Chapter 289

Chapter 289: Photo Promotion, "The Death of Ophelia," Officially Says Goodbye

The website of "Dazzling Stage" shows that the seventh episode will be updated within a week on major platforms, along with complete travel vlogs for each team.

This big news quickly spread across the entertainment network, sparking excitement among many fans who began discussing it on various platforms.

Once this topic arose, related fans and supporters rushed in, eager to continue the discussion on this subject.

"Six? That seems too abstract. Will Charlotte and Chu Yuanqing’s team have to make guest appearances in the ‘Dazzling Stage’ show in Vienna and Sea City?"

"Dream Weaver Rabbit knows about trends and topics, but The Last Diva is also strong because we have many fans."

Of course, right now the most eye-catching topic about Chu Yuanqing is still the long-awaited magazine photoshoot that millions of fans have been looking forward to.

However, a certain super AI abstractly blurred most of the cover, only revealing the word "witch," hiding the person in the center of the image very well. One can only faintly see that the background is a small stream or a river.

This teasing move made many fans and onlookers very upset, wishing they could pull that red-eyed rabbit out and steam it, braise it, or make it spicy.

However, the good news is that the picture comes with a link to Chu Yuanqing’s Weibo, which will be posted on the other person’s account today, making it a very direct way to attract attention.

While it may seem that only Chu Yuanqing’s fans would care about her photos, there are still many curious people who will click to follow her.

Moreover, many fans may not even use Weibo, which caused Pure White Witch’s Weibo account to skyrocket after the link was shared on the official website of "Dazzling Stage," gaining six million followers in just three hours.

At this stage, the number of fans on Weibo has jumped to 43.97 million, breaking the 40 million mark quickly, and with such an incredible number of active followers, she is almost comparable to top stars in the entertainment industry.

Additionally, due to the official promotion of "Dazzling Stage," all other entertainment options, public figures, and international events are being overshadowed.

Under these circumstances, in Daxia, the two "Dazzling Stage" regions in Kyoto and Sea City have become the most talked-about topics, and Chu Yuanqing is truly a reigning star before her official debut.

…

…

On the other side, Salzburg.

Monk Mountain, Mortal Realm Barrier.

Chu Yuanqing looked down at the lantern in her hands, then casually swung the Spiral Demon Sword. Thunder roared like an angry dragon, drowning everything in fierce silver light, followed by a hurricane that twisted into a brilliant spiral rainbow.

In the blink of an eye, Monk Mountain vanished into thin air, swept away by the rainbow light, breaking into powder and fragments in the process, while the thunderstorm ravaged the old town, leveling dozens of square kilometers.

From above, the area on the old town side of the locked bridge sank a few meters down, completely demolished by this strike of the Spiral Demon Sword, leaving behind traces as if lava had flowed through.

Xie Qing Yu, with her extensive experience of being battered for days, dodged the damage of the Spiral Demon Sword and the space shift, yet still felt astonished by the power of this attack.

Since she started teaching, Chu Yuanqing had not used the [Silver Mirror] technique, which was almost unbeatable, and the Spiral Demon Sword in her hand had not drawn any magical power from the outside world, remaining at a fairly ordinary level of power.

Its purpose, aside from repelling effects, was only to shift space, unable to break through her passive defense at all.

So, Little Yu secretly thought of Teacher Chu, wielding the Spiral Demon Sword, as the initial stage of a BOSS; once she dropped this weapon and switched to other techniques, she would become a second-rank level.

The second-rank level was manageable, a process of honing skills. Although the massive gap in power could feel frustrating, there was no real danger to life.

The third stage is already very terrifying.

The Pure White Witch may hold a sword or use magic, but she enters a wonderful state that feels like oneness with nature, a dreamlike atmosphere, and she evaporates directly from her soul and senses.

That is exactly what Teacher Chu wanted her to learn—the Perfection Realm.

The final stage is when the opponent steps into the realm of the Martial God and delivers a strike using the god-slaying technique.

When this stage begins, it means today’s training is over.

Even though she has used the Martial God Technique seven times so far, she still does not understand what it truly is; she only knows that Teacher Chu refers to it as such.

So…

"Is Teacher Chu trying to make the initial stage harder today?"

Xie Qing Yu looked at the Pure White Witch, who had descended upon the new city’s obelisk, feeling as though she were facing a great enemy and was very scared. She did not consider whether the other person had suddenly become stronger; she only felt that the teacher was deliberately controlling the difficulty.

This way of thinking seems to completely forget that the other person is not yet "Fully Blooming," but is a magical girl who is "Fully Blooming."

However, considering that she was beaten by this "Fully Blooming" magical girl for a week, it is understandable for her to have such a mindset.

Chu Yuanqing really did not think about changing the difficulty; she is still very gentle. After today’s training, Little Yu has to rush to the airport to go home, so she naturally does not plan to increase the intensity.

As for the reason for this change…

The Pure White Witch looked at the silver glow at her fingertips, feeling her magical energy multiplying. It was as if she was infused with spirit, continuously bubbling and intertwining, always growing and transforming, as if she had gained insight.

A change in quantity leads to a change in quality.

The millions of wishes from fans within Daxia finally stitched together to create a further transformation in the magic realm that had long been stuck in the "Pool" state, evolving towards the "River" state where Xie Qing Yu is.

This is similar to the previous transformation process, which requires a not-so-short period of ascent.

If we say that the previous magical transformation set the compatibility and determined what kind of magic the witch could use…

The process of stepping into the River realm is about enhancing and transforming based on a set compatibility, so that magical girls gain various advantages in their respective fields.

Simply put, it’s a bit like a roguelike game?

Suppose there is a magical girl with elemental compatibility; at this stage, she might gain characteristics like the "Eternal Heart," "Giant’s Sigh," "Reforge the Core," or "Nature’s Vessel."

Once she officially enters the River realm, with each expansion of her magic, she has a chance to awaken various qualities of characteristics based on her potential.

I heard from Little Yu that her characteristics are quite special; of the six in total, half are directly related to rock music.

Well, this is also why, after she stopped playing rock music, she seemed weaker when using a parasol as a magic cannon and a dagger to fight.

After all, all captain-level magical constructs must focus on their strongest and best direction; characteristics are certainly a part of that, so intentionally abandoning this aspect and becoming weaker is only natural.

"What kind of characteristics will I awaken?"

Chu Yuanqing felt a bit uncertain about this. As the Pure White Witch, who likely possesses a unique property, she theoretically has the power of Ether, allowing her to use all types of magic.

Even if the lantern is broken now, relying on the bug of the reversed magic, one can master four categories: elements, spirit, time and space, and concepts, with countless awakening traits.

But considering that when "Fully Blooming" occurred, I could choose the Flower of the Soul myself, perhaps this time I can also freely choose traits?

If that is the case, I just pray that it doesn’t turn into the same situation as last time, where choosing seemed worse than not choosing at all.

Chu Yuanqing thought to herself, raising her eyes to Xie Qing Yu, pushing aside distracting thoughts, and deciding to teach this student the final lesson first.

As for posting on Weibo, that can be left to Esther.

So, just when the Mortal Realm Barrier class was progressing, a diligent super AI quietly logged in, and at the peak moment of gaining followers and with the highest online numbers, it posted the photo.

In the picture, Chu Yuanqing lies in a stream surrounded by green grass and rice fields, her pure white hair naturally flowing in the water, her beautiful face calm yet lonely, exuding a captivating beauty.

The girl seems to gaze at the bright blue sky, her eyes seemingly without focus, her gradually darkening dress soaked in water, with the tattered hem clinging to the curve of her ankle.

It is a very evocative scene.

The cover is bright and cheerful, with the stream sparkling like diamonds, reflecting the golden light of the sky. The water feels gentle and comforting, but those golden eyes are dim yet beautiful, revealing a hint of the loneliness of being abandoned, deep enough to evoke sadness.

— "The Death of Ophelia."

"Her dress flared out around her, making her float on the water like a mermaid. She sang old songs in a soft voice, as if she didn’t notice the danger around her, as if she was always meant to live in the water."

The cover chosen by Esther comes from a character in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet."

There is no special reason for this choice; it simply feels right.

Chu Yuanqing’s Magic Armor has always felt like it is falling apart, like the cold and fleeting moonlight, perfectly matching a similar mood, capturing some essence even in a photograph.

Therefore, the cover’s impact was surprisingly good; just a few minutes after its release, thousands of comments appeared, and likes surged to two hundred thousand, which is quite unbelievable.

"Hurry, hurry, when will the pre-sale for the photo book be? I can already sense how terrifying the competition will be."

"So this is Honey Qing’s ‘witch’ costume? The gradient gray dress, plus the white hair and golden eyes that appeared during the second performance, what an ultimate evolution, I’m in love ❤️❤️❤️."

The audience began to discuss the meaning of the photo cover passionately. Soon, someone noticed that the skirt looked as if it had been burned and connected it to the girl’s crown of pure white petals, realizing the scent of withering.

It is well known that the content of fashion magazines, regardless of style or focus, is always teaching you how to dress in different ways and conveying their own fashion ideas.

So, there may be a theme inside, but there definitely won’t be a clear plot. The word "witch" on the cover undoubtedly ties to the theme, and the following fashion styles should continue to develop from this point.

"So, does that mean the upcoming fashion style will head towards fantasy, withering, loneliness, and a simple color palette in such an abstract framework?"

"That really depends on how the magazine’s director defines the word ‘witch.’ Given Honey Qing’s hair and eye color, it is quite reasonable to include some supernatural and surreal elements."

"Who knows? Have you seen those concept-type outfits in high fashion shows? Do they sell them to the public? If ‘Dazzling Stage’ wants to sell their photos under their own name, they probably won’t do it that way."

Time passed, and two hours after Weibo was posted, the comments had already reached over 400,000, with likes and shares exceeding three million.

Chu Yuanqing’s Weibo account, boosted by the official website, gained followers at a speed comparable to a rocket, increasing by two million in just two hours, projected to touch around fifty million when it reaches saturation.

…

…

Salzburg.

The Mortal Realm Barrier transformed into scattered magic under the spell’s convergence.

Xie Qing Yu was momentarily lost in thought; she felt unhurt, full of joy and energy that filled her entire being, even her soul was content in the magic that fell like moonlight, making her feel better than ever before.

Violet also experienced the blessing of the Pure White Witch, happily resting on Little Yu’s head, looking like a very unhelpful little butterfly.

Xie Qing Yu remembered that it was the first time this week she stepped out of the Mortal Realm Barrier built by Charlotte in this way. She looked at her teacher across from her, finally remembering, and showed a grateful smile as she sincerely thanked her:

"Thank you, Teacher Chu."

"The things you have taught me these days will be one of the most precious treasures in my life. I will cherish them and work hard to become a better person."

That morning, Teacher Chu did not give her the usual difficult trials that felt overwhelming and terrifying, as if she could truly die at any moment, but instead turned into a gentle breeze and light rain.

The Pure White Witch would still fight with her, but it transformed into a real lesson and guidance in battle. During the intense but balanced process, Teacher Chu explained her mistakes in detail and taught her skills that had never been shared before, hand-in-hand.

As she carefully recalled the few hours that had just passed, it felt like a dream or a fleeting illusion. The feeling of time moved so quickly that by the time she realized it, she had already walked out of the barrier, her whole being still filled with a lingering sense of reluctance.

But even so, one must say goodbye sincerely.

Teacher Chu was never obligated to understand her or had any reason to teach her such priceless skills.

Xie Qing Yu did not want to betray this kindness and trust. She still feared her past and regretted the deaths of Su Wan and Xu Yan, but because of this, she wanted to gather her courage to break out of her negative cycle and move toward a brighter future.

In that future, there would surely be much happiness that she had protected.

Xie Qing Yu wanted Chu Yuanqing to know this realization. She looked up at her, her expression serious yet anxious, filled with genuine gratitude.

Chu Yuanqing could feel the weight of this emotion.

This captain-level witch had a will so vast and pure, it was like the audience below the stage during a performance. It shone brighter than that and was more enduring, causing the magic within her to transform even faster.

The Pure White Witch smiled gently and said,

"Yes, I can feel Little Yu’s thoughts."

"You have been thinking about the future, and that is already enough."

"I believe that now Little Yu can make a decision that she will be proud of."

Xie Qing Yu felt shy from the praise. She wanted to bury her head, but she didn’t want to miss seeing her teacher even a little, so she blushed and tried to look at her while nodding and said,

"I will remember Teacher Chu’s kindness to me, and I will fulfill my duties as captain in the future."

"Lastly, thank you for not disliking me like this."

Chu Yuanqing knew Little Yu was leaving soon. She glanced at the time and asked seriously,

"Aren’t you going to take a look at Little Xuan? You haven’t had much chance to talk to her because of training these days, right?"

Xie Qing Yu showed a smile without regrets and sincerely answered:

"I want to wait until I become a more mature and better sister before I formally apologize to Little Xuan."

"So, for now, this is enough."

Chu Yuanqing nodded without saying anything, respecting her choice.

Charlotte felt that Little Yu must be afraid of saying the wrong thing and making Honey Xuan angry.

Xie Qing Yu woke the dazed Violet and laughed as she said goodbye with the little butterfly:

"Teacher Chu, Charlotte, goodbye."

After saying that, her fingertips stirred the air, and invisible guitar strings played notes as her figure was swallowed by the violet petals, disappearing from the spot and appearing high in the sky, soaring into the distance.

Chu Yuanqing watched as the magical aura belonging to the other person slowly disappeared. She had seen too many comrades leave and never return, so each farewell made her feel a sense of loss.

But this time, the student’s figure made her feel a long-lost sense of hope and future, and in her heart, there grew both expectation and brightness.

Suddenly, it was as if the magic of the moonlight was bubbling all over her body, and a wonderful power was born in the sea of divine sense, sinking down to her body, etching a mark in her soul, sending out vague messages.

This is,

—[Mercury Blood].