Chapter 354: The Brutal Emperor, Climbing the Tower

Yves Saint Laurent, Rose Street.

The villa by the spring river was messy inside the big master bedroom, with wrinkled and wet sheets, as if they had soaked up the river’s moisture overnight, along with scattered bits of fabric curled up in a ball.

Petals of the tulips were everywhere, scattered across the elegant, high-quality carpet, mixed with bits of white flowers and occasional golden tulip petals, swirling and dancing with the wind, slowly disappearing into tiny, invisible particles of magic.

The soft morning light fell on the edge of the bed, flickering in and out with the gentle movement of the curtains, as a few golden rays, like raised flower branches, wrapped around the girl’s long and round thighs, climbing to her slender ankles and graceful arches of her feet, occasionally swaying in the wind, waving towards her white arms, like ripples in the water.

Chu Yuanqing woke up in the afternoon, feeling her body very full and her soul exceptionally relaxed, as if she were in a different world.

Everything from last night felt like a dream.

The holy and solemn statue was surrounded by a dazzling sea of flowers, with intertwining vines of tulips wrapping around delicate bodies, brushing against skin as smooth as satin.

After that, a rich and fresh scent filled the lungs, rising like fire, burning the mind, engraving the soul, breaking the hard shell, uncovering hidden warmth and desire, leading everything to go out of control, welcoming a grand sea of chrysanthemums.

In short, the new play that Honey Xuan discovered unexpectedly increased the magic recovery efficiency, which led to joy and excitement, causing a more terrifying chain reaction, leaving the Pure White Witch, who lost her senses, with her magic creating a sea of tulips filling the bedroom.

Although most of the magical flower petals had disappeared after a night, it was still clear how chaotic the scene had been before.

The girl sighed as she got up, rubbing her sore waist. She glanced at the messy room, and with a light touch, her fingertip cut open, spilling out Mercury Blood that slithered like a group of snakes, absorbing all the magic and cleaning up the mess.

To be honest, she had always felt a lot of fear about Little Xuan’s treasure chest hidden in the room, which was filled with little toys bought in Austria.

But now, compared to the unpredictability of magical girls, human toys felt gentle and very comforting to her.

Chu Yuanqing lifted the blanket, looking at Honey Xuan sleeping beside her, who had not yet woken up. She gently brushed her fingers through the girl’s hair and stroked her soft cheek, saying a goodbye good morning before getting out of bed.

She washed her face, got dressed, and tidied herself up.

After that, she made breakfast in the kitchen, using magic to keep it warm. She placed it on the table and left a note for goodbye before stepping out of the villa, taking the transport portal of Holy Sophon to go to other places.

Before leaving, she still needed to check on Liuli, Miyuki, Charlotte, and Little Shu.

Although she planned to come back the next day, time flowed so fast in the Ideal State that it would feel like two whole weeks had passed. For a little idol who had never been apart from Honey Qing since participating in the Dazzling Stage, this was a very long time.

At least, the green-eyed cat was very reluctant. If it weren’t for knowing the hidden truth inside, it would probably start a little battle, rolling on the ground in a fit.

The first person Chu Yuanqing looked for was Little Sakura, who lived in the Tiffany family manor with the magical girl she brought back from Elven, officially owned by Lucy Tiffany.

When Chu Yuanqing arrived, the girl was sitting on a swing in the courtyard, her pure white fingertips gliding over a guitar woven from magic, playing a melody that perfectly matched the tunes from the past with its dreamy and varied strings.

This was part of practicing guitar, to strengthen her idol skills, and also a way to train her magic control, deepening her use of Patronus Magic—[Perfect Rule].

Kirimi Miyuki clearly understood the purpose of their visit. She took on the serious demeanor of a captain and said earnestly:

“Little Qing, remember to come back! Six months is a long time; if we don’t dance together for too long, our feelings, teamwork, rhythm, and skill will all be affected greatly!”

For Chu Yuanqing, it wasn’t too much of a problem. She spent most of her time outside, and counting the time in the Ideal State during the training, she would barely add up to a month.

But if they stayed in the Ideal State for too long without dancing with Honey Qing, it would be very hard for them to quickly return to their best state.

After Chu Yuanqing gave her assurance and chatted for a little while longer, she turned and walked into the portal, leaving under Little Sakura’s gaze to go to other places.

After saying hello to Liuli, Little Shu, and Charlotte, she turned back to Yves Saint Laurent Academy, checked on the students, and then found Esther. With the key, she left the Ideal State.

The world spun around, and the light flowed backward.

The Intracastral Sea gave a warm embrace, and the scene before her returned to reality.

The sun at the horizon pushed through the clouds, casting down warm rays of light.

Chu Yuanqing bathed in the afternoon sunlight. She looked up at the shimmering Lake Wolfgangsee in the distance, took her phone out of her pocket, and saw that the clock corrected itself once it connected to the network. The date hadn’t changed, but seven hours had quietly gone by.

Everyone entered the Ideal State at five in the morning according to Austria time, but here it was already half past twelve.

Chu Yuanqing roughly estimated the time difference as she walked toward the small chapel, thinking to herself:

“Then I will go to the Ideal State again the day after tomorrow morning.”

“That way it should be just two weeks there, and I can stay for one day. Twenty-four hours should be enough to check on those kids’ training results, and then meet everyone for meals and dance practice.”

Chu Yuanqing made a plan and first went to the little church. She brought Sister Ellie the drawing that Elise had made and the words she wanted to say.

This was the child’s heartfelt intention, and she would surely value it.

“Thank you, Little Qing.”

“That child has suffered a lot since she was young; she should not have her wings taken away so early and die in battle.”

After hearing this good news, Ellie, with her elegant and beautiful face full of maturity, showed a gentle expression, filled with comfort. Even her toffee-colored eyes sparkled with surprise at Elise’s improvement.

The nun stood in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and prayed earnestly. After a moment, she smiled and carefully stood by the altar, gently touching Elise’s drawing with her fingertips, cherishing the moment.

Blind people cannot appreciate artwork.

But magic itself is a miracle. The drawing had no ink at all; it was entirely a spell created by Elise’s magic. When touched by fingertips, it moved on its own, creating a special connection that brought the scenes to life in the mind.

Through this, Ellie witnessed the whole process of the child’s rescue, seeing a light that drowned out all darkness, a soul-stirring melody that brought her back to herself, and a warm smile that drove away fear.

“I see, Elise now sees you as her own sister.”

“From now on, please take good care of that child.”

Chu Yuanqing nodded in agreement; she had no reason to refuse Sister Ellie’s request, just like a nun who adopts orphans without asking for anything in return.

The girl did not leave the small chapel right away; she talked with Sister Ellie for a long time, stayed until they finished lunch, and played with the children for a while before she habitually walked into the dance studio nearby.

As soon as she stepped into the changing room and had not yet put on her training clothes that looked like yoga outfits, she suddenly realized that everyone was still in the Ideal State, and no one needed to practice in the dance studio.

Chu Yuanqing walked out of the dance studio, strolling along the street in the small town, feeling a sense of having plenty of time but not knowing how to use it.

Over the years, her life had consisted only of work and her daughter.

Since she participated in the filming of that wedding dress advertisement for “Dazzling Stage,” most of her material concerns had been solved, and she secured the identity of “Lighthouse,” even earning the blue-green modifier.

As for Little Shu, after participating in “Dazzling Stage,” she no longer needed to take care of the child’s daily needs.

If she thought carefully, she wouldn’t feel so lost lately. This was because she was busy adjusting to her new identity and body, and also because her daughter was by her side, and she had reunited with her old friends.

Right now,

Chu Yuanqing had basically adapted to this identity. Little Shu was with her real mom Charlotte, and Liuli, Little Xuan, and Miyuki were also in the Ideal State. Being back here alone, she really didn’t know what to do.

Watching videos, playing games, shopping, looking at the scenery…

Many options popped into Chu Yuanqing’s mind, but they all felt empty.

It’s strange; had she gotten old? She had just come out of the Ideal State, and she already missed everyone.

Chu Yuanqing sat on the bench, lost in thought for a while. She occasionally glanced at her phone, not to watch videos, but to look at photos in her album, her daughter’s and everyone’s Weibo, and chats with her little idols.

These memories, not long ago, also began to feel like they were covered in fog. She needed to remember carefully to pull out bits and pieces, to find the feelings and thoughts of that day.

The whispers of the Sea of Truth, as time passed, grew louder. A Corrective Force based on cause and effect, fate, existence, and the records of the world was slowly breaking down the past and swallowing the present.

Chu Yuanqing was used to this. Like a child hiding a candy jar, she closed the photo album and chat logs, and opened Weibo, which was filled with background messages.

Recently, the exposure of magical girls has also raised the popularity of “Dazzling Stage.” Her Weibo followers, which were around 30 million a few days ago, have now skyrocketed to 94.29 million, increasing by several million since last night.

“It’s growing so fast; no wonder the concentration of willpower has changed.”

Although Weibo fans usually inflate their numbers, 90 million fans is still a top level, even in Daxia, which has a population of 10 billion, and it is truly exaggerated for an idol who hasn’t debuted yet.

That said, knowledge about disaster beasts is spreading quickly, so in the current situation, it’s not surprising that idols associated with magical girls are becoming more popular.

The private message setting on Weibo is turned off, so all sorts of mixed fans are crowded in the comments section of the latest Weibo post, discussing it.

“At the end of the seventh episode of ‘Dazzling Stage,’ it was said that the eighth episode will be a collection of behind-the-scenes and main footage, which means we won’t see the third performance until the ninth episode. I wonder if there will be a live broadcast.”

The fans are either worried, excited, or indifferent, and just from one comment section, you can see a reflection of society.

Chu Yuanqing flipped through for a while, then glanced at the trending news and other things. The higher-ups were managing public opinion well, making sure the public recognized the seriousness of the issue without piling on too much pressure.

Of course, this also has to do with productivity and resource overflow, better citizen welfare, which leads to a more relaxed social atmosphere. Otherwise, workers who can only afford food and rent wouldn’t care about these things.

What magical girls, what disaster beasts? If they don’t appear in front of me, I still have to go to work like a good person.

Chu Yuanqing took a selfie, posted her daily update on Weibo, and then returned to the little church to find Sister Ellie and the children at the orphanage.

Since I didn’t know what to do, I decided to stay by the side of this elder who is like a foster mother for a little while longer; it couldn’t be wrong.

With this thought in mind, she simply moved her suitcase to the little church and temporarily stayed there, welcomed warmly by Sister Ellie and the many children.

Time passed quickly, and soon a week had gone by.

The finale of the seventh episode was almost finished; the wish energy that had once surged was no longer so strong, but the popularity brought by the magical girls continued to benefit her, earning her huge profits many times greater than before.

Fortunately, she had recently revived the “Ideal Homeland”; otherwise, the lantern couldn’t hold so much wish energy, and it would just evaporate into the air, ignored like discarded paper money.

Now, most of it had been stored in the “Ideal Homeland,” as reserve energy for future battles.

Over here in the Ideal State, a spring has already passed. In the past three months, over three thousand little idols have successfully debuted in the empire, flourishing under the guidance of the producer Dream Weaver Rabbit.

Even without relying on the authority of Holy Sophon and the fame of the emperor and Yves Saint Laurent, the super AI genius’s management skills, along with the true talents of the little idols, have gained quite a reputation in various regions.

Yes, to avoid excessive competition, the magical girls’ debut and activity areas are organized into units of one classroom, performing in the “drawn” regions.

With the size of Yves Saint Laurent, setting up more than one hundred “bases” was effortless, and with the directional teleportation portals opened by Holy Sophon, commuting time was eliminated, truly allowing for both stage presence and learning.

Of course, if you were to ask them what left the deepest impression, it would not be the novelty of learning magic from another world, or the awkwardness of modern girl group dances being performed in that other world, but rather…

That figure sitting in the system of Holy Sophon, who has never been beaten even on the easy difficulty level, known for being brutal and terrifying—Pure White Emperor!

It is well known that credits can be used to exchange for debut opportunities, buy various dance tracks in the think tank, and can even be converted into 10,000 gold coins, or even be used to request Dream Weaver Rabbit to bring items from the real world—making them the best hard currency.

Besides attending classes seriously every day and submitting assignments on time, which only earns a few credits each week, there is a simpler way to earn credits.

—Climbing the tower.

This tower, located inside the sanctuary and supplying magic essence through a grand corridor, offers a simple challenge that grants 10 credits unconditionally. Moreover, this daily task refreshes every day.

However, the terrifying part is that once the challenge begins, there is no logout button. To leave, either you die or the challenge boss must be defeated.

So, for three months, countless innocent newcomers have been “slain” by the mercury sword in the simplest difficulty, experiencing the true weight of the commander’s authority with the taste of their lives fading away.

Even without using any flashy spells, she can dance gracefully with a delicate mercury sword, moving with a strong presence that shatters all enemies that come her way.

In theory, a powerful magic spell can defeat Chu Yuanqing in Simple Mode.

But one, there isn’t enough magic power, and two, the structure of the spell is too weak. Often, before the spell is fully charged, a flash of the Death God’s sword appears before your eyes, brutally cutting off all openings and preventing any powerful spell from being cast.

Therefore, the best time to survive in Simple Mode is 1 minute and 51 seconds, which feels a bit embarrassing.

The Ley Line forum in the sanctuary is filled with critical comments about the commander:

“It’s so scary! I heard the commander is skilled in all weapons, and the move to disarm is completely useless. Thankfully, this daily task is not mandatory; otherwise, even with a 50% reduction in pain, it would still be too torturous.”

Some people challenge the emperor Honey Qing’s little idol not just for credits and beauty, but also for serious reasons, to improve themselves and push their limits, like the top student who often climbs the tower.

For example, there is a person named Liang Xiaoxiao, who since March, has been working hard to follow the path of a knight, combining various Disaster Beast Genes, and set a record of 1 minute and 51 seconds for tower climbing.

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Recommend a friend’s book.

Introduction, “My name is Luo Ling.”

“I am just an absolutely ordinary high school student.”

“I always thought this way until one day… I got sick.”

“After getting sick, the world seemed to change a little…”

The girl stood in front of the strange half that was left, murmuring to herself, while holding the other strange half in her hand, she slowly brought it to her lips.

The strange creature dressed in human skin rampaged, a demon gnawing at flesh and blood cried out endlessly, and a sorrowful songstress softly sang, waking the sleeping one from the void.

“No one can escape all of this.”

“No… one.”