itself had stopped upon them.
“Could it be that time in this world has stopped?”
Bai Fu was astonished.
But if time had stopped, then why were the planets still moving?
“I need to find a True Spirit who can speak and ask.”
Speaking of True Spirits, Bai Fu suddenly thought of her summoned beast, Kabaya. Though Kabaya couldn’t talk and seemed rather witless, if it was just leading her to other True Spirits, it should be capable of that.
She immediately summoned Kabaya.
To her delight, when she asked Kabaya to take her to find other psionic beings like itself, Kabaya really did lead the way.
They wandered through the dead starry sky for more than ten days before finally arriving at a star system with obvious traces of artificial activity.
On the fourth planet of this system, Bai Fu found a group of peculiarly-shaped True Spirit lives.
She cast Apostle Psionic Vision on the one leading at the front.
【Name】: AA (Apostle Aura Missing)
【Template】: True Spirit Summon Life
【Main Class】: Apostle Inner Guard Lv19 [+75]
【Sub Class】: None
【HP】: -/-
【Psionic Value】: -/-
【Stats】: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Spirit, Inspiration
【Skills】: ……
【Talents】: ……
【Favorability】: Strangers (0)
【Danger Level】: Green
Reading the feedback panel, Bai Fu was stunned.
“What the— It doesn’t have an HP bar!”
Even planets, strictly speaking, had HP bars in the game. Yet this True Spirit Summon Life had none.
But however strange, one thing was clear—this AA used an NPC template, which meant it could communicate.
Bai Fu landed on the ground, about to speak, when the group of True Spirit Summon Lives led by AA suddenly cried out.
“Apos… Apostle… Lord, the Number Three Apostle, my lord?”
They spoke in a language Bai Fu had never heard, but she understood them perfectly.
Number Three Apostle?
Bai Fu froze.
She recalled then—during the quest to collect True Spirit Molt, the quest description mentioned that Yulia’s True Spirit Molt came from the Number Three Apostle.
After their exclamations, AA suddenly sniffed the air.
“Wait a moment. Though I can indeed smell the aura of the Third Apostle, it is very faint. You should not be the Third Apostle, my lord.”
His words immediately drew rebuttals from the others.
“No, this aura is faint, but it’s clearly emanating from her! She must be the Number Three Apostle, my lord!”
“You’re wrong! How could the aura of the Third Apostle possibly be so weak?”
“I don’t know why the aura is weak, but you are certainly the one mistaken!”
“No, it’s you!”
“It’s you!”
“……”
Watching the group quarrel, Bai Fu was momentarily at a loss.
She more or less understood the situation.
She was indeed not the Number Three Apostle. The reason these True Spirit Summon Lives could sense that Apostle’s aura from her was most likely because she was bound to Yulia, who carried two True Spirit Molts.
What they smelled was not her aura—but Yulia’s.
“These True Spirit Summon Lives don’t seem very bright. They should be easy to fool.”
With that thought, Bai Fu lightly coughed, interrupting the heated argument before her.
“Could you let me say a few words?”
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
Dozens of gazes instantly fell upon her.
“Some of you said I am the Number Three Apostle, while some of you said I am not. You all look very confused, unsure of who I really am. To tell the truth, I don’t know who I am either.”
Bai Fu pointed at her own head, showing a pained expression.
“ I have lost all memories related to my past. When I woke up, I found myself in a place called the Explored Universe. Since then, a voice has always been calling in my mind, telling me that I must come to the Ethereal Realm. So I spent decades and finally arrived in this place called the Ethereal Realm. I wandered aimlessly here for over ten days. To be honest, I don’t know what I came here to do. All I saw was a desolate starry sky—until I met you. I wanted to ask if you knew anything. To my surprise, before I even spoke, you were already arguing about my identity, I…”
The pain on her face gradually turned into excitement.
“ I want to ask again, did you really sense a familiar aura from me?”
AA and the other True Spirit Summon Lives exchanged glances. In the end, he nodded. “We really did sense it.”
“ Great!” Bai Fu exclaimed in delight. “Could you tell me about the Ethereal Realm and the Number Three Apostle you mentioned? Maybe I can recall something.”
AA did not answer immediately. Instead, he pulled the other True Spirit Summon Lives far away.
They were communicating through waves of psionic energy, not realizing that Bai Fu overheard every word.
In truth, they were merely debating whether or not to tell her.
AA remained doubtful, but another True Spirit Summon Life, after hearing Bai Fu’s nonsense, became more convinced that she really was the Number Three Apostle.
“ In this state, it can’t be wrong… The Number Three Apostle must have successfully descended into the new era!”
Dozens of them discussed for a long time before finally deciding to tell Bai Fu about the Ethereal Realm and the Number Three Apostle.
“ Since you came from the Explored Universe, you must know that beyond it exist many Dimensional Spaces, right?” AA asked.
Bai Fu replied, “I know.”
AA explained, “The Ethereal Realm is a Dimensional Space detached from the main universe. But unlike ordinary dimensions, it was stripped away from the main universe.”
Stripped away?
Bai Fu suddenly felt that word sounded familiar.
“ Before it was stripped, the Ethereal Realm was once the territory of a powerful Cosmic-level Civilization in the main universe. This civilization wielded both psionic energy and dark energy.”
“ Later, for reasons unknown, this civilization was destroyed. Everything that remained of it was stripped from the main universe, becoming what you see now.”
“ But it is worth mentioning that stripped does not mean literally cutting off a piece of the main universe and banishing it into a dimensional space. In reality, what was stripped was merely a certain ‘moment’ of that civilization. How should I describe it? A projection—yes, the Ethereal Realm is the projection of that civilization at the moment of its destruction. This projection, sustained by psionic and dark energy, became a very peculiar form of real existence.”
Bai Fu was shocked.
No wonder the planets she saw in the Ethereal Realm were all dead. No wonder the stone buildings did not weather. It was because everything was a projection.
Yet what drew her attention more than the projection was the term 【stripped】.
After AA’s explanation, she understood why the word felt familiar—it was just like the Void Dimension.
Previously, when she raided Rufas’s base, she had obtained many documents about the Void. Those records stated that the Void Dimension was a Cosmic-level Civilization exiled into a dimensional space.
The Void was stripped. The Ethereal Realm was also stripped. What about other Dimensional Spaces connected to the main universe?
Like the Demon Dimension, which bred demonic calamities.
Like the Nightmare Dimension, which gave birth to nightmare monsters.
If these dimensional spaces were also stripped just like the Void and the Ethereal Realm, then what exactly was it that stripped them?
A being capable of destroying Cosmic-level Civilizations and banishing them…
Just imagining it sent shivers down Bai Fu’s spine.
Seeing the change in her expression, AA asked, “Did you remember something?”
Bai Fu replied, “A little, but it’s vague.”
AA did not pursue the question further but continued sharing more information: “Because the Ethereal Realm is essentially just a projection of a moment, everything here—including the Apostles—cannot grow as time passes. For in the Ethereal Realm, there is no time as defined by the main universe. When the Ethereal Realm was first born, there were only a very small number of survivors from that once-mighty civilization.”
“ These survivors were not united. They fought each other. Eventually, eleven survived, becoming what the Ethereal Realm traditionally calls Apostles. From the First Apostle to the Eleventh Apostle, each one possessed unique powers. The First Apostle was acknowledged as the strongest, wielding unmatched might. He was even given the title ‘God of the Ethereal Realm’. It was he who stabilized the Ethereal Realm and restored peace.”
“ The Apostles found life in the Ethereal Realm dull, so they created a vast number of True Spirit Lives. We were created by the Number Three Apostle.”
“ Then, after an unknown span of time, the First Apostle suddenly disappeared. No one knew where he went. Some True Spirits said he entered the main universe to change the Ethereal Realm. Whatever the reason, once he vanished, chaos returned.”
“ Some Apostles found ways to leave the Ethereal Realm. Others waged war against each other.”
“ The Number Three Apostle left us after bringing us here. He said he was going to the main universe to search for a way to escape from the projection. We have never seen him since.”
AA’s eyes were filled with sorrow.
He had been created by the Number Three Apostle. To him, the Apostle was both god and parent. Now that god (parent) was gone, how could he not grieve?
Bai Fu asked thoughtfully, “Do you know how many years ago the First Apostle disappeared?”
AA shook his head. “We have no concept of the specific time you speak of.”
Bai Fu pressed further, “Do you know where the other Apostles who left the Ethereal Realm went?”
AA answered, “The Number Nine Apostle seemed to have been summoned away by a Psionic Priest from Titan Industries. And the Number Four Apostle apparently went to a place called the Holy City of Apostles. The rest, I do not know.”
“……”
It was a lot to take in. Bai Fu felt she needed time to digest it.
Could the Number Nine Apostle be the same one the Painter said was summoned through a sacrificial ritual? If she remembered correctly, the Painter’s hometown, the Sandthorn Supercluster, lay right between the Rebirth Empire and Titan Industries.
And now the Holy City of Apostles had become so powerful—was that related to the Number Four Apostle?
If that were true, then perhaps leaving Sui Xi in the Holy City of Apostles was unsafe. What if she encountered the true Apostle there?
Wait—maybe it wasn’t such a big problem.
Oh, the Number Four Apostle, huh? You say you’re an Apostle—so what? I’m the real Apostle! I can guide people’s growth, their evolution—can you?
To tell you the truth, I’m not just any Apostle. I’m the First Apostle, the God of the Ethereal Realm.
Don’t believe me?
Look, even the Number Three Apostle, Yulia, follows me. If I’m not the First Apostle, then who is?
When it came to bluffing, Bai Fu feared no one.
Before, she had worried the God of the Ethereal Realm might actually be a true deity, so she dared not make false claims, afraid of divine retribution.
But now that she knew the so-called God of the Ethereal Realm wasn’t truly divine, how could she not seize the chance? Just like when she usurped the title of Sovereign of the Shadowed Night, she would bluff her way into a new persona—this time, the 【Reincarnation of the God of the Ethereal Realm】.
Personas really were useful!
“ Speaking of which…”
Bai Fu suddenly recalled what the Radiant Host had said at the Psionic Research Center meeting.
Radiant had said that over fifty years ago, an Imperial psionic researcher had discovered an anomaly—a constant in the Dark Energy Equation had suddenly mutated.
Such a mutation must have been caused by a great upheaval in the Ethereal Realm. Could that upheaval have been the disappearance of the First Apostle?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Now the question was—where had the First Apostle gone? Was he tied to the main storyline?
At that moment, she received a new game prompt—
【Beyond the Stars Plot Exploration +0.3%】
“ The plot exploration for the entire game increased by 0.3% at once?”
Bai Fu was stunned. Then, she immediately realized.
It could not be wrong—the First Apostle’s whereabouts must be linked to the main storyline!
…
Meanwhile, as Bai Fu conversed with AA, in the no-man’s-land between the Rebirth Empire and the Supernova Legion, inside a laboratory at one of the Shadow Legion of the Revolutionary Army’s bases, a young man lying on an observation platform suddenly opened his eyes.
“ Someone has entered the Ethereal Realm!”
This message spread like wildfire to the Painter and the Tigerhead Man.