Chapter 104

As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly left, leaving the three people in the room looking at each other in bewilderment. They had just formed a team and were about to go their separate ways to shoot an advertisement, which in a sense resembled the style of celebrities participating in a variety show.

Meanwhile, the underground central hub.

The Dream Weaver Rabbit glanced at the monitor screen, watching the various A-Class contestants set off. Its crimson pupils curved into eerie cracks, and it revealed an excited and joyful smile, whispering:

"Isn't it true that the Great Xia, with its long history and large population, lives up to its reputation?"

"Even across the entire Donghuang Federation, with hundreds of <Flash Dance> arena nodes, there has never been so many awakened Primal Stones gathered together."

"Of the six A-Class individuals, five have already awakened [Flow State], all possessing the aptitude to become [Witch]. This ratio is so high that it makes one wonder if this is a stage bestowed by destiny?"

"Is it a coincidence that the Saintess's surroundings are the same? Or is it some kind of pattern?"

"Or perhaps, these brilliant souls are always drawn to each other?"

Meanwhile, several holographic projections sparked heated discussions:

"Given the relationship between magic and the soul, this statement has some credibility."

"Speaking of the Saintess, it's said that the Sacred United Nation has already revealed part of the truth about the [Disaster] due to her outstanding performance, and it's estimated that she will officially participate in the eradication plan soon."

"I know what you're trying to say, but it's too early. Chu Yuanqing is still far too inexperienced compared to that one."

"Chu Yuanqing is only 17 years old. She is just a child and an orphan. She has too few ties to this world. This endorsement activity, in addition to further nourishing [Heart Flower], is more importantly to ensure that she no longer lacks material conditions."

"This step is essential. We must ensure that the psychology of each Magical Girl remains within a normal threshold; otherwise, the moment her heart blossoms will be the moment her soul Sange."

"The arena in Sea Capital is now the focus of the Donghuang Federation's highest attention. Apart from Tang Liuli's father, the families of all other A-Class contestants will be placed on the first-level protection list."

These numerous messages in the chat almost explicitly revealed that when Flash Dance proposed to negotiate an endorsement deal with A-Class character, it had some hidden motive.

The Dream Weaver Rabbit listened with a smile to the conversation of the important figures, but its eyes flashed with a hint of ambiguity. It controlled the monitoring screen to continue moving, and began to focus on the next level of observation.

The [Flow State] training room automatically selects participants.

Only for those contestants confirmed to be unqualified will the Black Mist spawned by the [Calamity Species] surge into the cabin, almost forcibly awakening [Flow State] in another form.

Therefore, a contestant like Chen Yining, who is exceptionally talented and has worked hard for nearly ten years, might be unable to take this extreme path once she enters the competition because she is considered qualified.

Conversely, those who experience clear progress, or even face the Nightmare Corridor as a test, are destined to never become [Witch].

Over the past six days, 149 out of 168 participants have entered the [Flow State] training room. Among them, as many as 144 were judged by the system to have no hope of reaching [Flow State] in their lifetime without external assistance.

Of these 144 contestants, most have not yet achieved any connection between their souls and the Black Mist due to insufficient obsession. Only a dozen or so, due to their deep obsession, have triggered the creation of the Nightmare Demon Corridor and are beginning to gradually approach [Flow State].

Half of them failed the first round of nightmare trials. After a medical examination, they were found to have lost their willpower. A professional psychologist then used hypnosis with the help of props to make them forget the memory and return to their original fate.

In the other half, two are low-rated players who were betrayed. They unexpectedly survived three rounds of Nightmare Corridor by relying on hatred, successfully awakened [Flow State] through external forces, and are now tasting the fruits of victory, preparing to take revenge on those who betrayed them.

And the last one remaining...

Dream Weaver Rabbit looked at the monitor screen and saw Liang Xiaoxiao silently training in the dance studio. A slight smile appeared on her lips as she murmured softly:

"It's really strange. According to the initial data retrieved, she was just a piece of scrap material used to make up the numbers and serve as a stepping stone."

"Aside from being lucky enough to be assigned to the same dormitory as Chu Yuanqing, there's nothing special about him. Yet, he managed to survive four rounds of Nightmare Corridor?"

As the Dream Weaver Rabbit spoke, it accessed Liang Xiaoxiao's cabin data. After calculating her soul activity and mental threshold, the crimson in its pupils grew even more vivid. It couldn't help but clap its hands and laugh, a mocking yet delighted expression of admiration:

"Truly worthless. With such poor and ugly stats, even with its resilience, it will face a soul collapse in the tenth round of the Nightmare Corridor."

"Liang Xiaoxiao, you only have six days to live."

"I'm really looking forward to it! How about... I give you a gift?"

P. S.: Does anyone have any suggestions for a trio or quadruple dance that Qing Bao would like to see? Preferably something more masculine!

I'd also like to recommend a book by a friend.

Book Title: Is it wrong to want to marry a weapon?

Synopsis: This is a Juzi, level-up-oriented story.

Volume 1: Chapter 109. Chu Yuanqing's Fall. (5K votes requested)

A bright, sunny day.

In the afternoon, Zhelong Town was like a steamer.

The banyan trees along the street swayed in the wind, and sparse dappled sunlight and cicada chirps were shaken away.

Chu Yuanqing had barely stepped out of the underground base when he was engulfed by the scorching heat of the melting asphalt road.

Chen Xiaoxiao seemed to have been prepared. She casually opened her parasol, sheltering the girl next to her, and then thoughtfully took a mask and a pair of sunglasses from her bag and handed them over, saying:

"You're a public figure now, so it's fortunate that the Program Group arranged everything this time. In the future, you must remember to prepare properly before going out on your own."

This statement, coupled with the scene of a large number of fans shouting to him on the roadside during the last Public Performance, is truly significant.

Chu Yuanqing looked serious. She nodded in agreement, obediently doing as instructed, putting on a mask and sunglasses to completely cover her small, delicate face. She glanced at the sun high in the sky and the blue sky blurred by the lenses, and asked:

"Did they leave through another exit? I haven't seen them."

After reminding herself to apply sunscreen, Xie Qingxuan left with another staff member, as did Ji Shuzhu.

Chen Xiaoxiao explained:

"Because the underground base is huge. You've lived here for so long, you must have noticed the dense, labyrinthine, beehive-like architectural design down there, right?"

"For safety reasons, there can't be just one road leading up. Not to mention Zhelong Town, the entire film and television base, and even areas further out, all have exits to some extent. Your teammates left through another exit."

After finishing her sentence, Chen Xiaoxiao continued to complain:

"To be honest, even if the intention was to create a prison and battle royale atmosphere, this design is just too inefficient. It's not only oppressive, but also time-consuming, labor-intensive, and extremely expensive. I don't know what the <FlashDance> team was thinking."

Since recording hadn't started yet, and her favorite Little Idol was sitting next to her, the assistant's urge to complain was particularly strong, her words filled with the resentment of a working-class person towards the company.

It makes sense. Even if the salary is good, a young and lively girl who has just graduated will inevitably experience some pressure working in a rather oppressive underground base every day.

Chu Yuanqing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and she asked:

"Do you also find the underground base of Flashdance strange?"

Chen Xiaoxiao answered matter-of-factly:

"Of course! Didn't you go online the day your Public Performance ended? There are tons of people online complaining about the venue for <Flashdance>, and there's even a conspiracy theory post on Zhihu that got hundreds of thousands of likes."

"The poster calculated a whole bunch of random expenses, saying that <FlashDance> wouldn't break even at all, and started conjuring up some weird and wonderful ideas."

Chu Yuanqing fell silent upon hearing this.

In fact, she had similar questions from the very beginning.

Assuming every Flashdance project around the world has a training base of the same standard, plus various promotional efforts, how much money would be needed? Hundreds of billions would just be a drop in the ocean.

Even if you include sponsorships, advertising, viewership revenue from cutting-edge technology promotion, related merchandise, and all other aspects of operation and profit generation, how much of the capital can actually be recouped?

The ultimate goal of this project seems bizarre given the enormous amount of expenditure.

Even if you create an epic idol group that breaks historical records, or even dozens of girl groups with National Level influence, and have them tour the world for a year, raising ticket prices three or four times and selling out every show, the profits generated wouldn't be enough to build ten training bases of this scale.

Therefore, it's normal for netizens to come up with conspiracy theories, and even the contestants themselves have been discussing related issues.

Chu Yuanqing also found it strange.

But she didn't care, because it was pointless for her to care anyway.

The value of this body and soul was exhausted in the previous Worldline; what remains is nothing more than a handful of ashes yet to be blown away by the wind, which will sooner or later fall silently to the ground.

If her daughter hadn't also participated in the show, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Even now, she can understand the origins of Flashdance as "entertainment to the death."

But it may have been out of instinctive resistance, or it may have been due to some speculation.

Chu Yuanqing ultimately gave up on his Little Cotton-padded Jacket's idea of going to the [Flow State] training room.

At this moment, Chen Xiaoxiao's words followed:

"But if you ask me, the higher-ups at Flashdance definitely have a phobia of the apocalypse. Otherwise, why would they build so many underground bases? Building them above ground would be much cheaper than building them underground."

Is this the end of the world?

Chu Yuanqing stared blankly at the distant scenery, and in a daze, he saw a scene of a world ravaged and a desolate landscape.

She has witnessed a real apocalypse.

The [Disaster God, who was later given the name [Ymir] and descended in a physical form, embraced death as if in a ritual, piercing through the continental plates and creating the first conceptual forbidden zone.

--World Tree.

This ancient mythical tree, with its lush foliage and verdant trunk, grew from the back of a continent that had broken off into the depths of the ocean, creating an even larger abyss. Its branches, as if alive, spread across the land, collecting countless corpses and throwing them into the rift valley where it had taken root.

Numerous embryos of Calamity Beasts were gestating within the World Tree. After a brief growth cycle, they emerged as giants, climbing out of the abyss. Together with the continuous tsunamis and earthquakes, and various terrifying abnormal weather events, they unveiled the curtain of the apocalypse.

And this is merely the consequence of the first Disaster God.

Chu Yuanqing had forgotten many things from the past, but through certain flashback fragments of memory, she could understand how vulnerable the so-called underground base would be in the face of such a calamity.

It's okay, though.

The World Tree, corrupted by the power of the Disaster God that she usurped, was transformed into a pillar of salt reaching to the heavens. Along with Odin, who was about to emerge from the corpse of Ymir, it was burned to ashes in Laevateinn, thus collapsing and becoming the material that would glue the spine of the continent back to its original state.

The Disaster God numbered 13 to 1, with their conceptual authority and the blessings of many heroes, have created the great miracle of changing the past and correcting the present.

Thus, the calamities of the old world and that apocalyptic scene will never be repeated.

Chu Yuanqing composed herself, banishing the flashbacks from her mind. She listened to the cicadas chirping in the summer, looked up at the clear blue sky, and breathed a sigh of relief as she recalled the peaceful and prosperous era she had experienced over the past 17 years.

--The light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains.

The girl's eyes were lowered, and the smile on her lips was one of contentment. The pendant on her chest was tinged with pure white, spreading out like waves with the essence of her soul, making the surrounding atmosphere strange.

Chen Xiaoxiao was captivated by the sudden release of charm. For a moment, she felt as if the sky was vast and the earth was boundless, and all things were silent. Even the sweltering heat and the noisy cicadas did not bother her. All she wanted to do was stroll along the street with her Little Idol until nightfall.

Chen Xiaoxiao was stunned for a long time, and a feeling of emotion welled up in her chest, along with a little pride.

As expected of the child I promoted, even with her face completely covered by sunglasses and a mask, she is still adorable, charming, and radiant.

But in an instant, she realized that the allure of this bug was seriously hindering the Little Idol's normal outings, and she fell into a subtle predicament.

Sigh, what can be done? That's just how Qing Bao's temperament is; it's an irresistible charm.

Chen Xiaoxiao's mind wandered to all sorts of random thoughts. They walked for a few minutes in silence until she saw Chu Yuanqing off to a luxurious but understated motorhome.

The assistant bid a reluctant farewell and sadly embarked on her journey back to work. As she walked, she suddenly realized with dismay a crucial problem:

"Damn it, I forgot to remind Qing Bao to post on Weibo again."

RVs are a popular choice for celebrities and are not particularly eye-catching in film studios. However, their interior design is very spacious, with most of the layout visible from the rear. The ceiling is nearly two meters high, making it feel unrestricted and quite roomy when you walk in.

Inside the carriage, the cool, refreshing air conditioning was mixed with a few faint scents of perfume.

As soon as Chu Yuanqing stepped inside, he saw a beautiful woman with a fashionable aura, who wore a casual suit with an air of sophistication, sitting on a small sofa, casually pouring ice cubes into a glass. He figured she must be either a staff member from Flash Dance or someone from the brand.

"Xiao Qing!"

The familiar call drew Chu Yuanqing's attention to a familiar face sitting in the corner, looking towards him.

The girl's face was pure and lovely, with slightly drooping eyes that naturally created an innocent yet melancholic atmosphere. However, her smile, like early spring in March, was exceptionally infectious, mitigating the natural appearance of her features and creating a contrast between resilience and fragility.

It was Kiriwake Yayoi I hadn't seen in a long time.

Chu Yuanqing was pleasantly surprised. She sat down next to Little Sakura and whispered:

"Yayoi, what are you doing here?"

"Does that mean the endorsement we've taken on is for a product under the same brand?" Kiriwake Yayoi blinked uncertainly, then looked at the beautiful woman in the suit sitting opposite her and continued, "Just ask Miss Lin."

Upon hearing this, the woman politely pushed two cups of lemon tea sprinkled with mint leaves to the table and introduced herself:

"I am Lin Jiu, the staff member sent by the brand to liaise with you."

Then, she took two thick contract documents out of her bag, handed them to the two men, and continued:

"Since neither of you has a management company behind you, Flashdance is fully responsible for this."

"Simply put, unlike typical endorsements, you only need to undertake some simple obligations and cooperate with our brand to shoot an advertisement. The remuneration and obligations are clearly written in the contract, which you two can review yourself."