Chapter 311: Rumor Debunked — I, Bai Fu, Couldn’t Possibly Be an Apostle!
The world was a gigantic Bai Fu!
This was the conclusion AA and the others came to after wandering around the plaza for an hour.
They had walked from east to west, from the surface to the underground, from outdoors to indoors—everywhere they went, someone was discussing Bai Fu.
Though only an hour had passed, they had already gained a general understanding of Bai Fu, the one who had brought them out of the Ethereal Realm.
Bai Fu wasn’t just sincere—she was practically a saint!
Compared to her, many Apostles didn’t even qualify as human beings.
Hm? Wait a second, weren't Apostles technically not “human” to begin with?
Forget it, forget it—now’s not the time to nitpick that!
After a ten-minute serious discussion about Bai Fu’s past, AA and the others unanimously agreed that Bai Fu must have been a descended Apostle.
There were three reasons:
一. Bai Fu, born in a rural area, possessed psionic talents that astounded every Psionic Priest in the Explored Universe. That was far too unusual.
二. Bai Fu’s life before the Abandoned Cooling Plant was a complete blank—like she had popped out of a rock. Her identity was highly suspicious.
三. Bai Fu carried the aura of the Number Three Apostle and also showed signs of amnesia.
Any one of these three reasons alone wasn’t enough to prove Bai Fu was a descended Apostle.
But with all three combined, the possibility of Bai Fu being a descended Apostle was easily over 95%.
It wasn’t AA and the others’ fault, nor the rest of the Explored Universe, for jumping to conclusions—who would’ve guessed Bai Fu had a Player Interface cheat like that?
Sure, every Psionicist who reached the Transcendent rank had their own form of “cheat,” but something like the Player Interface wasn’t just unbeatable—it was straight-up absurd.
"But... Lady Bai Fu doesn’t look like the Number Three Apostle, does she? The Number Three Apostle was indeed kind to us, but not saintly like Bai Fu, right?"
"Then why does Lady Bai Fu have the aura of the Number Three Apostle? I think you’re overthinking it. The Number Three Apostle was already kind. After losing their memory and going through the suffering of a normal person, it makes sense they’d become even kinder."
"Speaking of personality, doesn’t Lady Bai Fu’s temperament resemble the Number One Apostle more? Is it possible that she’s not Number Three—but Number One instead?"
AA and the others argued heatedly over which Apostle Bai Fu could be. They didn’t even realize that they had completely dropped their guard around her.
As the argument continued, they gradually became worried about Bai Fu’s safety.
They noticed that while most people were praising Bai Fu, there were still a few shouting that she needed to be eliminated. That was dangerous.
Even more dangerous was the fact that Bai Fu’s identity had been exposed. That meant Apostles who liked stirring up trouble would definitely come looking for her.
Even if Bai Fu was the Number One Apostle, those Apostles would still come—they wouldn’t be scared. On the contrary, they’d be even more excited.
After all, when the Number One Apostle was in the Ethereal Realm, none of them had stood a chance.
Now things were different. Descending into the world had caused the future of the Number One Apostle to start flowing again—but the cost was the loss of the terrifying power she once held.
If not now, then when?
"Damn it, we’re too weak. We can’t help Lady Bai Fu at all."
AA and the others felt utterly helpless.
Without the halo of the Apostle’s blessing, their power levels had dropped significantly. Even the strongest among them was only at the Calamity-level.
Trying to interfere in a battle between Transcendents as mere Calamity-levels was nothing short of delusional.
If only they could help Lady Bai Fu regain her memories.
With her past memories restored, her power would surely surge.
"We can’t hesitate any longer. We must go find Lady Bai Fu immediately! Even if we can’t offer her real help, we must at least warn her to be cautious of the other Apostles!"
AA took the lead, and they soon found Bai Fu nearby browsing the forums.
"You’re saying I’m in danger now?"Bai Fu looked “shocked.”
AA said,"Yes, very dangerous. The fights between Apostles are extremely brutal. Things seemed peaceful before only because the Number One Apostle maintained balance. But now that the Number One Apostle is gone, the other ambitious Apostles are surely plotting how to become the one and only Apostle. Once they find out you’re an Apostle, Lady Bai Fu, they’ll stop at nothing to kill you!"
Bai Fu blinked blankly."Me? An Apostle? I know there are rumors, but am I really an Apostle? It just feels so unreal."
"You are—definitely!"
AA’s expression turned intensely serious.
Oh.
So you said it.
I don’t think I ever said I was an Apostle.
If my performance slips and you catch on later, don’t blame me!
Bai Fu stared at AA for a long while before finally saying,"Then what should I do?"
"Emmm..."AA thought for a while."Lady Bai Fu, the easiest way to kill an Apostle is to find their weakness. But every Apostle’s weakness is different, so I think your top priority should be hiding your trump cards—make it hard for others to figure out which Apostle you are. That’ll make it much harder for them to target you."
Bai Fu nodded.
So that’s a thing, huh?
Hide?
Got it—go public!
What she had to do next was deepen her character persona and make the world believe she truly was the Number Three Apostle. That way, all her enemies would spend time and resources preparing ways to counter the Number Three Apostle.
They’d feel so confident... but once the real fight began—
【What the hell, why are none of our methods working on Bai Fu?!】
Haha—turns out I’m actually the Number One Apostle! You all got it wrong!
Haha—turns out I’m not even an Apostle! You’re all screwed!
Bai Fu said,"Thank you all for the warning."
AA said,"Lady Bai Fu, I have another idea. Maybe it could help you recover your memories."
Bai Fu’s eyes lit up."Really?"
AA replied,"Before the Number Three Apostle left, they taught us many things. Since you’re a descended Apostle, you surely once knew all of it. You’ve just forgotten due to amnesia. I think if I re-teach you these things, you might recall some of your past."
"What things?"
"Psionic knowledge, dark energy knowledge, and the history of the Old Civilizations."
AA looked up into Bai Fu’s eyes.
He intended to teach Bai Fu this knowledge—on one hand, hoping it might help her recover her memories, and on the other, to test whether she was truly the Number Three Apostle.
If Bai Fu was, then she should be able to grasp the knowledge he taught with ease, right?
Dark Energy Knowledge?
Bai Fu’s pupils quivered slightly.
Wasn’t this the exact reason she had brought AA and the others out of the Ethereal Realm?
She had originally thought it would take more time to access it, but things had gone far smoother than expected.
She stared into AA’s eyes.
Was he simply too pure?
Or perhaps, constantly yearning for the Apostle who had created him, he was now taking a gamble upon learning she might be one?
“I’m really not sure if I’m an Apostle. But even if I’m not, I’ll find a way to help you all bring back the Number Three Apostle.”
“Thank you, Lady Bai Fu.”
AA used psionic energy to project all the knowledge he had mastered.
【You have begun learning...】
One notification after another popped up.
In just two hours, Bai Fu had mastered everything AA had taught.
Her reserves of Dark Energy Knowledge exploded. The direct benefit was that her Ethereal Adaptation jumped to 93.8%, along with boosted psionic recovery speed and skill effects. Her skill 【Shadow Field】 evolved into 【Ethereal Field】, doubling in power. She gained a new ability—she could now manipulate dark energy actively just like psionic energy, and several new passive dark energy skills akin to 【Ultimate Psionic Specialization】 also unlocked.
Though she hadn’t yet acquired any active dark energy skills, these passives didn’t offer direct bonuses. Still, one of them did grant her an additional 200 points of base Inspiration.
“What a pity... 【Spiral】 and 【Ethereal Phantom】 still haven’t activated. Looks like I need cutting-edge Dark Energy Knowledge to unlock those. And to obtain that, I’ll either have to strike the Holy City of Apostles... or go after the Apostles themselves. Oh—wait—the Number Four Apostle is in the Holy City. Then all I need to do is hit the Holy City directly. Once I activate 【Spiral】 and 【Ethereal Phantom】, not even someone like Annihilation, a Transcendent of that level, will scare me.”
Bai Fu smiled as she closed the Attribute Panel.
Looking down, she saw the eyes of AA and the others sparkling—filled with a light called hope.
“？”
What just happened?
She had no idea AA and the others were so excited they were nearly fainting.
Mastering all that knowledge in just two hours? No doubt about it—Bai Fu was definitely the descended Number Three Apostle!
They had finally found the Number Three Apostle!
AA suppressed his excitement and asked, “Lady Bai Fu, have you remembered anything?”
Bai Fu shook her head. “Not yet.”
AA said, “Take your time. It’ll come back for sure.”
He was in no hurry at all now.
“Lady Bai Fu, should I tell you more about the deeds of the Number Three Apostle?”
“Sure.”
Bai Fu was curious to hear.
But before AA could speak, she suddenly received a message from Buvalo.
“The Empire has been attacked in multiple locations at once. The attackers include Revolutionary Armies, large pirate crews, and hero organizations from nearby regions!”
Bai Fu’s expression darkened slightly. “What’s the situation now?”
Buvalo, expression grim, replied, “Thanks to your warnings before the experiment began, the Empire didn’t suffer much damage. But this attack is highly irregular. So many factions attacking at once—it suggests they were backed by the same shadowy forces who attacked you in the Ethereal Realm.”
Bai Fu quickly skimmed through the list of factions Buvalo had sent over.
One name stood out: the Revolutionary Army group called the Shadow Legion.
《Beyond the Stars》had launched two main plotlines in Version 2.1. The one Bai Fu participated in was called 【Taim Civilization Civil War】, while the one she didn’t was 【Revolutionary Dawn】.
The Shadow Legion was the core faction in 【Revolutionary Dawn】. It appeared not just in 2.1, but also in the trailers for 2.2 and even 2.3. An NPC named 【Elise】 in the Shadow Legion was even officially designated as one of the version protagonists. Although her role had been heavily overshadowed by Bai Fu the cheat-player, she remained extremely popular among players.
After all, Elise was not only beautiful and talented—she was abstract-minded, her chaotic mental state resonating with the modern playerbase, earning her a huge following.
“So I’ve clashed with the protagonist now, huh.”
Bai Fu browsed the Player Community.
The good news: Elise was only Calamity-level at the moment. Let alone comparing her to Bai Fu—she probably couldn’t even beat Anya. No threat at all right now.
The bad news: conflict with the protagonist’s faction had emerged. This would make things even harder for the Rebirth Empire, which was already mired in war with the Holy City of Apostles. If not handled properly, it could spell the downfall of the entire nation.
“Too many quests have piled up. This is bad. If the Rebirth Empire collapses, then even with my cheats, it’ll be nearly impossible to handle both the Holy City and this mysterious faction at once.”
Bai Fu’s brow furrowed tightly.
Originally, she had planned to wait until completing her first Divine Transformation before striking at the Holy City. But now, she couldn’t afford to wait.
After ending her conversation with Buvalo, the first thing she did was hold a press conference—solemnly refuting the rumors spreading online.
I’m an Apostle?
Since when?
Some people were even saying she was the Number Three or Number Four Apostle—utter nonsense.
“Please, everyone, don’t believe rumors. Don’t spread them. Don’t be manipulated by those with ulterior motives!”
Of course, Bai Fu didn’t actually want to refute the rumors. She was intentionally hinting that she was the Number Three Apostle.
Sure enough, the press conference had no effect in debunking anything.
Debunking?
Denial means cover-up. Cover-up means truth!
……
“She’s panicking! She’s panicking! But at this point, denying it is meaningless!”
The Organization Leader squinted at the screen showing the ever-serious Bai Fu.
The question now was: which Apostle was Bai Fu?
Only by confirming this could he ensure her complete destruction. He absolutely couldn’t allow her to keep using her powers to guide others!
“Is it Number Three? Or Number Four?”
Soon, new information came in from the outside world—
【The Number Four Apostle is in the Holy City of Apostles!】
This message caused a public uproar.
Most people didn’t believe it—it was anonymous after all—but some did.
Among those who believed, the ones from the Holy City reacted most strongly.
What?! We actually have an Apostle in our midst? Then why didn’t the Supreme Apostle tell us? Shouldn’t that be a good thing? Why hide it? What is the Supreme Apostle planning?
The Holy City of Apostles wasn’t as united as it appeared.
Its unique civilization structure merely gave it the illusion of high uniformity.
“Number Four Apostle in the Holy City?”
The Organization Leader analyzed the rumor seriously.
Two possibilities:
一. It was true.
二. It was false.
If it was true, then so be it. But if false… could it be that Bai Fu had deliberately released it to mislead them?
“Looks like your press conference wasn’t in vain—it’s genuinely confused me for a moment.”
Still, not a big deal.
He’d just prepare for both Number Three and Number Four.
“Don’t underestimate my wealth!”
……
“Should be enough to mislead them, right?”
After the press conference, Bai Fu stretched with a smile.
She had no need to intervene in the mission to rescue the Curse Lord and others.
Now, it was time to handle her own affairs.
She immediately contacted the Anti-Holy City of Apostles Alliance.
“I have a plan. I’ve decided to take the initiative—I'm going to strike directly at the homeland of the Holy City of Apostles!”