Chapter 189

Pei Xiaotong was completely baffled. She felt she had to believe in her cousin's luck and said confidently:

"It's okay, Ling Bao."

"I believe you'll definitely have a chance to get Qing Bao's autograph. Even if you don't get it this time, you'll get it in the future!"

Xu Ling, unaware that her younger cousin's words were full of confidence in her own good fortune, assumed it was a sincere blessing. She took out a gift from a product endorsed by Chu Yuanqing from her purse and said expectantly:

"Yes, yes, one day I'll get Qing Bao and Yayoi to sign this!"

Pei Xiaotong looked at the postcard.

The Pure White Witch, dressed in a pristine wedding gown, leads her cherry blossom idol from a foreign land through bustling streets. The filter used in the photo creates a contrast between light and shadow, one side bright and the other dark, as if symbolizing the hardships to come and the rainbow after the rain.

The little girl's eye twitched involuntarily, and she muttered:

"Ling Bao, wouldn't you say that you're shipping a couple and then getting involved with the actual celebrities?"

Xu Ling carefully put the postcard away as if it were a precious treasure, and replied confidently:

"How can this be considered as such? It's not like I photoshopped and printed this postcard myself. This is an officially authorized gift, so signing it is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"

Pei Xiaotong remained silent for a moment. She felt that if her cousin really succeeded, this postcard would probably become the ultimate sacred object for the "Wu Zhong Jian Qing" couple, and would be molded into a model of mutual devotion between fans and idols.

"... Ling Bao, as long as you're happy."

Xu Ling wanted to argue with her cousin, but after glancing at the time and realizing that the show would start in two hours, she hurriedly pushed the little girl and the dinosaur doll in her arms out the door.

The girl casually changed into one of the dresses she had chosen, grabbed her handbag, and with a spirited "I'm off!" she embarked on her journey to the Public Performance venue.

Today, the sky is a deep blue, the sun is shining brightly, and it's a beautiful sunny day with a clear blue sky.

Xu Ling had applied sunscreen beforehand and was holding a parasol, but she still sweated quite a bit when she squeezed into the subway. Holding onto the handrail, she stood in front of the subway door, looking at the blurry afterimages of advertisements on the glass as the subway sped up, feeling somewhat dazed.

This familiar yet unfamiliar scene suddenly reminded her of the day two months ago when she went to Zhelong Town to Kiriwake Yayoi.

It's amazing how little time has passed; the subway ads haven't even changed many times.

That unknown idol, who struggled for seven years in a foreign country but remained passionate and courageous, along with a girl from a poor family who was just entering the Entertainment Industry, shone brightly on stage after stage, becoming what they are today.

Will the second Public Performance mark a new beginning for you?

Xu Ling was suddenly moved by this. She knew she was no one to them, that the distance between them was insurmountable, and that this feeling would eventually be submerged by the mundane realities of life, and would never last.

But isn't that what idols are all about?

You witness their youth and sweat, and feel young because of the radiance they radiate. It's as if you've lived a second life in a parallel world. Just a few moments of emotion are enough to make this journey together worthwhile.

As my thoughts were swirling, the subway announcement came on:

"Approaching Yongdae Station, passengers proceeding to Yongdae Station, please..."

The girl's lips curved upwards, revealing a joyful smile. She eagerly stepped into the subway station, but strangely, her mind went completely blank the moment her heels touched the ground.

Xu Ling looked up in confusion, only to find her vision blurred and her heart pounding. An instinctive sense of crisis pierced her eardrums like a scream, as if steel needles were piercing her nerve endings, causing intense pain.

At this moment, the LCD screens on the platform ahead seemed to be shrouded in fog, with a foul, ominous aura swirling and hovering like a giant dragon. It lurked in a world of idealism, sometimes appearing, sometimes disappearing, constantly twisting and changing its form, emitting mechanical, hateful, fearful, and incomprehensible whispers:

"[Pure white], [pure white]..."

"Destroy it, liberate... my kin, destroy it... Priests, my lord, kill them all... kill them all... you can destroy it..."

The voice echoed intermittently in her mind, and an ominous sprout took root in Xu Ling's body, emanating a hidden aura of disaster, threatening to grow into a virus-like branch that would peel away and devour her soul, creating a mindless monster.

But the next moment,

"[Witch]... Get out of the way..."

This unknown Calamity Beasts seemed to possess considerable intelligence, suppressing its murderous impulses and allowing the budding desires to lie dormant once more, thus extinguishing all unusual activity.

Xu Ling regained consciousness and stared blankly at the bustling platform. She blinked in confusion, feeling as if she had forgotten something. Looking back at the closed doors of the train, the strange feeling in her heart had completely disappeared.

The girl muttered that she must not have slept well, and then she remembered what Tong Bao had said, "You must stay up less at night in the future, or you will become an idiot." She felt a little uneasy, but after glancing at the envious comments from her friends in the group on her phone, she casually took a picture of the subway and continued walking forward without a care in the world.

Meanwhile, within a radius of several kilometers from the venue, all the audience members who went to the second Public Performance experienced something similar without anyone noticing. The Aether Satellite [Fuxi], which was highly monitoring this area from the dome, was unable to detect anything unusual from beginning to end.

So, Xu Ling and the other audience members arrived at the security checkpoint one after another, and all of them successfully passed through the layers of tests. After a group of people gathered, they boarded a special car and drove to the huge venue, filled with positive feelings, and began to look forward to the official start of the performance.

Xie Qingyu sat in a separate Waiting Room. She had already Lighting Up and finished constructing her Magic Armor in advance. The dress was brightly colored, a combination of purple and white, and the entire fabric was made of smooth velvet, making her look mysterious, dignified, and slightly grand.

This is a rock-style Lolita dress with a moderately long, fluffy, and wide skirt. The multiple layers of waves are distinct, giving it a musical theater feel. It's a type that's difficult to pull off, but it miraculously brings out a unique charm on this national idol.

The girl put down her small parasol and said worriedly:

"Violet, are you sure you didn't smell any ominous energy?"

Little Butterfly hovered high above the venue, its wings fluttering. The phosphorescent powder it scattered acted as special markers, extending the Magical Girl's spell far into the distance, detecting any unusual activity within its range. It immediately replied:

"No, but according to the rules of cartoons, there must be a bad guy lurking around!"

Xie Qingyu always had a very uneasy feeling.

Humanity's experience accumulated over the past 17 years is 99.9% about how to efficiently eradicate [Calamity Species]. This mechanical approach of shooting at living targets has little significance other than making people aware of the existence of forbidden areas.

This can be seen from the fact that [Fuxi] was completely ineffective this time.

As for the Calamity Beasts itself, the information gathered by the authorities is barely enough to be considered anything, and no one can guess in what form it will enter the arena.

So for now, all she can do is foolishly wait in the Waiting Room closest to the Little Idol and near the stage, ready to intercept any attacks from the Calamity Beasts or cultists.

The Little Butterfly optimistically comforted her:

"Xiaoyu, don't be afraid. We will definitely protect these children and ensure they complete their performance and return home safely!"

Xie Qingyu looked at the projection screen, which showed the stage and audience seats less than a hundred meters away from her. The audience had already taken their seats one after another, and Dream Weaver Rabbit was announcing the list of the first teams to compete, as well as some voting rules.

Xu Ling was also among them. She took out the gold-flecked light stick from her bag and waited for the performance to begin amidst the noise. Then, as if remembering something, she took out her phone, wanting to report the good news of her arrival in the audience in the group chat and share her joy with Tong Bao.

"Huh? Why is there no signal? Is it because Flash Dance doesn't want to release footage of the second Public Performance ahead of schedule?"

The girl looked at the disconnected network on her phone, and with a hint of regret, she came up with a reason in her mind. Then, without thinking too much about it, she followed the sudden burst of cheers and looked towards the first group to take the stage.

That's clearly one of the current favorites to win the championship.

--Ji Shuzhu, Chen Yining, Liang Xiaoxiao, Ruan Wutong, Lin Bao'er.

This team, consisting of 2A1B2D, was the first to take to the stage, and amidst the cheers of the audience, they unveiled the curtain on the second Public Performance.

On the other side, in the Waiting Room.

Chu Yuanqing said goodbye to her assistant who had helped her with her makeup.

The girl walked down the spacious corridor, her porcelain-doll-like face expressionless. A golden, molten killing intent, like magma, surged within her clear eyes, boiling quietly in her chest like a deep, icy sea. She whispered to herself:

"Why... does this place smell like Calamity Beasts?"

Volume 1: Chapter 182. Shine Magic, the Source of the Project, an Unknown Enemy.

Calamity Beasts.

This word is like some kind of strange switch; just by appearing in consciousness, the positive parts of one's personality are overwhelmed by a murderous intent as hot as magma and as cold as a glacier, leaving behind a fiercely burning intensity.

Chu Yuanqing's intuition was extremely sharp. Even though he used 99% of his concentration and all his blessings to resist the curse over the past 17 years, once it came to these "old friends," his unreasonable spiritual senses, like a prophetic blessing, would spontaneously stimulate a strong killing intent in his consciousness.

This combat intuition is forged through the accumulation of millions of deaths, the stimulation of countless tragedies, the tempering of countless trials, and the endless battles.

The reason why the [Calamity Species] under the <Flash Dance> base were able to deceive her was firstly because their level was too low, and secondly because they were buried thousands of meters underground and had undergone layers of suppression and sealing with special materials.

Secondly, because she always believed that the Worldline correction plan had succeeded, that New Era peace had arrived, and that there would be no more Calamity Beasts, she actively suppressed all her warrior instincts in order to integrate into life in this era.

However, after discovering the truth about <Flash Dance>, that part belonging to the old era has been slowly reviving, like being tempered in fire.

Therefore, relying solely on her instincts, she overcame the reconnaissance magic of a Captain-Class [Witch] and successfully uncovered traces of the Calamity Beasts.

The golden light in the girl's eyes faded. She stood in the corridor leading to the Waiting Room, whispering to herself:

"The scent of the Calamity Beasts is very close; has it already entered the venue?"

Chu Yuanqing's killing intent burned calmly, his thoughts completely undisturbed as he analyzed the situation with composure.

This morning, she sensed something was wrong. Flash Dance was taking the second Public Performance too seriously. The vehicles the contestants were riding in had all been disguised as military-grade vehicles. Ten kilometers away from the venue, the surrounding area was completely silent.

In other words, the authorities even evacuated the crowd in advance.

This means that Flashdance had anticipated the arrival of the Calamity Beasts, which is why they made so many preparations.

Unfortunately, the Calamity Beasts still bypassed Flash Dance's preventative measures and successfully entered the venue, triggering her combat instincts. It was now within striking distance.

Chu Yuanqing was not surprised by this. Although he did not understand the current situation of the Disaster Tide, the world had been in a state of peace for the past 17 years. Without experiencing the real trials of blood and fire, humans could not understand how troublesome the Calamity Beasts were. No matter how careful they were, there would be oversights.

Therefore, what she had to do was to check for any omissions and make sure that even if it meant revealing her identity and trump cards, she couldn't let the children here be harmed by the Calamity Beasts.

There's only one question now.

That is, where will the Calamity Beasts be hiding?

If the target is a contestant, the easiest place to make a move is the Waiting Room, and...

Chu Yuanqing's gaze seemed to pierce through the wall, reaching the distant, bustling stage. Her eyes darkened, a chill ran through her, and she muttered to herself:

"The audience seating."

This Waiting Room is larger and more spacious than the previous multimedia classrooms, enough for all 165 contestants to sit down, which also makes it easier to provide unified protection in a certain sense.

The audience is different. With thousands of people present, they are natural hostages. It's difficult to target the Calamity Beasts mixed in with them, and they can attack the contestants on stage at any time, making it the most troublesome situation.

Chu Yuanqing had made up her mind. She didn't linger any longer and quickly walked into the Waiting Room. She found the location of the queue and soon saw the Little Sakura waving to her from afar, the Green Eyed Cat looking over expectantly, the Golden Haired Doggy adjusting its skirt, and her daughter looking at the screen.

The Little Idol were completely unaware of the crisis; all they felt was a slight tension about the stage.

Seeing this, Chu Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked to her team's area.

Tang Liuli was the first to come over. She had changed her clothes, and her emerald green eyes were sparkling with moisture. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye was very alluring. Combined with her somewhat gloomy and socially anxious aura, she had a kind of cute contrast. She was looking at me expectantly, as if asking for praise.

Chu Yuanqing's heart softened, and the anxiety in her chest subsided somewhat. She smiled and used her slender hand to tidy her hair, praising her:

"Liuli's makeup's done? So cute."

Upon hearing this, Tang Liuli's eyes crinkled at the corners, making her beauty mark appear even more alluring. Suppressing the urge to kiss him, she happily embraced Chu Yuanqing's arm and praised him:

"Xiao Qing is the cutest!"

Kiriwake Yayoi glanced warily at the cat, and after confirming it hadn't done anything further, she didn't react further. She had no interest in being jealous before going on stage; she simply said earnestly:

"Xiao Qing, Dream Weaver Rabbit has finished explaining the rules. Ji Shuzhu and Chen Yining are now on stage. After their opponents finish performing, our team will be next."

Xie Qingxuan looked at the big screen, seemingly recognizing someone familiar, and said softly:

"Liang Xiaoxiao is inside too."

"I wonder if she's learned about [Flow State]."

Chu Wangshu watched most intently, her gaze focused as if she were doing practice problems.

Although they didn't face each other in the first round, given the opponent's strength, advancing is a certainty. The two teams still have a chance to meet in the second round, so it's still necessary to get to know each other.

At this moment, the melody of the dance music on the stage began, and the choreographer's [Puppet Melody] was the first to bloom, pulling the few with the weakest foundation in the team to a level similar to her own, directly erasing the team's biggest obvious weakness.

In contrast to the lackluster performance of the other teammates when Xie Qingxuan was leading the team, this situation was quite different.

That Young Lady from Yunlan Entertainment seems to have a tendency to create a variety of styles in terms of [Flow State] ability. Together with the aura and emotions of her four teammates, she made the Stage Aura rise step by step, like a tide accumulating power, and warmed up the audience within the first ten seconds.

Chu Yuanqing looked at Liang Xiaoxiao, who was gradually becoming unfamiliar on the stage. She couldn't see the light in the child's eyes, but she still breathed a sigh of relief and murmured to herself:

"There are multiple Heart Tide phenomena, so even if something goes wrong, there's still time to use [the Echoes of the Past]."

Since [Flower Bloom], she has understood the core meaning of her Destined Magic. She has used this to devise a method to make a decisive move. If all goes well, even if she cannot completely eliminate the Calamity Beasts, she can force them all out and then finish them off with the rest of her magic.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room next door.

Xie Qingyu looked at the screen, a smile on her face, and praised it:

"These two children are both [Witch] trainees, right? They've already figured out the basics of their Destined Magic after only two Public Performance. It seems that Teacher Dream Weaver's new training method is indeed very useful."

"What a pity. If their Destined Magic were fully formed, it would ensure that no Calamity Beasts lurk around them."

At this moment, Little Butterfly far away in the sky complained:

"Xiaoyu's expectations are too high! If you're going to put it that way, it would be more realistic to bring everyone over and have the entire Netherworld Butterfly perform on stage."

Xie Qingyu pursed her lips and replied:

"There's nothing I can do. Everyone has their own missions, you know. Coming here is like taking an early vacation. Where am I supposed to gather a team to unleash a large-scale Shine Magic?"

--Shine Magic.