Chapter 084: Delaying for Time [Philosophizing]

“Breathe, breathe…” Chen Fang gasped for air, her face awash with excitement and exhilaration.

In the midst of the thunderous applause that rolled like the sea, she was tightly held in the arms of her beloved, Le Xiaotian.

Look at him—his smile is so handsome, his teeth so white, his breathing steady and calm.

Sweat glistened across his entire body, the afterglow of pushing himself to the limit, radiating youth, charm, and masculine energy.

Oh, his gaze is so deep. It’s over, I’m melting, she thought.

Seeing Chen Fang’s infatuated expression, Le Xiaotian whispered, “Do you want to keep holding this pose?”

She was so excited she could barely contain herself. If it weren’t for the crowd of players around them, she would have thrown herself at him for a kiss.

Yet, ever since that incident in the Lotus TV station studio, she had learned to restrain her impulses and settled for a heartfelt embrace.

After all, back then in the studio there were only a few dozen people, but now several thousand were present, with millions more watching. It was truly embarrassing.

She hadn’t known about Sun Yuzhen before, but now she did—Sun Yuzhen was Le Xiaotian’s lover, while she herself was not. The thought stung.

What once was mere gratitude had blossomed into deep, abiding love.

After living together for so many days, he had never truly claimed her. Did he not love her?

If he loved her, why didn’t he take her? If it was just physical need, why did he still hold back?

Her heart was in turmoil.

Le Xiaotian was oblivious to Chen Fang’s inner struggle, simply holding her close.

At that moment, the game’s voice resounded above the dance floor: “Electro Demon and Dance Sprite have reached the Frenzied Demon level. Wandering Dance God and Xiao Fang have reached the Transcendent level. Wandering Dance God and Xiao Fang win by a landslide.”

“What? Lotus Bloom actually reached the Transcendent level?”

“No way, wasn’t Xiao Fang’s dance power just 300 before?”

“This can’t be right—there were so many mistakes in the performance!”

Hearing the result, the players were visibly agitated.

Furthermore, both Electro Demon and Dance Sprite wore looks of confusion and even a hint of indignation.

Indeed, in the earlier pas de deux, Wandering Demon had been flawless in both music and dance. However, Chen Fang’s initial hesitance, her awkward movements, the nervousness during Lotus Bloom—surely these should have brought their score down.

Even with Wandering Dance God’s addition, their result shouldn’t have been this high.

At the very least, it shouldn’t have been Transcendent. And certainly not four entire tiers above their own!

Electro Demon refused to accept the outcome and promptly addressed the game system: “I want to request a review.”

The system responded, entering the review phase once more.

After a dozen seconds, the system announced again: “Electro Demon and Dance Sprite have reached the Frenzied Demon level. Wandering Dance God and Xiao Fang have reached the Transcendent level. Wandering Dance God and Xiao Fang win by a landslide.”

The same result. In other words, the judgment had not been in error.

With the second result, the players’ suspicions grew louder, their emotions running high.

Seeing this, Le Xiaotian felt it was time to step forward and—well, show off a bit, or rather, buy some time.

The seemingly simple duet had actually left him utterly exhausted.

If the competition were to continue now, defeat would be almost certain.

At this, Le Xiaotian released the reluctant Chen Fang from his embrace, raised his right hand, and called out loudly, “Everyone, quiet down.”

At his words, the players’ agitation gradually subsided.

Seizing the moment, Le Xiaotian took out a bottle of mineral water from his inventory, drank most of it, then slowly put it back.

Once he had composed himself, he spoke: “Don’t be impatient, everyone. I trust the system doesn’t make mistakes. Besides, have there ever been errors in judgment before?”

“There was—I remember once last year.”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

“There were in the past, but since the recent updates, there basically haven’t been any. At least, not on our server in Fama.”

After the players had voiced their thoughts, Le Xiaotian gestured for Chen Fang to sit on the floor, and he sat down as well.

Once again, he leisurely took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a satisfying drag. Then, with a gentle tone and a smile, he said, “No need to get worked up. Let’s all sit down and talk this through.”

The players protested, and Electro Demon came forward, demanding, “Come clean—did you cheat?”

Le Xiaotian merely smiled in silence.

When the crowd’s emotions flared again, he waved his hand. “No need to rush, young people. Don’t act on impulse. Sit down, and I’ll explain everything. You probably didn’t quite understand the Lotus Bloom just now. But since we’ve had such a friendly competition today, I’m willing to share the key points and challenges of that move with you.”

Though some were still disgruntled, most players were simply there for the excitement. Hearing they could learn new dance techniques, their interest was piqued.

Even Electro Demon, Dance Sprite, Elegant Breeze, and the other masters were intrigued.

They, too, wanted to know what had truly happened during the performance, and why the system had rated it so highly.

In fact, among the fifty-eight masters still recovering at the sidelines, a dozen of them immediately sprang to their feet, as if nothing had happened.

Once about two thousand players had settled on the ground, Le Xiaotian smiled. “Before I begin, let me say a few words.”

With heartfelt expression, his right hand gestured in rhythm with his speech: “Dancing requires diligent practice—there’s no shortcut. Hard work is essential.”

He paused, waving his hand for emphasis. “But in the process of learning, you mustn’t get stuck in a rut. You need to be flexible. Learning requires the right methods and mindset. Attitude is crucial, and so is your level of understanding.”

The players nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, outsiders often think singing and dancing are all about talent.

At this, Le Xiaotian continued slowly, “Let me share a saying with you: ‘Life has its limits, but knowledge is boundless. To use the finite to pursue the infinite is perilous.’ (Zhuangzi, ‘The Nurturing of Life’)”

The crowd was puzzled. One player asked, “What does that mean?”

Most of the players present truly didn’t understand classical Chinese, especially after the recent changes made by Xiao Jiu—Zhuangzi, that cultural treasure from Earth, was now unknown to them.

Of course, a few had already translated it. But with only a single sentence and no context, their understanding was bound to be limited or even flawed. So, even if they knew, they kept silent.

Le Xiaotian then adopted a cheerful tone, “The meaning is actually quite simple, though highly philosophical. It says that life is finite, while knowledge is infinite. To use one’s limited lifespan in the pursuit of infinite knowledge is a path to self-destruction.”