Chapter 151
Xie Qingxuan is now both a windbreaker and a line breaker. The other two only need to avoid making mistakes, so they bear very little pressure and are naturally not very tired.
After all, these high-ranking trainees are used to training for more than 10 hours a day, so their physical fitness is unquestionable.
Of course, the choreographer's rest schedule is definitely different from Fan Qiuling's.
The girl's delicate skin, as if rouged, was flushed with the healthy pink of vigorous exercise. If she were to open her eyes now, her pupils would surely be filled with a misty, unfocused look. Lost in the lingering taste of her tongue, she murmured to herself:
"It's clearly the same dazzling formula, yet each time the flavor is subtly different."
"This is far more than just plundering Shining."
"Xie Qingxuan, are you using the chemistry of the stage to dismantle and devour these shining strengths, forcing yourself to keep evolving by walking a tightrope? You're truly... terrifying."
At the same time.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit was also observing Xie Qingxuan in the rest room. Its scarlet eyes were slightly narrowed, and it murmured with some amazement:
"Xie Qingxuan, what a bizarre obsession."
"Based on the current data, she can only maintain a state of 'Flow State' for a maximum of 10 minutes within 24 hours; otherwise, her 'Cocoon of the Heart' will not be able to withstand such Heart Tide fluctuations, leading to intense phantom pain in her consciousness."
"In other words, she was performing while experiencing phantom pain starting from the fourth Stage Battle."
"This is a pain that no normal person could endure."
"Therefore, she was not only exceptionally beautiful and of exceptional character, but also possessed a mental fortitude and willpower that were naturally far beyond that of ordinary people."
Dream Weaver Rabbit finished speaking, she glanced at the fusion data of the artificial lantern and whispered:
"Nine Stage Battle have allowed you to evolve to a fusion level comparable to Kiriwake Yayoi."
"If you play the remaining eight matches, how much will you grow? Perhaps... you will be the first [Witch] candidate in this region, besides Chu Yuanqing, to perfectly integrate with the Lantern."
The fusion of the [Cocoon of the Heart] and the artificial lantern will create a life embryo that transcends human limits.
It can be said that as long as the lantern is successfully integrated, the foundation for transforming into a [Witch] will be laid, and the cruel truth that global governments are trying their best to hide will begin to emerge.
At this time, the viewers in the Live Broadcast Room, unaware of the situation, were still sending comments in the chat box:
"Damn, Xie Bao isn't going to fight again, is he???"
"I'm genuinely afraid she'll suddenly die on stage; this kid is too hard on herself."
"The title of 'Great Demon King of the Show Industry' isn't for nothing. Don't forget that Xie Bao went on stage with a high fever last time, and only fainted after finishing the performance, without making a single mistake in the entire routine."
"Waaaaah, Great Demon King, please spare yourself and the pretty girl I'm chasing! This endless Stage Battle livestream is practically torture for DD???"
"Mom, why is this person so adorable like a puppy to Qing Bao, but so aloof, domineering, and terrifyingly intimidating to the other trainees???"
"How do you think [Qing Cheng Qing Guo] came about? Xie Bao is Great Demon King and Stage Tyrant to outsiders, but to Qing Bao, he's a natural and innocent Golden Haired Doggy. It's just that this contrast is too appealing!"
"Hehehe, I saw a fan edited a video of the two of them as a couple, and I'm totally smitten! Haha, Xie Bao is working so hard for Qingqing, I'm totally shipping them to death!"
"Hilarious! You [Qing Cheng Qing Guo] people really have vivid imaginations. Don't you know that our Little Sakura has been criticized by Qing Bao a million times these past few days? A CP-themed video? How ridiculous! It's just a self-amusing misunderstanding!"
Similar comments quickly escalated into a chaotic battle among fans of the pairings "Wu Zhong Jian Qing," "Qing Cheng Qing Guo," and "Qing Ci Li Qu," with each side declaring itself the absolute orthodox one.
The CP fans on Little Sakura's side are speaking with great confidence, citing the amazing rain scene, Chu Yuanqing's vote for her in the Center position, the Nylon wedding dress advertisement, the real kiss during filming, Chu Yuanqing stealing her away on Stage Battle, and a series of imagined details to create a bunch of sweet moments.
The Golden Haired Doggy section is relatively poor.
After all, the events that can generate hype in the stock market are all things that cannot be broadcast and are unknown to the public.
The only things worth mentioning are helping Chu Yuanqing apply lipstick before going on stage, the various stickers in the dormitory, the exciting kisses and physical contact in "Dangerous Party," and the huge contrast in their personalities.
Green Eyed Cat fared even worse; despite her own fans' continued digging, they could only uncover things like dormitory stickers, leg massages, head and face pats, and bedtime stories—things that had no real deterrent effect.
This led to "Qing Ci Li Qu" getting into a fight with two other CPs. They were beaten to a pulp in no time and had to go back with bruises and swelling on their faces. They ended up sitting at the same table as the peaceful and amiable "Chu Chu Ke Ai" CP— Chu Yuanqing and Chu Wangshu— making them just as embarrassed as the original couple.
Once such topics are brought up, the Little Yuan Xiao can't sit still and can't help but mutter to themselves:
"Nonsense! Does Qing Bao really think she's perfect on her own? You bunch of people who randomly pair people up, don't get involved!"
"Why are you all trying to steal Qing Bao? Qing Bao is clearly my precious treasure! You're not allowed to take her? You're not allowed to take her? You're not allowed to take her? I'm going to wipe you all out!!!"
"Waaaaah! I haven't seen Qing Bao in so long! Does Qing Bao's family need a nanny? I can work for Qing Bao for free!!!"
"Qing Bao, do you know that cabbage is a nutritious vegetable? Steamed buns made with cabbage are even more nutritious. If you're into fitness, you should definitely eat more of it, because an ancient book says, 'A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as a cabbage bun!'"
"Mommy, stop going crazy! It must be because there were too many Yuan Fan that scared Qing Bao, that's why I haven't been able to see Qing Bao!"
The addition of Yuan Xiao, Yuan Fan, and Qingmen believers made the scene in the Live Broadcast Room even more chaotic. However, it was gratifying that there were still good children watching the live broadcast attentively, and one of them even asked a very important question.
So, why did so many teams accept Xie Qingxuan's challenge?
This question, combined with the backstabbing and infighting among the contestants in the previous episode, makes it easy to find the answer.
Xie Qingxuan, Ji Shuzhu, and Fan Qiuling were indeed among the top three teams in terms of overall quality, but they had only been promoted back to the B1 area for a few days, while most of the teams that remained in the B1 area had been training together for two weeks.
In other words, with such a significant advantage and such a high reward for victory, they would naturally have the courage to engage in battle.
On the other hand, this involves human nature.
Everyone felt that competing against Xie Qingxuan was a rare and great opportunity, with a high probability of giving away an A-Class teammate for free. Some even thought that this impatient person who initiated the Stage Battle wanted to be selected by losing and directly promoted to the A1 area.
Furthermore, unlike C1 area, challenge notifications in B1 area can be selectively blocked.
Assuming that the 17 challenged teams all harbor the idea of "keeping their wealth hidden" and don't communicate with each other at all, they would most likely all feel that they are the only ones being challenged.
If some instigating tactics were added, it's entirely possible that the current absurd situation could have been created.
This analysis greatly shocked the Live Broadcast Room:
"Damn, what a cunning and treacherous scheme! Does Xie Bao really have that kind of wisdom?"
"Xie Bao is quite clever, but to be fair, those who have been fans of her for a while know that she's a bit naive. The one who came up with this plan was either Ji Shuzhu or Fan Qiuling."
"... A long-time fan of Zhu Bao said that even someone whose mind is basically all about choreography couldn't come up with such a plan. I think it's most likely Fan Qiuling."
Meanwhile, Fan Qiuling, the culprit, sat in the corner of the dressing room like an invisible person.
The girl's eyes were vacant as she recalled the scene of luring the other teams. A dark, gloomy, and viscous intense pleasure was echoing in her chest, and an excited sneer unconsciously crept onto her lips.
[Feeling it's unfair? You're right, it's strange that only you guys got your spotlight stolen, isn't it? If you don't drag the other teams down with you, how can you stand on the same starting line as the other trainees again?]
--Inducing taming.
[I deliberately lost the Stage Battle in area C1 to her. Otherwise, how could Xie Qingxuan, who had only trained for two days, have won against us? Do you really think Flow State is that magical? I just wanted to advance. It was easy to persuade her to challenge your team, as long as... you agreed to choose me as your teammate.]
--A series of frauds.
[Why did I help you trick Xie Qingxuan into thinking your team drew a bad dance song? The reason is simple: I hate her and want revenge, that's all. It doesn't matter if you end up choosing Ji Shuzhu or Xie Qingxuan; I just want her to taste defeat.]
--Playing the victim to gain sympathy.
Fan Qiuling, like a cunning strategist from the original camp, has been bewitched and corrupted by the Demon King's army. In recent days, she has used every means possible to trick 17 teams into this deep pit.
Fan Qiuling murmured to herself:
"It's strange, is it really so satisfying and joyful to watch other people's dreams shatter, their beliefs crumble, or even their pain and emptiness lead them to tears and kneel on the ground?"
The girl was obsessed with the dark and morbid emotions, and couldn't help but glance at Xie Qingxuan on the other side. No one's "Flow State" could surpass this tyranny. As long as she continued to follow her, she could enjoy this kind of happiness forever.
As this thought arose, murky threads began to spread from the depths of his consciousness, as if... slowly weaving into the shape of a cocoon.
Meanwhile, the 10th Stage Battle officially began.
Although the contestants who watched the live broadcast of the Stage Battle all understood that the probability of defeating the Great Demon King was infinitely close to zero, once the battle was accepted, they could not break the agreement midway unless both parties agreed to cancel the battle.
Therefore, the challenged team has no choice but to step onto the stage, completely unaware that defeat will lead to an even more miserable end.
Time passed.
Xie Qingxuan did not agree to any team's request to withdraw from the competition. The live broadcast of the stage went from being turned on and off at first, to being a permanent fixture, and even as the sun set and dusk faded away, the competition was still not finished.
Starting from the tenth Stage Battle...
The dark cross in the girl's pupils was in a state of constant collapse. The [Cocoon of the Heart] deep in her soul was overheating, making it increasingly difficult for her to stabilize her [Flow State]. Intense tinnitus and phantom pain came like a torrential downpour.
But inexplicably, she even began to enjoy the process.
Whether it's the intense, dazzling splicing, the loading of dream puzzle pieces, or the pain of brain overload, all of these make the images in the dream increasingly clear.
The fiery ring, red to black, extinguished the sea of flowers, and a torrential rain of ashes and petals crashed down. The melodious sounds of cello and organ intertwined, and the "Laevateinn" heard in my ears, in the recollection of memories, peeled away its gentle yet sorrowful form.
This epic scene, which trembles and moves the soul, is like a magical visualization, making the perspective of [Meditation State] even more ethereal, stirring up a more intense Heart Tide, and seizing a greater magical power, causing the most direct chain reaction.
That is, the artificial lantern called the Goddess Skirt is continuously accelerating its fusion on the stage, expanding the upper limit of the [Cocoon of the Heart], and allowing the exaggerated Stage Battle to continue.
Therefore, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth matches were played.
It wasn't until she won the fourteenth Stage Battle at 9 pm that she seemed to wake up from her dream, withdrawing from that state of mind where she was detached from thoughts and self, and only focused on restoring that emotional state.
In an instant, the tension in my heart eased, and a wave of intense fatigue washed over my brain.
Xie Qingxuan stood under the spotlight on the stage, her breathing slightly rapid as she glanced at the camera. The dark cross in her pupils was tinged with extreme brilliance, then shattered with a crash. The color of her eyes was as gentle as a fawn's, soft and fleeting, and a faint curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
For some reason, she's just very happy right now.
The girl's platinum blonde hair fluttered in the wind, shimmering like feathers. Her upturned eyes softened her usually aloof and assertive aura, and her smile was like that of an angel descended to earth, conveying an incredibly warm contrast.
Xie Qingxuan closed her eyes, listening to her heartbeat. She turned off her headset and whispered:
"Xiao Qing, I don't know why, but I always feel... like I'm getting closer to you."
As those words, barely audible, faded away, she felt utterly drained, like a stage where starlight gradually dimmed, or a kite falling heavily to the ground.
The next moment, the teammates next to him hurriedly bent down to help him up, the mentors below the stage all stood up, the staff next to him ran to the stage, and the barrage of comments in the Live Broadcast Room increased wildly like an avalanche.
Xie Qingxuan felt dizzy and disoriented, as if the world was spinning around her and a wave of vertigo was washing over her. She felt as if she were isolated by the sea, her vision was distorted, and the sounds she heard were slowed down and faded.
Then, all consciousness went black.
A few seconds later, the Live Broadcast Room was cut off and the screen went black, leaving behind a large number of comments expressing shock, confusion, or worry, as well as Xie Qingxuan's fans asking anxious questions.
Public opinion quickly escalated.
Even an hour later, Flashdance announced that the contestant was simply overworked and otherwise unharmed.
Xie Qingxuan launched 14 Stage Battle and advanced to the A1 area with a terrifying record of winning all of them. This news spread all over the internet and shocked a wave of domestic show fans who were used to the current state of the Chinese Entertainment Industry, thus truly establishing her reputation as Stage Tyrant.
Volume 1: Chapter 148. New Rules, Father-Daughter Phone Call. (5K)
The next day, early morning.
Chu Yuanqing drowsily pulled the pendant out of the soft flesh. Her eyes were like clear gems in a lake, with a golden glow emanating from them. Physiological tears dripped down with a cute yawn. As if turning on a little guy, she rubbed the lantern with her soft, white fingertips.
Okay, stop lying in bed.
The little guy turned his back awkwardly, as if he were grumpy when he woke up, but after thinking about it carefully and realizing that he had been slacking off, he shook his head a few times with a guilty conscience, and couldn't help but turn back around and start gesticulating wildly to make excuses.
Chu Yuanqing listened quietly with her eyelids half-closed, occasionally saying "hmm" as if she understood but not quite. Her voice, just after waking up, was lazy and gentle, like soft down feathers brushing against her ear. The milky tone that was usually hidden in her steady tone was particularly prominent at the moment, with a kind of adorable drowsy quality.
The lantern-carrying boy was so easily charmed that he became completely disoriented. He rubbed his face against the girl's delicate cheek and began to chatter incessantly.
It took Chu Yuanqing more than ten seconds to understand what the little guy was trying to say. She blinked and muttered under her breath:
"Because there was so much feedback yesterday, you ate too much, which made you very sleepy, and then you couldn't help but take a long nap?"
What an idiot carrying a lantern!
Chu Yuanqing originally wanted to scold him loudly, but because this little guy was stupid, weak, and had a big appetite, and because Chun Chun was cursed by the Sea of Truth, she immediately gave up on educating him.
--It's so immoral to bully small animals.
The girl felt a little guilty. She sighed helplessly, touched the little creature with her fingertips, and then simply put it back in the center of the soft, white valley, choosing to avoid seeing it and worrying about other things.
The so-called feedback, of course, refers to the magic crystals.
This power to extract magic from the positive emotions of all beings—is it a talent unique to the Pure White Witch, or a power shared by all Magical Girl?
In short, normally speaking, the amount of magic extracted is directly related to the level of public attention one receives about oneself.
The amount of feedback yesterday suggests that she received another wave of intense public attention.
Chu Yuanqing pondered for a moment, but didn't pay much attention.
After all, in this internet age, there are just too many reasons why someone can suddenly become known to many people, liked by many people, and even evoke positive emotions in others.
Especially the Talent Show "Flash Dance," which became a nationwide sensation.
As long as you occasionally share some behind-the-scenes glimpses, do a one-hour live stream, or simply release some previews, it's enough to generate a huge amount of attention. Your own traffic pool will increase accordingly, and it's not surprising that this will cause a chain reaction of increasing magic crystals.
Moreover... as an old-fashioned person who still doesn't understand why they are liked, it's unlikely that pondering this will lead to any correct answer.
Chu Yuanqing was stunned for a few seconds before deciding to get up. Then she realized that her Little Cotton-padded Jacket was hugging her from behind. She tried to pry the arms around her waist and found that the child's little hands were also restless, placed on her vertical belly button.
Chu Yuanqing's face turned serious; it itched!