Time slipped by like sand through his fingers, and in the blink of an eye, two days passed quietly.
Over those two days, Ling Yun maintained a steady routine.
During the day, he absorbed knowledge on campus. At night, after returning home, he plunged straight into the Peak Tournament battlefields in King's Canyon. In the remaining gaps, he devoted himself entirely to cultivating his spiritual power through the Myriad Rivers Return to Origin Method.
The efficiency that came from such focus was astonishing. His Peak Tournament score surged all the way past the 2,300-point mark.
After returning home from school that day, Ling Yun did not waste a moment. He skillfully opened Douyin and tapped the long-missed "Start Livestream" button.
Livestream title: [Witness History! Reaching the Top Three of the Peak Tournament Tonight!]
Simple, forceful, and brimming with confidence and an enticing sense of looking down on everything.
Like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, the moment the stream began, the number of viewers shot up like a rocket!
[Holy crap! The missing streamer is back!]
[Divine Ling! Do you know how bland my electronic pickles have been without your streams these past two days?!]
[Clickbait? Wait... 2,300 points?! Divine Ling, are you seriously planning to stroll through the top three of the Peak Tournament like it's your own backyard?!]
[Front row! Sunflower seeds, drinks, and mineral water are ready!]
The comments surged like a raging tide, instantly flooding the screen. Ling Yun exchanged only a few pleasantries, the corners of his lips curling into a familiar, slightly smug smile.
"Brothers, no need for all that talk. We're not putting on an act or using clickbait. The goal—the top three of the Peak Tournament! Let's go!"
Before his words had even faded, he had already thrown himself into the game with complete concentration.
His fluid operations, extreme micro-control, and millisecond-perfect predictions... The viewers in front of their screens were utterly spellbound.
[Brothers, I get it now! The streamer really isn't here for those few gifts. He's just got a massive addiction and amazing skills. If he doesn't show off, he feels uncomfortable!]
The comment instantly resonated with countless viewers. The entire screen filled with "So true," "I'm in tears," and "Finally, someone with a clear head."
Time flew by amid fierce team fights and suffocatingly intense gameplay.
When the countdown for the Peak Tournament's closure appeared, the score on Ling Yun's screen stopped at a dazzling number: 2,400!
The third spot on the Peak rankings had unmistakably been replaced by that familiar and domineering ID!
"Whew—" Ling Yun exhaled deeply. A sincere, deeply satisfied smile blossomed across his face. "Brothers, top three in the Peak Tournament! Done! I said I'd do it, and I did!"
[That's freaking awesome!!! (voice cracking)]
[Well deserved! The true god of the Canyon!]
[Divine Ling? Think smaller! From now on, address him respectfully as—Emperor Ling Tian! A being who will suppress an entire era!]
[Emperor Ling Tian! Emperor Ling Tian! Emperor Ling Tian!]
The title "Emperor Ling Tian" instantly set the entire livestream ablaze. The comments were completely flooded by those three words, while gift effects continued without end like fireworks at a celebration.
Seeing the praise and enthusiasm filling the screen, Ling Yun felt more refreshed than ever.
An urge to share his joy surged through him.
"Today's goal is accomplished, and I'm feeling fantastic! Come on, brothers, I'll sing you all a song. It's an original—consider it... well, a benefit for my family!"
[??? He's holding a concert right after finishing the game? Emperor Ling Tian, are you really not planning to leave your fellow entertainers any way to survive?!]
[Screen recording started! Everyone stand!]
[An original! Another original! Even the donkey on the production team wouldn't dare be this prolific!]
The livestream's popularity had already broken through the five-million mark, and all kinds of lavish gifts had barely stopped for a moment.
"This song is called Ugly Monster."
Ling Yun picked up the guitar beside him. His fingers lightly swept across the strings as he tested a chord. Then his distinctive, story-filled voice slowly flowed out through the microphone and into the ears of every viewer.
There was no ornate accompaniment, only a guitar and pure vocals.
Yet the teasing, self-mockery, and faint, hard-to-detect pride contained in the melody, combined with Ling Yun's penetrating and infectious singing, instantly drew millions of viewers into the musical world he had created.
It was as if the livestream had been paused, leaving only the singing echoing through the room.
The song ended, but its lingering charm stretched on.
Several seconds passed before the comments surged back to life as if thawing from ice:
[??? How bold! Emperor Ling Tian actually dared to mock all of our looks in public!]
[Insulting aside, this song... is genuinely damn good! My ears are pregnant!]
[Another divine song is born! Streamer, just how many good things are packed inside your head?]
[The streamer is such a genius. Won't he get into Tsinghua and Peking University someday?]
[Tsinghua and Peking University? Are you serious? The streamer could get into Tsinghua and Peking University? I'll wash my hair upside down on livestream!]
"Hey, the comments are right," Ling Yun replied with a grin as he set down the guitar, a hint of smugness in his voice. "A genius always has to endure some doubts. Once I get my diploma from Tsinghua and Peking University, I'll definitely show it to you!"
[It's over, it's over. One compliment and he's already floating!]
[The streamer could get into Tsinghua and Peking University? I'll eat my phone raw!]
[The guy above is hardcore! If you want to eat a phone, just say so. Don't use the streamer as an excuse! (doge)]
The jokes in the comments came one after another, filling the livestream with a cheerful atmosphere.
"All right, brothers," Ling Yun said, glancing at the time. He had already been streaming for nearly three hours. "We pushed the Peak Tournament today, and I sang a song too. That's all for today's stream! See you next time!"
With that, before the five million viewers could react, he decisively clicked the button to end the stream.
The livestream screen instantly went black, leaving behind only a screen full of question marks and cries of unfinished longing:
[??????]
[That's it?! I haven't even... No, I was just getting into the mood!]
[Heartless! Absolutely heartless!]
[Brothers, gather in the comments of his latest work! Let's condemn this heartless streamer who "unplugged the internet"!]
Sure enough, the comments section of Ling Yun's latest Douyin post was quickly occupied by an army of "protesters."
After ending the stream, Ling Yun's emotions quickly settled. He did not lose himself in the livestream's noise. Instead, he sat cross-legged and once again immersed himself in the wondrous realm of the Myriad Rivers Return to Origin Method.
His spiritual power surged and flowed like a trickling stream under the guidance of his consciousness, converging and growing stronger.
After several days of uninterrupted cultivation, the results were significant. He could clearly feel that his spiritual power had become more condensed and majestic. The range of his Spiritual Sense had expanded from its original five hundred meters to an astonishing one-kilometer radius!
The feeling of clearly controlling the growth of his power intoxicated him.
While Ling Yun was devoting himself to cultivation, the internet was once again thrown into an enormous uproar because of him.
<The Top Three of the King's Canyon Peak Tournament! Mysterious Streamer "Emperor Ling Tian" Bursts Onto the Scene!>
Impromptu Original Divine Song Ugly Monster Ignites the Internet!
<Equally Talented in Literature and Martial Arts, or a Musical Genius? Just Who Is This Streamer?>
The related topics quickly surged onto the trending searches, and Ugly Monster spread like a virus.
Overnight, Ling Yun's number of Douyin followers rocketed from just over twenty million, surging straight past the twenty-eight-million mark!
An increase of nearly eight million!
At dawn, Ling Yun slowly opened his eyes after finishing a night of cultivation, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
As usual, he picked up his phone and opened the Douyin creator dashboard.
Looking at the follower count nearing twenty-eight million and the flood of private messages, likes, and comment notifications, the corners of Ling Yun's lips lifted slightly.
Was he happy? Of course. Was he surprised? Not particularly.
The influence brought by strength naturally followed as smoothly as water flowing into a channel.
He put down his phone, washed up briskly, and walked toward the school with light steps beneath the rising sun.
Before you continue