Chapter 17: The Great Devil

The arena.

Chu Wang Shu looked at the trainees dancing in the distance to the music, this was already the eighth challenger.

The little girl couldn’t help but sigh:

"The competition is really intense."

Although in the seat selection process, there is indeed a mechanism to battle for seats.

But how should I put it?

Taking the initiative to battle can make you seem too aggressive, sometimes even being labeled as arrogant and lacking emotional intelligence. If the challenger also brings their own popularity and attention, it may attract a lot of negative comments, which may not be worth it.

So the chance of this mechanism appearing is actually small.

After all, everyone wants to be more likable and have a good audience, rather than appearing too materialistic.

However, this tradition seems to have been completely abandoned in the brand new elimination mechanism. After the upper circle was filled, within just half an hour, there were a total of eight trainees who challenged the trainees sitting in the upper circle.

The intensity of fighting for seats like this in the talent show world is unheard of.

Obviously, the lifelong cost of being eliminated from becoming an idol makes every talented contestant unwilling to give in voluntarily.

They react with the elimination rules, seizing every opportunity to show themselves, competing fiercely like a battle, as if vying for the position of the wolf king.

What’s subtle is that even though some keep challenging and trying to take the seats in the upper circle, the topmost Carry Center remains empty, and to this day, no one dares to sit there.

At this moment,

Chu Yuanqing has a delicate and lovely expression on her face, sitting in the uninterested seat number 101 with her daughter, peacefully enjoying the impromptu performances of the trainees to random music.

If music uses sound to convey emotions in an auditory art form, then dance undoubtedly uses body movements to express emotions in a visual art form.

These dancers rely solely on muscle memory to respond to the choreographed dance moves stored in their subconscious and match them with the improvised musical phrases, ensuring that their body movements are coordinated and graceful.

The most exceptional dancers can even promptly analyze the emotional themes in the music, and successfully express them through dance, reaching a level that outsiders like her admire.

Very impressive.

Chu Yuanqing thought to herself.

This was something she could only experience by attending dance classes in the past two weeks, which she couldn’t fully grasp when learning through online videos at home, revealing the true charm of dance.

Chu Wang Shu was not as relaxed as Chu Yuanqing. She constantly compared her own dance level with other contestants and felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

She felt relieved because if she had been seated in the upper levels or even closer to the front, contestants of her level were likely to be eliminated from the battle.

She felt disappointed because the gap in skills between the contestants was too significant.

Her dancing skills may be good, but when it comes to stage experience, handling pressure, expressing emotions, and other details, she is far behind, not even on the same level.

If she can’t improve her skills quickly after that, being eliminated is almost certain.

At the same time, public opinion outside is getting more heated during a one-hour fermentation.

The trending topics are constantly changing, starting with Chu Yuanqing, then Chen Yining and Ji Shuzhu, mixed with questions about the elimination rules, and now stabilizing on "Dazzling Stage Seat Challenge".

The idol project, broadcasted in both Sea City and Kyoto, has caused a frenzy in Daxia, with the national official news endorsing it, destined to capture the attention of two billion people in the country.

At this stage, the online viewers in the live stream have reached a peak of forty million, slightly dropping before stabilizing at a terrifying number.

This is just the live broadcast, it’s hard to imagine how high the viewership will soar when the first episode is edited and aired.

It can be said that reaching a billion views is not just a dream.

Almost all domestic variety shows have been overshadowed by "Dazzling Stage", with its only competition being "Dazzling Stage" itself.

Now, under different time zones in various countries, the show "Dazzling Stage" under the same project is gradually airing around the world. A trend that will sweep the world is brewing, soon to unleash a powerful wave affecting billions of people in the entertainment industry.

As a result, the audience in the live broadcast room gradually started to behave differently than just watching a talent show.

"Oh man, battle, give me a fierce battle."

"The elimination process is cruel, but which contestant isn’t carrying the weight of their dreams? Trying their best to seize the opportunity, bravely showcasing themselves, what’s there to criticize?"

" "Dazzling Stage" is a global level project. The winning team from Sea City and Kyoto will definitely go global. Indulging trolls and haters now will make it difficult for us viewers during future national competitions."

"You’re right, all contestants start at the same starting line in the show. Using their abilities to earn their seat is nothing to criticize."

In this atmosphere, the increasingly intense battle segments became very popular. Seats in the morning circle were exchanged back and forth in challenges, playing with the heartbeat. Even without editing, it was very entertaining.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 馃槒)

"That sakura girl is so stable in the challenges! She hasn’t lost despite being challenged three times in a row!"

"It’s strange, aren’t idol dancers in the island country not trained systematically? Her skill level would stand out in the island’s idol circle, so why hasn’t she shown any improvement in years?"

"Chen Yining is really strong, I thought she relied only on her background, but she’s actually very talented."

"Haha, someone is challenging Ji Shuzhu? How brave!"

"Strange, why is Carry Center still empty?"

"No need to ask. They must all be afraid of the Great Devil. If they sit on Carry Center and get battled down, it won’t look good for them."

"Do you mean Xie Qingxuan? Will she join too?"

The comment seemed like poison, just as it was posted, the big screen on the stage suddenly lit up, displaying the iconic logo of swirling clouds around the sun.

The trainees murmured among themselves:

"Xihe Entertainment?"

"That’s one of the top film and television companies in the country."

"I remember this company only has two trainees."

Among the chatter, the contestant walked slowly out of the entrance, it was the much-discussed figure.

- Xie Qingxuan.

The young girl’s features were distinct, a mix of Western European characteristics, a rare beauty of mixed descent, even her hair was a precious platinum color, like feathers from a fallen angel, with an extraordinary ethereal beauty, exuding a strong presence.

Xie Qingxuan looked around, not making eye contact with anyone, nor introducing herself.

- In fact, she indeed doesn’t need to introduce herself.

Xie Qingxuan appeared calm, her gaze indifferent, drifting to the top level.

Then, she strode with long legs, ignoring all the contestants, gracefully walked to the eighth level of stairs, calmly seated herself on the lofty throne, looking down upon the ongoing battle below as if she was the Great Devil overlooking the world.