Chapter 167
As the Stage Battle escalated, these four mentors gradually became mere tools, completely unable to maintain an objective and calm attitude when facing four levels of "Flow State," and thus unable to uphold their responsibilities as mentors and point out any professional flaws.
Dream Weaver Rabbit was the most excited person on the field. The chemistry between the four Little Idol was simply too wonderful, far exceeding the initial expectations. Not only did they have an extra [Witch] in the mix, but they also proved an extremely important fact.
That is -- Chu Yuanqing's special characteristics.
Dream Weaver Rabbit whispered:
"It's no coincidence. Chu Yuanqing's [Flow State] combined with a high-quality stage can gather Magic Tide as high as the [ocean]. She is indeed capable of carrying the future and hope of humanity."
No one knows the mascot's reputation yet. The viewers in the Live Broadcast Room were still immersed in the afterglow. Even as the stage performance came to an end and the Little Idol stopped dancing, the Live Broadcast Room with millions of viewers still had very few comments. It wasn't until the virtual reality was completely turned off that things finally returned to normal.
"Wonderful, absolutely amazing! What kind of epic battle is this?!"
"Waaaaah, my Qing Bao, how can even [Flow State] be so gentle? I'm practically crying my eyes out???"
"Who says otherwise? I've never experienced anything like this while following a celebrity. Normally, it's the fans who are giving the stars a huge financial boost, right? Only Qing Bao! I haven't done anything for her, yet she's given me the blissful feeling of being loved?"
"I cried. I suddenly felt so heartbroken. Qing Bao was clearly the one who loved being loved the most, right? Yet, she managed to develop such a gentle and kind personality towards the world in that kind of environment???"
"Stop talking, or I'll break down."
"This is the Qing God! Even imprisoned, she still strives to spread love to the world!"
"Thanks for your Qing God. Praise be to you for Qing God grace. May your great Qingmen endure forever!"
Little Yuan Xiao's imaginative interpretation greatly shocked some fans, and the more they read it, the more reasonable it seemed, attracting a large number of casual viewers to become fans as well.
Chu Yuanqing's reputation used to be extremely good, which caused some people to have a rebellious mentality and completely refuse to understand it. They felt that it was exaggerated and that it was bound to collapse sooner or later, but due to internet censorship, no major incidents occurred.
But now, the surreal and wicked buff of "Flow State" is practically a personality test for one's own idol, drastically reducing the probability of them becoming a fan of the wrong person.
Chu Yuanqing, with his absurdly loving state of Flow State, is a top-tier target for netizens who have few friends in reality, lack family love, or even normal people who like to be loved. His ability to gain fans is terrifyingly efficient.
After all... who wouldn't want a super beautiful cyber mom who can give you warmth and love without any control?
Of course, rather than discussing any individual player, most people in the Live Broadcast Room were more interested in the final outcome of the match.
"It's so frustrating. It feels like it would be a shame if either team lost. Both teams are so strong that they should both advance to the second Public Performance; that would be fair."
"To be honest, Xie Bao and Qing Bao's teams feel like they're a whole generation ahead of the other trainees. I reckon only Chen Yining's team could compete with them. It would be absurd to eliminate either of them here."
"Not necessarily. Dream Weaver Rabbit didn't say that failing to form a team would result in elimination, right? That's just the worst-case scenario."
"Dream Weaver Rabbit said to let the contestants vote themselves, so who would want an extra competitor? It's human nature, there's nothing we can do about it."
The Live Broadcast Room chat was filled with comments.
Xie Qingxuan's team also went on stage after the stage lights went out and came back on normally, standing next to Chu Yuanqing's team, waiting for the final result.
Volume 1: 162. [Pure White Aria], Teammate Selection, The Dust Settles. (5K2)
On stage, both teams seemed somewhat distracted.
Xie Qingxuan was immersed in a sense of déjà vu, as if the scene were as fragile as a bubble, and remained silent and lost in thought.
Ji Shuzhu was dizzy and almost tripped when she walked onto the stage. Her attention was completely focused on the lingering aftertaste of the delicious food that was still lingering on her taste buds and satisfying her soul and stomach. She completely forgot that she was being broadcast live.
Fan Qiuling experienced extreme joy and sorrow when she stepped into [Flow State], and was then severely ravaged by the opponent's four realms on stage. She is currently in a state of emotional turmoil and has not yet recovered.
Chu Qiushuang was barely like a normal person. She was still far from truly forming a cocoon. After returning the brilliance, her desire for victory and advancement was magnified several times over. After being in a daze for a while, she remembered that she had to pay attention to the PK results.
On the other side,
The cherry blossom pink in Kiriwake Yayoi's eyes faded, the Rose Covenant by her ear and the [Cocoon of the Heart] deep in her soul returned to darkness, no longer able to stir even the slightest Heart Tide.
The girl felt a stabbing pain in her brain, her breathing became rapid, her heart pounded, and her chest heaved violently, as if she had overexerted herself and was struggling to breathe.
This is the price of a series of outbreaks.
[Flow State] is an explosive skill that consumes a lot of energy and stamina, repeatedly exceeding previous limits and further squeezing out the potential of [Cocoon of the Heart].
Before the performance ended, she was fine. Her obsession with victory, her love for her idol, and even the pent-up energy she had been holding back allowed her to temporarily ignore these side effects. But after the performance, she had to bear the consequences of her willfulness.
Little Sakura suddenly admired that Stupid Dog.
Only by experiencing it firsthand can one truly understand the incredible willpower required for someone to perform 14 consecutive Stage Battle before finally collapsing after the last performance.
If it weren't for Xiao Qing's outburst of Heart Tide at the end, which seemed to erase most of her physical and mental fatigue, she felt she would have fainted right now.
Tang Liuli was in a good state. She only C'd the key parts of the whole process. Her improvement was in the use of [Emotional Link], not in pushing herself to the limit. So she just felt that her social energy was exhausted. She was lying on her Little Cotton-padded Jacket's back, looking listless and dispirited.
Chu Wangshu was very energetic. She blinked her eyes, still in the throes of surprise at finally stepping into the realm of [Flow State]. A bright smile graced her lips; she was extremely happy.
Yay! Even if I accidentally lose, I can still use my privileges to join another team and advance to the second Public Performance. I'm not afraid of breaking my promise to my Dad anymore!
Chu Yuanqing saw right through his daughter's thoughts and sighed inwardly.
She understood that as her Little Cotton-padded Jacket revealed her Magical Girl talents, many troubles would follow.
The simplest point is that, as Chu Wangshu's only relative, Chu Yuanqing's identity will officially come to the attention of the authorities.
With the government's power and channels, it would be easy for them to uncover all of their experiences over the past 17 years.
The key point is that once the government investigates thoroughly, they will find that they can only uncover things from the past 17 years, and there is only a blank space before that, as if this person never existed before.
The reason is simple: they do not exist in world history, and when they arrived in this era, they were penniless and undocumented, so naturally they could not be found no matter how hard they tried.
If the authorities are trying to find Chu Wangshu's mother, that would be even more abstract.
Even if you compare DNA data from around the world and find a perfect match in Charlotte of this era, no one would believe that a 17-year-old girl would be the mother of another 17-year-old girl.
Putting aside these trivial troubles for now, Chu Yuanqing's almost vanished whereabouts are highly suspicious.
If the investigation continues, it will soon involve one's current identity.
For 17 years, she believed that the concept of the Calamity Beasts had been successfully severed as planned, and she was unaware of the secrets hidden behind the <Flash Dance> project, which left too many loose ends and flaws.
Putting aside other things, modern society is rife with surveillance, which might leave behind evidence of a relationship between Chu Yuanqing and Chu Yuanqing.
Most importantly, she used this identity's phone to make phone calls with her daughter using Chu Yuanqing's SIM card.
This isn't difficult to investigate; base station information, GPS, network addresses, satellite monitoring—you can find flaws no matter how you check.
Chu Yuanqing had a headache. She first communicated with her daughter by phone after the first Public Performance. At that time, she had no idea that there were so many things involved behind <Flash Dance>, and with little time left, she naturally didn't have so many concerns.
As for what happens next, there's not much to say.
Since it's already been used once, it will be discovered if it's investigated, so using it two or three more times won't make a difference.
It all depends on whether the authorities will investigate, what direction they will take, and what their reaction will be after they find out.
However... that's what they say, but actually it's not a big problem.
Chu Yuanqing's identity was based on the Causal Law Correction. Judging from her current youthful and inexperienced appearance, yet with a budding beauty, no one would think she is a middle-aged man.
Well, just like even with a genetic report, no one would think that 17-year-old Charlotte would be the mother of 17-year-old Chu Wangshu.
This is a paradox that transcends all logic; even if all the evidence is laid out on the table, one can still arrive at completely different answers by simply filling in the blanks.
The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.
Chu Yuanqing placed her small hand on her chest, and the Lantern Gem hidden inside became incredibly active. The tinkling sound lingered, and a large amount of magic crystals seemed to flow in endlessly, causing it to tremble and sway like spring snow and arcs of light.
"I have indeed learned [Flow State], but unlike Yayoi and the others, my [Flow State] is closer to magic, no, it should be said that it is magic."
The moment a wish is made on stage, the lantern, using past memories as ink, the essence of the soul as an anchor, and the present wish as a framework, constructs a unique "Flow State" state.
--[Pure White Aria].
This is a spiritual melody that blends epic chapters, savior's inscription, saintly compassion, divine love, and various other elements. It can be presented with a simple melody or descend with pure white brilliance. It seems that depending on the magic and mood infused, it can also construct a Stage Aura based on memories.
In addition, it also has the effects of sharing, alleviating, and healing debuffs.
Little Sakura didn't faint even after exhausting her [Cocoon of the Heart] energy, all because she was healed.
Chu Yuanqing could feel that, since it was her first time using it, her performance on stage was incomplete. Even the incomplete performance was enough to exhaust her energy. She only used the [Pure White Aria] for a few seconds in the last minute before she felt severe phantom pain.
Especially this passive ability to share debuffs; unless Magic Replenishment immediately afterward, you simply can't keep it active for long with your health bar, and this time it almost caused a disaster.
"I've finally grasped some of the mechanics of magic. This ability is like having the entire incantation formula engraved into the Lantern Gem; all I need to do is inject magic power to activate it."
"If nothing unexpected happens, [Pure White Aria] can be considered the prototype of my Destined Magic. The only question is how this development direction will enable me to fight against Calamity Beasts in the future."
Chu Yuanqing felt that this was far more important than the risk of his identity being exposed.
But it's likely that FlashDance intentionally guided the show in this way, and there must be a reason behind it. Perhaps this is one of the core elements of this talent show project?
Chu Yuanqing wearily closed his eyes, enduring the pain of the glacier cracking, and stopped thinking about it.
At this moment, the figure of the Dream Weaver Rabbit converged in the sky above the center of the stage.
The Super AI was overjoyed. Its crimson eyes glanced at the two teams, a delighted smile spreading across its face. It couldn't help but clap its hands in praise and exclaim in amazement:
"What a moving realization!"
What an exhilarating stage!
"What a glorious and celebratory moment!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is undoubtedly the most spectacular Stage Battle in the history of Flashdance! Thank you for all your hard work so far. Now, tens of millions of viewers are watching your brilliance and cheering for your dance!"
These words brought the Little Idol present to their senses.
Indeed, this PK is likely to be the Stage Battle with the most [Flow State] bursts so far.
The strength of the opponents certainly makes the outcome uncertain, but it also greatly enhances the entertainment value of this competition. It's enough to give everyone on both teams a substantial share of the traffic. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the performance gained hundreds of thousands of followers, and that might even be an underestimate.
At least, once this Stage Battle continues to unfold for a few weeks, it wouldn't be surprising if Chu Yuanqing, who used the [Pure White Aria] for the first time, gained more or less fans, approaching or even exceeding a million.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit seemed to shake its head regretfully and continued:
"Even so, a victor will still be determined."
"Now, we've arrived at the formal judging segment. However, unlike in the past, this time, in addition to the four mentors, I, as the head mentor, will also be participating in the judging, as well as... all the viewers in the Live Broadcast Room!"
The rule changes are simple.
The scoring is still divided into two parts, with the first 50 points determined by the four mentors.
Zhao Dapan was responsible for vocals; Luo Siling was responsible for facial expressions, stage presence, and the compatibility of both with the music; Jiang Chi was responsible for evaluating the rap; Chen Baijiu was responsible for the dance.
Each of the four individuals has their own role, and the remaining score after deducting points is the total score.
The other 50 points are for stage effects.
Dream Weaver Rabbit will decide 40 points, and the remaining 10 points will be decided by audience vote. The Program Group will allow viewers in the Live Broadcast Room to participate in the voting, which will end in ten minutes.
Interestingly, the 10 points are not deducted, but distributed. The program allocates 20 points equally between the two teams based on their vote ratio.
For example, if both teams receive one million votes, then both teams will receive ten points.
Therefore, in extreme cases, it is possible for one team to score more than ten points while the other team only scores a few points, greatly increasing the suspense of the outcome.
Time passed.
On the mentors' side, because they were directly facing [Flow State], they had to watch the recorded performance again to ensure their professionalism.
Soon, Xie Qingxuan's team began to be judged.
Vocal performance deducted 0.5 points, rap deducted 1 point, total score 48.5 points.
The absurdity of this score makes it hard to believe that this performance was the result of only a few days of training.
Kiriwake Yayoi's side is even more exaggerated.
Thanks to the buff from [Perfect Domain], the cheating of Chu Yuanqing's magic circuit, and even the advantage of training time, Tang Liuli's repeated bursts of brilliance resulted in a perfect score.
As for the rap, we skipped it. As for facial expressions and their fit, after the four-fold [Flow State] transcended the framework of dance music, they no longer had the right to be evaluated, so we didn't deduct a single point.
Therefore, the score is 50 points.
Dream Weaver Rabbit, adept at playing both sides, mischievously balanced things out, giving Xie Qingxuan full marks while deducting 1.5 points from Kiriwake Yayoi's team.
At this point, both teams had a combined score of 88.5 points.
This score would be an outstanding achievement in any stage competition, and with subsequent scores, there's a real chance it could break the record of 95.5 points set by "Reunion World".
The Dream Weaver Rabbit looked around, and perhaps because the Little Idol wasn't in good spirits and couldn't see any interesting expressions, it stopped trying to keep the audience in suspense and instead clapped its hands and smiled:
"Now, let's announce the final vote count."
After the words were spoken, the votes and scores for both sides were announced.
Xie Qingxuan, Ji Shuzhu, Chu Qiushuang, Fan Qiuling: 88.5 + 9 = 97.5.
Kiriwake Yayoi, Tang Liuli, Chu Wangshu, Chu Yuanqing: 88.5 + 11 = 99.5.
At this point, the outcome is decided.