Chapter 155: The Battle Commences!

At the peak of Mount Huangqiu, Yue Xiaotian and a group of people were having a meal.

Although it was not yet ten o'clock in the morning, Yue Xiaotian had spent the past few hours draining the physical stamina of Xiao Lan and the other thirty-six musicians in order to endow them with the ability to sing dynamically.

Along with Li Wanyi, two staff members from Crane Media, and a pilot who happened to be present, Yue Xiaotian casually invited them all to join.

Li Wanyi, wishing to express her gratitude, had taken the initiative to offer to treat everyone. But treating thirty-eight people all at once—well, good grief.

While this was normal enough, Yue Xiaotian always felt it would be terribly embarrassing to make a young girl pay for so many people on her very first outing.

As a top graduate of Lanqiao University, although Li Wanyi was already twenty-three years old, she had only just started working. Furthermore, she was employed by a small company—how much money could she possibly have?

Therefore, Yue Xiaotian eventually persuaded Li Wanyi otherwise. If she wanted to treat people, she could do so after this matter blew over, or perhaps after a while once she had a steady income. They would treat then; for now, he would foot the bill.

Perhaps out of a desire to spare Yue Xiaotian's feelings—since Li Wanyi always felt he was somehow different from everyone else—she relented.

Amidst laughter and chatter, Li Wanyi, filled with curiosity and gratitude, cheerfully struck up a conversation with Yue Xiaotian.

Given Li Wanyi’s naturally lively disposition and the eloquent speech required by her profession, Yue Xiaotian found himself greatly appreciating this young woman.

In contrast, the thirty-six musicians—including Xiao Lan, Tianhao, and Fool—had completely different mindsets compared to last night by the riverside barbecue.

Following Yue Xiaotian’s previous words of enlightenment, they had come to realize the gap between themselves and their opponents, as well as the immense distance between them and Ziwei and Yue Xiaotian. Consequently, they were now simply eating voraciously to replenish their physical strength.

Since this was part of their training, the atmosphere of this meal was naturally quite different from that of a restaurant; the food and water consisted mostly of instant meals.

Before long, the meal came to an end. Through this brief exchange, Li Wanyi had also grown much more familiar with everyone.

At this moment, she shed much of her earlier reserve. "Sister Ziwei, you are so stunning, and your temperament is simply otherworldly. You must look amazing in photographs—how about the two of us take a picture together?"

Faced with this remarkably unreserved older sister, the gentle Ziwei felt no discomfort whatsoever. On the contrary, after spending this period of time with Yue Xiaotian and with the major matters of her life successfully settled, she had grown much more cheerful.

Thus, she readily agreed to pose for a keepsake photo.

Seeing Ziwei looking so happy, Yue Xiaotian was more than willing to play photographer for the beauties.

After a rapid series of clicks, Li Wanyi handed the camera back to Ziwei and turned her attention directly to Yue Xiaotian, pestering him.

Without beating around the bush, Li Wanyi stated her purpose outright: "You're a big celebrity, and I just want to take a picture with you to make other people jealous—who knows, maybe I can even sell it later! So, what do you say, are we taking a photo or not?"

The kind-hearted Yue Xiaotian naturally could not bear to refuse, and so the photoshoot began.

As more and more pictures were taken, both of them loosened up, and their poses grew increasingly intimate.

Perhaps sensing that the atmosphere had shifted, Li Wanyi, suddenly struck by a strange and unfamiliar flutter in her chest, skillfully steered the conversation elsewhere.

Noticing the subtle hint of romantic adoration lingering in Li Wanyi’s dark pupils, Yue Xiaotian could not help but inwardly cry out in dismay: *Oh, what a sin I have committed! Why must I, the Grand Conductor and Dance God, be so terribly charming? Ah, who could possibly understand my sorrow? Haha.*

While Yue Xiaotian was busy indulging in his inner narcissism, Li Wanyi’s expression suddenly shifted as she handed him a specialized computer. "Red Plum has released a statement."

With his expression instantly turning serious, Yue Xiaotian sat down cross-legged on the ground and turned up the volume.

As the video played, his face grew somewhat gloomy.

Red Plum’s statement was actually quite simple: it was a thinly veiled satire directed at him, alongside the fact that Ziwei suffered from a stutter.

At last, Yue Xiaotian turned to Ziwei beside him. "The conductor is planning to take her down. What do you think?"

Today's Ziwei was not only filled with renewed hope for life, but her personality had also recovered a good portion of its original majesty.

After all, gentle though Ziwei might be, she was still a princess of a realm; she had her own dignity. Such noble status was something no mere Heavenly Queen could truly compare to.

Therefore, upon hearing Red Plum’s patronizing mockery, which deliberately seized upon her speech impediment right from the start to ridicule her, Ziwei was furious.

Nodding slightly, Ziwei replied, "Mn."

Receiving her consent, Yue Xiaotian stood up with a cold smile. "Prepare for work."

Ten minutes later, a new live broadcast commenced, and Li Wanyi took the lead by asking, "Regarding what the Heavenly Queen Red Plum has said, does Conductor Xiao have any thoughts to share?"

Yue Xiaotian leaned in for a close-up shot of his face. "Did you see it clearly? If you saw it clearly, then listen to me even more clearly now. I want to perform—do you really think I’d have no way to do it? Since Red Plum doesn't dare to say it, I'll say it for her. She bullies my Weiwei for having a stutter, claiming that dancers need this condition and that condition.

"Very well, since she wants a competition, let's compete! The first round will be about voice—purely voice. Choose any broadcasting studio you like, choose any time and place you please, and we will accompany you to the very end. I will make you understand that you aren't even as good as someone who stutters.

"Not only that, but zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, sabers, spears, swords, halberds—are those even enough? The four major literary genres of poetry, prose, drama, and novels; the violin, viola, cello, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, clappers, bells, guqin, guzheng, xiao, pan flute, transverse flute, recorder—thousands of instruments, thousands of vocal styles, thousands of techniques—let's compete in all of them at once!"

At this point, Yue Xiaotian picked up his violin, radiating an overwhelming dominance. "Do you all think I'm just boasting? Fame should be sought early? Face-slapping should be done promptly?!!! My rule is simple: fame relies on strength, and face-slapping must be absolute!"

As he drew the bow across the strings, Yue Xiaotian unleashed his seventy-two divine techniques: "Why do I say this? Because I caught the scent of your perfume, yet I never saw a single drop of your sweat. You claim you have your own rules, but I saw none of your choices. You affirm your present, while I reject your future. You boast that your fans span the world, yet I mock you for having nothing at all! Youth is your capital for arrogance, but I will prove whose damn era this truly is!

"Dreams rely on song and dance for passage; the road is inevitably paved with loneliness and endurance. But what will become of someone like you who has never experienced any of this? Though I am kind-hearted, I will still watch you fall from your Phoenix Nest!

"Hello everyone, I am Yue Xiaotian from the Double-Star Town of Heavenly Wolf Mountain! Exuberance can ignite fighting spirit, but it can also breed arrogance. The sun can illuminate all things, yet it can also burn everything to ashes. The ocean can nurture all things, yet it can also swallow everything whole. I speak for my Ziwei, and Heavenly Queen Red Plum is free to be trampled beneath our feet. Because time will give me the answer! Produced by Music Label—"

At this moment, propelled by Yue Xiaotian's transcendent musical skills, accompanied by his impassioned and vivid speech, imbued with the emotional resonance of man and instrument fusing into one, and seamlessly blending with the breathtaking natural scenery of blue skies, white clouds, golden sunlight, a gentle breeze, the majestic mountain peak, the crisp air, and the stunning elf princess Ziwei—he utterly captivated every single audience member watching the live stream.