Chapter 361: The Time to Decide the Battle
When the Supreme God’s disciples charged furiously toward the location of the Fourth Squadron, the squadron had already plunged into chaos as though the sky itself had collapsed.
The Artificial God had been defeated!
Though it was merely a false god, it had still been defeated!
Even when it faced Bai Fu, it had been so swiftly and decisively slain—how were they supposed to face Bai Fu themselves?
No one knew.
All they could do now was pray—pray that the Supreme God’s disciples would arrive quickly. Only then, with the super defensive line formed by the grand fleet, might they have a sliver of hope. Otherwise, they would all meet their end here today.
The Void abilities Bai Fu had just displayed made it clear to everyone—escaping from her was virtually impossible.
“Tell the Allied Frontline Command what just happened here. They can begin their move!”
With Bai Fu’s command, the nearby Players immediately contacted the others who were engaged with the main force of the Apostolic Holy City.
Through those Players, the battle report traveled at an unbelievable speed, reaching the ears of Bualois, Fitz, and the Metal Lord.
“What did you just say?”
After listening to Bualois’ report, His Majesty Odoacre, Emperor of the Rebirth Empire, stared at Bualois as if ready to devour him.
He might not have faced the Artificial God of the Apostolic Holy City in person like Dmitri, but through Dmitri’s memories, he had observed it up close—and he knew full well how powerful it was.
It was a power so great that a mere glimpse made one feel as if their soul was being torn apart.
That was why, when Bai Fu said she would single-handedly attack the Fourth Squadron to create an opportunity for the Allied Forces, he had joined the others in the virtual meeting room to try to dissuade her.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Bai Fu.
After everything they’d been through, his trust in her was no less than that of Bualois standing before him.
He believed that given enough time, Bai Fu would surely surpass the false god of the Apostolic Holy City—and perhaps even outmatch the Supreme God’s disciples.
But the point was, she lacked time.
It had only been a few short years since her advancement to Transcendent.
Most Transcendents would spend years without even nearing their first transformation. Bai Fu had already pushed her strength to rival a third transformation in such a short span—that was already extraordinary. He dared not hope for more.
And yet—
“Your Majesty, you heard right. Bai Fu has already taken down the Artificial God summoned by the Apostolic Holy City,” Bualois repeated.
“I...”
Odoacre was so shocked he couldn’t even form a complete sentence.
Bai Fu had defeated the Artificial God—and in less than half an hour!
Truly, not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined something so outrageous.
“Bai Fu is a miracle worker!” Bualois smiled and nodded at Odoacre’s hologram. Then he turned to the people in the command bridge and shouted, “The Artificial God is dead. The Apostolic Holy City won’t sit still now. It’s time for us to take the stage. I, Bualois, as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, hereby order a full-scale assault!”
Kill! Kill! Kill!
The Transcendents and Sovereigns of the Three Universal Civilizations had been suppressed for too long.
Now that a real counterattack opportunity had arrived, how could they sit still?
Let the starry sky be dyed with blood, paving the path to victory toward the Distant-Pit.
Charge!
One Transcendent and Sovereign after another stormed out of the bridge, leading their fleets straight at the main fleet of the Apostolic Holy City.
As everyone basked in joy, only Odoacre’s eyes carried a trace of melancholy.
This world needed a saintess like Bai Fu.
But at the same time, this world could hardly tolerate a saintess like Bai Fu.
“Your Majesty?”
Just as he was about to leave, Bualois noticed something odd in Odoacre’s expression and called out.
“Are you alright?”
Odoacre walked to the window of his office. Through the glass, he could see the bustling Imperial Homeworld.
This planet bore many burdens.
It bore the glory of the Imperial Royalty, the pride of the Imperial Nobility, the rise and fall of Imperial Industry and Commerce, and the dreams of countless ordinary people.
Over thirty thousand years of splendor had condensed onto this tiny planet, forming an immense weight. That weight...
“I often find myself sighing,” Odoacre’s voice sounded ethereal, as if not of the present moment. “The imperial throne was never meant to be mine. My elder brother, Odabar, was born with a Racial Potential Rating of 93. He was the heartthrob of countless maidens. He possessed the highest courage, the keenest intuition, the most reliable judgment, the most proper etiquette. From the moment he was born, the entire Empire called his name. He was the rightful one. He was born to make the Empire greater.”
As Odoacre spoke, Bualois couldn’t help but recall the crown prince who embodied valor, chivalry, and wisdom in one.
Back then, everything had been beautiful.
However, the much-anticipated Crown Prince Odabar had perished during the Void Expedition.
His death triggered a chain reaction.
The aged emperor, heartbroken, died soon after.
The Senate had no choice but to quickly install Archduke Odoacre, who had never received proper crown prince education, as the new Emperor.
Truthfully, Odoacre was never fit to be emperor.
But under those circumstances, who else could they choose?
“Bualois.” Odoacre’s voice pulled Bualois back to reality. “When I first ascended the throne, I tried to surpass my brother, to prove to the world that I was no worse—just unlucky. But I soon realized I was wrong. There really is a difference between people. Odoacre will never match Odabar. No matter how much I resent it, that’s the truth. For instance, right now—if my brother were in my place, I believe he would be resolute and do far better than me.”
Bualois opened his mouth but didn’t know how to comfort his suddenly emotional Emperor, so he resorted to platitudes.
“Your Majesty, everyone is unique. Just being yourself is already half the battle won.”
“Being myself? But I’m the Emperor of the Empire.”
Odoacre shook his head.
“Just venting, that’s all. Bualois, don’t take it to heart. I wish you victory. When you return, I’ll welcome you back with the grandest ceremony.”
Bualois offered an awkward smile.
The current situation was urgent. He didn’t have time to dwell on what was going on with the Emperor. After saying his farewell, he hurried off.
At such a critical moment of war, how could the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces afford to be absent?
...
At the same time—
The Original Pact, which had been observing from the sidelines, also received news from the Fourth Squadron’s battlefield.
“It’s said that Bai Fu took down the Artificial God of the Apostolic Holy City in less than half an hour.”
Shick, the Ferryman of the Sea of Entropy, glanced at the message popping up on his communicator and spoke to the others around him.
The Leader slowly looked up. “Are you sure? If I remember correctly, Bai Fu had just completed her third transformation not long ago. The Artificial God of the Apostolic Holy City should already be at the level of a fourth transformation, right?”
Shick said nothing and turned to the Fate-Weaver and the Child of Prophecy.
Child of Prophecy: “Bai Fu’s figure has grown increasingly obscure—I can’t see through her. But that Artificial God...”
“I can no longer sense its presence,” the Fate-Weaver interjected.
The Child of Prophecy nodded, confirming that the Fate-Weaver was right.
The Leader’s brows furrowed.
So the Artificial God was really slain by Bai Fu?
He couldn’t comprehend it.
Even if Bai Fu were the incarnation of the God of the Ethereal Realm, her strength shouldn’t be rising this quickly.
This defied common sense. In the long, star-spanning history of tens of thousands of years, never had a single Esper advanced as outrageously as Bai Fu.
Could it be that the God of the Ethereal Realm had encountered something?
“It seems we can’t just sit here any longer. Let’s finish off the Apostolic Holy City as quickly as possible. And then—when the world is at its most ecstatic, let’s give them a surprise. We must—return the world to its rightful path!”
“Yes, sir.”
The Fate-Weaver and Child of Prophecy respectfully bowed.
Even those like the Lightless Ones, who had previously berated the Leader in the Esper Garden, were now silent, having been slain by Bai Fu and revived. They dared not speak out of turn again.
The Leader’s strength was beyond their comprehension.
...
Under Bai Fu’s command, Hiye, the Player Army, and her Psionic Legion launched a full-scale assault on the Fourth Squadron.
This was, without a doubt, an incredibly brutal battle.
Even though the Artificial God of Psionics had perished, the Fourth Squadron did not collapse immediately.
They were afraid, but they had not forgotten the military discipline they ought to uphold.
But such a situation could not last.
There was a limit to human endurance, while the Players' fearless assault showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.
They kept charging—dying, resurrecting at the nearby temporary Respawn Points, and charging again. How could the members of the Fourth Squadron, already shrouded in the enormous terror cast by Bai Fu, endure such an onslaught?
They finally began to crumble!
Bai Fu seized the moment, launching even more Prayer Cards and focusing her strike on the weakest part of the Fourth Squadron.
For the Quest Reward, she was truly going all out this time.
She could always earn more money and cards later—but if she missed this reward, who knew when another like it would come?
Moreover, the more ferocious and insane her performance here, the more convinced the Apostolic Holy City would be that this was her main offensive direction.
That way, if she lost—and lost badly—the subsequent defeat of the Allied Forces' main force under her influence would appear all the more natural.
"We can’t hold on much longer! If reinforcements don’t arrive soon, we’re all going to die here!"
"Should we just surrender?"
Hey, hey, hey! You’re not allowed to surrender! If you surrender, wouldn’t you be taking my position?!
Sen Lan started getting anxious.
Fortunately, they received contact from the Supreme God’s disciples at that moment.
"I’m here."
That simple sentence instantly calmed the chaos of the Fourth Squadron. Within moments, the scattered fleets had regrouped.
They had arrived?
Bai Fu could feel the forceful pressure bearing down on her.
But she felt no fear now.
So what if the Supreme God’s disciples or the Fourth Apostle had arrived?
Unless the Reaper descended today, this Fourth Squadron was done for!
As the God-Image-class Mothership broke through spatial boundaries and began phasing its bow out of hyperspace, Bai Fu unleashed her Void abilities, throwing the surrounding space into complete disarray.
"You all go. Leave this to me!"
Receiving the order, Hiye and the others didn’t hesitate—they immediately retreated.
In the next second, Bai Fu pulled out the entire stack of colorful Prayer Cards she’d been holding onto.
She had been waiting for this exact moment—for reinforcements from the Apostolic Holy City to arrive, and for the Fourth Squadron command center to let their guard down in excitement and expose a flaw.
Limit-Break: Instant Dimensional Surpassal!
The skill activated. At that moment, Bai Fu’s body—including her tight-fitting combat suit—transformed into a semi-transparent "mercury" form.
She plunged into the Void.
The command staff of the Fourth Squadron sensed danger. They urgently called for Psionic, Dark Energy Shields, and Spatial Strikes.
If they could just hold out for a little longer, they could wait for the Supreme God’s disciples to break free and come rescue them.
With the Supreme God’s disciples shielding them, they wouldn’t fear even two Bai Fus, let alone one.
Unfortunately, this time, they completely underestimated Bai Fu’s power.
Those Psionic and Dark Energy Shields were useless before Ethereal Realm Particles.
As for Spatial Strikes and Dimensional Erosion, under the protection of Limit-Break: Instant Dimensional Surpassal, which granted immunity to spatial and dimensional damage, they couldn’t even graze Bai Fu.
She pierced through everything and reached the command center of the Fourth Squadron.
What came next was simple.
Prayer Cards, activate!
Endless Dark Domain, Whispers of the Painter, Soul Stripping, Dark Energy Complete Distortion...
One colorful Prayer Card after another crashed down, transforming the command center into a grim Nether Prison.
As Nether Prison’s Master, Bai Fu brandished her scythe-blade and began a merciless harvest.
Realistically, even if she caught the enemy completely off guard and was stronger by a margin, it would still have been difficult for Bai Fu to eliminate all of the Fourth Squadron’s commanders quickly.
Even the weakest Transcendent was still a Transcendent, with a Domain to protect them!
But—there was a mole in the Fourth Squadron command center.
When Bai Fu launched her attack, Sen Lan stepped up as well.
At this point, helping Bai Fu was the same as helping himself—otherwise, once the war ended and someone traced the source, they’d discover Bai Fu had been let in by him. He’d be finished.
Thanks to Sen Lan’s ambush, the others in the command center were instantly severely wounded.
By the time the Supreme God’s disciples broke free and arrived on the scene, he saw Sen Lan being teleported away by Bai Fu’s Spatial abilities, and the others in the command center—all of them—had died horribly.
"You!"
Even though he’d long been disgusted with the Fourth Cathedral, seeing its people die right before his eyes still sent the Supreme God’s disciples into a fit of rage.
"He’s definitely stronger than the Artificial God of Psionics. His level… without realizing it, it’s already 271? Two levels higher than before."
Bai Fu was unfazed by the pressure exuding from the Supreme God’s disciples.
It was enough.
With the total annihilation of the Fourth Squadron’s command center, she received a notification: the Main Quest [Burning Across a Billion Light Years·Diversion] Branch 3 had been completed.
Since the quest was done—what did it matter if this body died here?
No—
Rather, this body should die here. In fact, it should die in such a way that even after going all out, she still couldn't win, ending in despair, paralyzed by fear of the Supreme God’s disciples’ power.
Let the show begin!
Bai Fu closed her Quest Panel and charged straight at the Supreme God’s disciples.
...
"How’s the situation on Bai Fu’s side?"
On the frontlines, Bualois asked his assistant.
The assistant looked down at the communicator. "Nothing ye—wait, there’s news. Bai Fu says that one of her Avatars has fallen, and the force attacking the Fourth Squadron has been annihilated!"
Bualois nodded solemnly. "The Apostolic Holy City will release an official statement soon. Be ready."
"Yes, sir!"
The assistant was thrilled.
Was it finally time for the long-prepared Distant-Pit Plan to shine?