Chapter 197

Chapter 197: On This Day, Bai Fu Reaches S Rank! [6k]

“White Lotus?”

When Thessia spoke these words, all the Secret Tower agents hidden in Lab No. 013 froze.

In the Tide Civilization, such a name format wasn’t uncommon.

But who could this White Lotus be, other than the Dark Domain’s Holy Maiden known throughout the Sea Lion Galaxy, that could make Thessia react so strongly?

“Why is White Lotus here?”

The Secret Tower agents whispered among themselves.

If White Lotus was here, could the Void War Princess also be here?

If so…

There would be no need to fear.

While the Void War Princess was indeed powerful, Thessia had faced her before. Just recently on Heaven Lake Star, Thessia had always been at an advantage.

The biggest variable now was the force sent by the Tide Civilization. It was uncertain if there were any S+ level psychics within that force. If not, they would just be cannon fodder. If there was only one, they still wouldn’t need to fear. But if there were two or more, they would have to run quickly.

“It shouldn’t be too many, right?”

The Secret Tower agent frowned slightly.

Although the Tide Civilization was stronger than the Star Network Federation, their number of S+ level psychics wasn’t high. Why would they suddenly send out most of their S+ level psychics because of some released information?

As the Secret Tower agents were still debating, Thessia and Bronze Cauldron had already made their move.

This sudden change shocked Elon and Su Xi greatly. They never imagined that Lab No. 13 would hide two S+ level psychics, one of whom was Thessia herself.

Had their plan been exposed, or had the prophecy ability of that person faltered?

At this moment, they had no time to think about it.

The situation at the main entrance was somewhat better, but the back door was already in dire straits.

Once Bronze Cauldron made his move, he immediately pushed Herbert back step by step.

Their main professions were only six levels apart, but the actual gap in strength was at least 20 to 30 levels.

This was because the S+ rank was an extremely special tier. Once a psychic reached this tier, it took a while for their levels to increase. They needed to find ways to continuously boost their primary attributes until the qualitative change occurred, leading to true awakening and promotion to a Catastrophe.

Due to this special reason, the gap in primary attributes between a barely-reached S+ psychic and one who had stayed in this realm for years could reach up to 500 points.

Herbert’s primary attributes were not as far off from Bronze Cauldron’s, but they were still around 300 points apart.

“Why are there S+ level psychics here?”

Herbert felt his scalp tingle.

He had rushed over to the Tide Star System hoping to show off against Scarlet Leaf, who could no longer use her full strength, but the appearance of Bronze Cauldron shattered all his hopes.

If things continued like this, he would surely die here. Although it was likely that Scarlet Leaf and White Lotus would also be unable to escape and would die with him, he didn’t care if they lived or died since he was already dead.

Herbert regretted his actions now.

Why did he want to cause trouble for White Lotus and Scarlet Leaf?

He felt his body becoming weaker and could not hold on much longer. Suddenly, he sensed an extremely terrifying aura behind him.

Another expert?

Herbert’s pupils dilated. Before he could dodge, Elon appeared beside him in a flash.

“My state can’t last long. Focus and help me restrain him, create an opportunity for me, otherwise we’ll both be trapped!”

Herbert responded quickly, nodding immediately.

With no other choice, they had to do this.

Elon’s expression was extremely grave.

Compared to his own situation, he was more worried about White Lotus and Scarlet Leaf. Facing Thessia, numerical superiority didn’t mean much.

Could they withstand her?

…

White Lotus wasn’t sure if she could withstand Thessia due to the large level gap. When she used her Spirit Vision skill on Thessia, the data panel was filled with question marks.

However, she wasn’t nervous. She had Youlia as a super battery and Scarlet Leaf as a top-notch bodyguard. Her race had evolved into a Shadow Phantom. Unless Thessia suddenly ascended to a Catastrophe, she was confident in escaping even if she couldn’t win.

Thessia didn’t know how much White Lotus had changed. All she knew was that she finally had a chance.

The constant thoughts of White Lotus had ignited a fire within her. Now, she could finally extinguish it.

Thessia flew into the air, her eyes glowing pink as they locked onto White Lotus: “After our parting on Ulysses Star, I’ve been thinking of you every day. For forty days, I thought of you while eating, walking, training, and even sleeping.”

“???”

White Lotus, Scarlet Leaf, and Youlia were all stunned by Thessia’s speech. The Secret Tower agents’ reactions weren’t much better.

No, wait.

They were supposed to fight, not engage in a melodramatic scene.

Scarlet Leaf and Youlia turned to look at White Lotus with strange eyes.

Confess, did you do something to Thessia behind our backs? Otherwise, why would she look so abandoned and resentful?

White Lotus was speechless. She was just being a supportive big sister in front of Thessia. Was it really that impactful?

It seemed like Thessia wanted to devour her alive. White Lotus began to suspect that Thessia had once used her as a spell ingredient.

“If you miss me so much, why don’t you abandon the Secret Tower and join us?”

Thessia shook her head. “There’s no need. I’ll capture you.”

White Lotus scoffed, her face full of disdain. “Are you sure you can do it?”

“You don’t think having the Void War Princess protect you means you’re safe, do you? She’s not my match.” Thessia found it amusing and gradually became excited.

She actually hoped Scarlet Leaf was protecting White Lotus. Capturing White Lotus was satisfying, but doing it in front of Scarlet Leaf was even more so.

Destroy, destroy, destroy!

Crackling sounds suddenly erupted, resembling popping beans or lightning dancing. Amidst this, dense black fog rose under Thessia’s feet, obscuring her form and making it impossible to see clearly. Her body then emerged with a black web-like pattern, extending to her shoulder blades like a spider’s limbs.

“Is this the true power of the Night Mother?”

On the ground, Secret Tower agents looked up at Thessia, their throats involuntarily swallowing saliva.

They felt a deep fear, their scalps tingling and legs trembling uncontrollably.

Night Mother Thessia, the spider monster, was truly formidable!

Rumors said that when she spread her spider legs behind her, it meant she was ready to eat someone.

“Be careful!”

Scarlet Leaf urgently called out.

White Lotus was prepared. As soon as she recognized Thessia, she activated her Inner Eye, clearly seeing the flow of energy on Thessia.

Thus, when Thessia transformed into black mist and lunged at her, she immediately used Shadow Substitute, entering a virtual state and shooting backward like a cannonball, leaving only a shadow behind.

Boom!

The black mist touched White Lotus’s shadow and solidified instantly. A massive spider leg transformed into a spear, stabbing out ferociously like a thunderclap, not only dispersing the remaining shadow but also creating a huge crater in the earth, with webs spreading hundreds of meters around.

“Such terrifying power with just a casual strike? Besides her unique life-absorption ability, Thessia’s physical skills far exceed ordinary people.”

White Lotus didn’t rush to appear. She swiftly headed toward the players’ gathering point before her virtual state disappeared.

Frustrated by her failed attack, Thessia’s rage surged. Her right leg swung like a whip, black mist swirling like waves, covering Youlia in an instant.

She tried to force White Lotus back by threatening Youlia’s life, but unexpectedly, even after severing Youlia’s neck with her leg, White Lotus remained hidden.

So ruthless?

Tch.

White Lotus sneered.

Scarlet Leaf could create illusions!

White Lotus clasped her hands together, white light points floating around them. With a twist of her palms, several cards appeared.

“Prison Ground! Dark Whirlpool!”

A massive black cage descended, trapping Thessia inside. As the cage stabilized, a black whirlwind formed at its center, rapidly spinning into a vortex, pulling everything around. Thessia stumbled and was dragged into the vortex’s center.

“Could it be?”

Secret Tower agents paled. They feared Thessia might lose.

White Lotus wasn’t gloating. The power of the Dark Whirlpool couldn’t truly hurt Thessia. The reason she managed to flip Thessia was because she anticipated her move, and she had never shown this ability before.

“Retreat!”

She immediately informed Scarlet Leaf.

Scarlet Leaf didn’t hesitate. Transforming into a fiery phoenix, she soared ahead, reaching the player’s gathering spot first.

Seconds later, Thessia roared, breaking free from the Dark Whirlpool’s grasp. Her energy-spawned spider leg struck like a pile driver, repeatedly impacting until the spiritual energy cage shattered, leaving a gaping hole. She turned into black mist and pursued White Lotus relentlessly.

“You can’t escape!”

“Escape? Who said I was running?”

White Lotus stopped and turned around.

Before attacking Lab No. 013, she had left a precaution due to Elon’s reckless predictions. She had specifically kept Youlia’s real body, Anya, and the players at the gathering point to set traps.

This was both a protection for Youlia and a way out for herself.

When Thessia appeared, the players threw out the prayer cards in their hands.

Swish-swish-swish—

Dark thorny jungles sprang up across the land, dividing the battlefield into small zones. Within the gaps, Tiny Black Fu, Tiny White Fu, Big Black Fu, Gunners, Arbitrators, Priests, and Void Orbs materialized, forming a spiritual energy army that surrounded White Lotus like knights guarding a queen.

Thessia quickly surveyed the area.

Undead?

Too weak, insignificant.

Anya? Youlia?

Too weak, insignificant.

She only needed to focus on White Lotus and Scarlet Leaf.

“Then I’ll start with you!”

Power of consumption burst forth, black mist resembling giant tentacles lunged at Scarlet Leaf. Instead of retreating, Scarlet Leaf charged forward, flames engulfing her.

Dealing with Thessia, a monster with deceptive tricks, close combat was far more effective than ranged attacks.

But as she approached Thessia, Thessia split into two clouds of black mist. One cloud retreated, while the other darted into the dark thorn jungle, turning sharply and killing White Lotus before reaching her.

“You should know that overwhelming me with numbers is pointless!”

Thessia smiled, grabbing White Lotus’s shoulder with her right hand.

Got her!

Now, she had no intention of fighting others. She just wanted to drag White Lotus somewhere secluded to torture her slowly. Yes, she would live stream it for Scarlet Leaf.

Sigh—

She couldn’t bear it anymore, she was going to bully White Lotus!

Thessia prepared to leave.

Just then, White Lotus suddenly hugged her from behind, and the surrounding spiritual energy army attacked her relentlessly.

Black lightning and rapidly spinning blades intertwined, creating billowing black mist like rising clouds. Each spiritual energy blast and flying blade cutting through Thessia’s skin left tiny cracks, but her regeneration was frighteningly fast, healing the cracks instantly.

Thessia was furious. She realized it was a trap; the White Lotus she caught was just a summoned entity.

Indeed, she had caught White Lotus’s new bound phantom, FuFu.

Enraged, Thessia summoned numerous small spiders, engaging the spiritual energy army in battle. Seizing the opportunity, she turned into black mist, breaking free from the encirclement. She aimed a life-draining strike directly at White Lotus.

She didn’t intend to kill White Lotus but to weaken her to prevent resistance.

Unexpectedly, she gained nothing.

“What’s going on?”

Next second, the White Lotus before her vanished, followed by another White Lotus appearing beside her.

Spiritual Explosion!

Intense spiritual energy blasted Thessia away. In mid-air, Thessia’s face turned grim.

How could White Lotus have become so difficult in just forty days?

“You said I couldn’t run, now why am I being toyed with by your illusions?” A silver-bellied laugh echoed through the dark thorn jungle.

Grr…

Thessia was enraged. She adjusted her posture and charged at the newly appearing White Lotus.

This time, how will you run?

She didn’t know that the White Lotus she saw was still not the real White Lotus, but rather a version with 85% base attributes and enhanced by Mind Blessing!

Though White Lotus was confident in holding her own against Thessia with full bonuses, the enhancement only lasted three minutes. Thus, she hadn’t started with her strongest abilities but had instead presented Thessia with a “True vs. False White Lotus” scenario.

Illusion FuFu, Illusion Whisper, Shadow Substitutes, Black Fu, and herself—five illusions attacking alternately, aiming to drive Thessia mad.

The effect was remarkable.

Thessia lunged at Black Fu, overpowering her with ease. Just as she thought she had the right target, the air behind her rippled, and the real White Lotus, holding an Abyssal Staff, appeared, striking her in the back.

The intense pain forced her to turn around, but her spider legs hit empty space. White Lotus had already escaped using Shadow Substitute, and enraged, she turned to take it out on Black Fu, but again, Black Fu had used Shadow Substitute.

Thessia’s blood boiled. She intended to use a wide-range attack to drain the life force around her. On her left, a White Lotus appeared like a ghost. She hurriedly stopped and punched, only to hit another illusion created by Illusion Whisper.

“I can’t believe…”

Thessia raised her arm, trembling. She didn’t want to kill White Lotus anymore. Once she captured White Lotus, she would make her experience the hell of Thessia!

Ignoring the White Lotus on her right, she targeted Anya.

Illusions were irrelevant. Capturing Anya would force White Lotus to…

Boom!

Another Spiritual Explosion.

In the instant of the explosion, Anya’s eyes flashed with silver light, her mental energy manifesting as a sharp spike that pierced Thessia’s mind, disorienting her.

“White Lotus!”

Thessia cried out in agony. This time, she wouldn’t hold back.

Kill everyone except White Lotus!

An invisible shockwave radiated from her body, affecting anyone nearby, including Anya, Scarlet Leaf, and the Secret Tower agents.

Their life force was slowly flowing towards Thessia!

“Monster, this monster has gone mad!”

Secret Tower agents were terrified.

They had initially planned to help Thessia, but now, Thessia indiscriminately drained life forces.

Help?

Forget it, run! They didn’t want to become dried corpses.

“White Lotus, if you don’t show yourself, I’ll kill everyone you care about!” Thessia shouted furiously.

Scarlet Leaf’s face turned pale. If not for the Void Transformation, she would have charged at Thessia already.

“Calm down, leave it to me,” White Lotus’s voice echoed.

Thessia spun around, fixing her gaze on the suddenly appearing White Lotus next to Scarlet Leaf.

“Good, you finally showed yourself.”

This time, she was certain this White Lotus was the real one, as she could smell familiar flesh.

She spread her arms, and black spider silk shot out from her body. The silk moved too fast for White Lotus and Scarlet Leaf to evade. In mere breaths, the silk formed a massive cocoon, trapping her, White Lotus, and Scarlet Leaf.

“Huh?”

Players outside the cocoon were shocked. They immediately attacked the cocoon, but their attacks left no mark.

“This cocoon is woven from my life force. Unless you can kill me, you won’t escape.”

Thessia walked toward White Lotus with a smile.

She no longer cared about finding a secluded place. She would broadcast her tormenting of White Lotus right here!

Facing Thessia’s approach, Scarlet Leaf bravely attacked, but without using Void powers, she couldn’t stand a chance. After dozens of exchanges, spider silk from the cocoon’s inner wall tightly bound Scarlet Leaf and White Lotus’s limbs.

“Run, why aren’t you running? No matter how many tricks you have, you’ll end up in my hands.”

Thessia halted in front of White Lotus.

She took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy on her face.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you outright. That would be wasteful. I’ll deal with you slowly… Are you scared? If you want me not to torture you, just get on your knees, call me master, and kiss my foot devoutly.”

Thessia kicked off one shoe, looking at White Lotus with mocking eyes.

“Right, I have one condition. You must kill Scarlet Leaf. I hate her. If you kill her, I’ll let you go. How about that deal?”

Hearing this, Scarlet Leaf’s eyes widened in anger.

Thessia laughed. “Yes, exactly! That’s the look I love!”

She loved seeing this look. Now, she didn’t want to wait for White Lotus’s response. She lifted her foot, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

Just as her foot passed her waist, White Lotus suddenly transformed into a Shadow Phantom, breaking free from the black silk’s constraints. Then, retransforming into human form, she grabbed Thessia’s foot.

“Enough fooling around?”

A cold voice echoed.

“You…”

Thessia’s eyes widened.

Mind Blessing, full power!

White Lotus’s Inspiration attribute skyrocketed to 1677 points, breaking through barriers and pushing her energy intensity to the S+ rank.

Thessia felt something amiss. In less than a second, she noticed White Lotus’s life force had increased significantly, and her aura had doubled, almost surpassing her.

But it was too late.

White Lotus pulled Thessia’s left foot back with her right hand, and as Thessia lost balance, her left hand, enveloped in black flames, smashed into Thessia’s stomach.

Dark Burn!

Buzz—

Flames raged fiercely, striking three times in quick succession, blasting Thessia away.

Thessia’s pupils dilated, shocked and enraged.

How could White Lotus be so strong?

No, in fact, she had asked herself this question multiple times during her earlier confrontation with White Lotus.

Why, why could White Lotus constantly break her limits?

Was it possible that White Lotus had deliberately concealed her strength, feigned weakness, and waited for her to fall into a trap before humiliating her?

Damn! Damn! Damn!

Struggling to her feet, dazed by the Dark Burn, Thessia refused to admit defeat. She wouldn’t lose this time. She would make White Lotus kneel beneath her, become her servant!

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