The livestream mode was also optimized, with a "livestream duration quota" added.
Qiji could choose between "livestreaming" and "recording."
If he chose livestreaming, the system would automatically calculate and allot a period of "available livestream time" based on the ratio between the flow of time in the anime world and the Blue Star world.
For example, if the anime's broadcast on Blue Star the following week corresponded to events a month later in the anime world-
Then Qiji could choose any time during that coming month to livestream, but the total duration could not exceed seven days.
If he chose recording, however, he could start and stop whenever he wanted.
From all the public footage Qiji recorded over that month, the system would edit together seven days' worth of the most valuable content and broadcast it as a "livestream" on Blue Star.
Bullet comment interaction would be unaffected during recording. For clips selected for the "livestream," bullet comments would still appear in "real time."
"That's one way to do it..."
After a brief moment of thought, Qiji decisively chose "recording" over livestreaming.
Compared to livestreaming, the advantages of recording were obvious-
It could bring more exciting content together, making for a better livestream.
That would undoubtedly help him maintain his stream's popularity.
Besides that, Qiji also keenly noticed something else.
While recording, might he be able to anticipate a situation based on whether or not bullet comments appeared?
For example, in a scene where he might encounter danger, if bullet comments suddenly appeared in droves at a particular moment, wouldn't that be like a "something big ahead" warning popping up?
That was practically a disguised "danger warning"!
Qiji's thoughts wandered from there, and he soon realized something else.
He could even work backward from the "available livestream duration" to figure out how the plot would develop!
For instance, under the livestreaming option, the available duration currently displayed on the system interface was-
[7/60 (days)]
In other words, when next week's episode of "Echo" aired, the timeline in the anime world would jump forward two months.
And two months from now happened to be the time of Echo Academy's joint first-year competition!
It was also a hugely important plot point in the first season of "Echo"!
When the time came, the academy, the major families, and the major factions would all be paying close attention to the competition.
It could be called a crucial stage for the students to demonstrate their strength, fight for resources, and even determine how far they would go in the future!
And for such an important stage, Qiji naturally wouldn't go in unprepared.
He had already made his plans years ago-
On that day, with all eyes on him...
He would remove his mask and call upon the "Miracle" that belonged to him!
[The blind spot of everyone's Attention]
[The falsehood believed to be true]
[The existence that should not exist]
The three as one!
That was the Echo he, an outsider, would imprint upon this world-
Echo!
Chapter 54: The Miracle Answered by the Mask!
Over the next month, Qiji practically "vanished" from the academy.
He rarely attended class, devoting all his time to a frenzy of cultivation.
The system's "livestream mode optimization" also meant that over the next two months, Qiji only needed to accumulate seven days of livestream time.
Even if he wanted to "work overtime," he wasn't allowed to.
With so much time freed up, Qiji decided to use it to improve himself.
Time to grind!
From that day on, Qiji immersed himself completely in cultivation, oblivious to the world around him, as though cut off from it.
He practically lived in the rift.
That also meant that his "neighbors" in the rift had met their strictest father yet!
None felt it more keenly than the Iron Wall Turtle clan.
As upper-level second-tier Void Beasts, they possessed terrifying defenses that could almost rival those of third-tier Void Beasts.
Ever since they had come into existence in the rift, few Echoers had been foolish enough to come looking for trouble with them.
They were happy to live in peace. Except when they were hungry or craving a snack and went looking for a few human children to fill their bellies, they mostly liked to tuck their heads and limbs into their sturdy shells, bask in the sun, and enjoy the warm breeze.
Life was peaceful as they enjoyed their long, comfortable turtle lives.
Recently, however, their tranquil lives had been brutally shattered over the past month.
All because a human wearing a pure white mask and a black trench coat had become a nightmare they couldn't shake.
This human acted like he had a fucking grudge against them!
Every time he appeared, he would endlessly repeat "Flame Fist, Flame Fist, Flame Fist," and then-
He would start beating them relentlessly, without a shred of turtle decency!
He beat them from late at night until dawn, and from dawn until late at night again. The monster seemed tireless.
His fists slammed into their hardest, proudest shells, producing booming thuds like pounding drums.
It hurt the poor turtles so damn much!!!
More than once, they had wondered whether this guy was even human...
If he was human, how could he possibly be so strong without using an Echo!!!
They watched helplessly as the shells of their own kind, those shells known as "iron walls," were beaten until they cracked, caved in, and even... shattered!
It was terrifying!!!
It wasn't as though they hadn't thought of running.
Even if it meant leaving the territory where they had lived for generations, anywhere would do, so long as they could get a little farther away from that terrifying demon...
But no matter what remote corner of the rift they hid in, the masked monster always found them.
They didn't get to dodge a single fucking punch!!!
As they watched their numbers dwindle by the day, the Iron Wall Turtles, famed for their longevity and tenacity, felt the fear of extinction for the first time.
Perhaps they had been driven into a corner, or perhaps their instinct to perpetuate their species had erupted.
In their despair, the surviving Iron Wall Turtles began breeding frantically.
Since they couldn't win and couldn't escape, they would leave behind as many offspring as possible before they were wiped out!
That was their last act of defiance!
So, after Qiji took a short break and went home to have dinner with his younger sister, he came back to a sight that sent his blood pressure soaring-
On the open riverbank, dozens of pairs of Iron Wall Turtles were piled on top of one another, heaving up and down in broad daylight!
"..."
Qiji froze for a moment, then immediately clenched his fists!
For the past month, he hadn't relaxed for a single moment in his effort to comprehend Flame Fist!
And these turtles had been slow and halfhearted as sparring partners, yet now they were actually engaging in a different kind of grinding right in front of him, openly throwing an orgy...
This was outrageous!
"No orgies allowed here!"
Enforcing justice, Qiji shot into the turtle crowd like a cannonball.
"Hah-!!!"
A righteous roar against smut and turtles burst from his chest!
At the same time, the instant Qiji swung his fist-
A sudden change occurred!
The mask on Qiji's face suddenly grew hot!
Immediately afterward, the silver lines on the mask's surface, which had originally seemed decorative, abruptly lit up!
They emitted a crimson glow!
The lines flowed like magma, converging from the edges of the mask toward its center.
The light traced their paths and spread...
Finally, clear, magnificent crimson flame patterns that seemed to burn formed across the mask's forehead, cheeks, and jaw!
The flame patterns flowed, mysterious and majestic.
At the same time-
Boom-!!!
Blazing orange-red flames, scorching like molten lava, erupted from Qiji's fist like a ferocious beast that had been imprisoned for ages!
[Flame Fist]!
This punch and Huomu's punch that day were both Flame Fist, yet they seemed worlds apart.
More concentrated!
More violent!
It carried an aura of destruction that seemed capable of burning everything to ashes!
Tongues of flame spread wildly, instantly enveloping Qiji's entire arm before sweeping over his whole body!
He looked as though he had transformed into a burning figure of fire!
The intense heat distorted the air, and the sand and stones beneath his feet melted in an instant.
A violent heat wave burst outward from him in all directions!
And on the mask covering his face, the flame patterns seemed to come alive in the flickering firelight, resonating with the flames around him!
"Screech-!!!"
The nearest Iron Wall Turtles didn't even have time to pull their heads back into their shells.
After letting out a shrill, brief wail, their bodies touched the flames, and their thick shells immediately became like paper...
They caught fire and melted.
In an instant, all that remained was charred residue!
Even Qiji himself was stunned for a moment by the sudden scene before him.
He instinctively raised a hand and touched the burning mask on his face.
A moment later, as though he had understood something, a surge of immense joy swept over him.
One month!
Thirty whole days!
Hundreds of thousands of punches, hundreds of thousands of failures!
He had tried and failed again and again...