Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 162 of "Huo Yuanjia" live performance ignited the entire audience.

10 month 23 number.

Friday.

Domestic entertainment "Singer Day".

Since the premiere of "Singer 2025", every Friday has become "Singer Day".

On this day, trending topics on film and television will be overwhelmed, and top actresses and actors will consciously avoid marketing themselves on this day to avoid wasting money.

Having achieved this level, it's already not much worse than "The Voice of China" back in the day.

Hunan TV has really made a fortune in recent years.

Lin Yuan is a sophomore at Xiangnan University and an ordinary passerby.

Of course, if it were posted online, he wouldn't be ordinary anymore, because... he's a fan of Ikeno.

Hmm, a rare male fan.

But he wasn't a fan of his looks; he became a fan because of Ikeno's song "Confession Balloon" in "Time and You".

As for Ikeno's other songs, although he had heard them all, he didn't really like the style of the other songs except for "A Bridge of Fate".

Sometimes he felt regretful and sorry that Ikeno had to listen to those outside voices and "correct" his "not-so-clear pronunciation" problem.
Did he not know that the singing style and approach he used in "Confession Balloon" was something that no one in the Chinese music scene had ever sung before?
Good to hear.

Unfortunately, he hasn't produced a similar work since "Confession Balloon".

—This did not prevent him from getting tickets to "Singer" through his mother's connections and going to see Ikeno sing.

Well, the quality of his songs has always been consistently high, unlike those internet-famous songs. Outside, Yu Yan... well, there are probably still many people who keep unfairly labeling him as an "internet celebrity," which Lin Yuan strongly disagrees with.

At seven o'clock in the evening.

The audience seating at the recording venue for "Singer" was already open. Lin Yuan followed the crowd into the world-class, top-notch stage, which Hunan TV reportedly spent hundreds of millions of yuan to build.

He's a music enthusiast and had wanted to come for a long time; this was the opportunity.

He glanced around at the crowd and noticed that many people were very professional... The 500-person "jury" audience organized by Hunan TV really looked like the real deal.

"Ikeno can't do it."

Suddenly, he heard a female voice speaking. It was a young girl with delicate features. At that moment, she was explaining to her companion: "Although Chantemo isn't as popular overseas as people say online, there is still a difference between live performances in Europe and America and those in China."

"There are differences, but what do you think of 'A Bridge of Fate'?"

"...Stop talking about fate, okay? This song is indeed difficult, but without Shi Jinwei, he can't achieve that effect by himself. Besides, Xiangtimo doesn't lack this kind of explosive performance, okay?"

Lin Yuan's companion was clearly also a fan of Ikeno, and he muttered a few words overhearing him, but Lin Yuan didn't hear them clearly.

He just overheard that guy, who was clearly a Chantemo fan… or rather, a fan of Western music, giving his “explanation”: “You wouldn’t understand if you were a professional… Let’s put it this way, Ikeno’s challenge to Chantemo is like you going to a boxing gym to fight, and the first word your opponent says is ‘Thai’…”

"Just when you think your opponent is Tyson, you realize that your opponent is Ultraman Taro when you actually step onto the stage!"

"Do you understand now? The two are not on the same level."

“I still don’t quite understand.” His companion frowned and shook his head. “I admit that live performances in Europe and America are indeed stronger, and the Chinese music scene is really weak right now, but… I don’t think that’s a reason for you to keep belittling Chi Ye. Besides… this kind of superiority complex is not good. We’re here to listen to music, so please stop with the explanations.”

The girl opened her mouth, then shook her head: "Okay, then let's listen to the music."

"..."

Lin Yuanyuan watched this scene from afar and shook her head inwardly.

The notion of "worshiping foreign things and fawning on foreigners" no longer exists, but cultural confidence is not so easy to build.
Things have improved a lot in recent years. Ten years ago, that was true worship of foreign things.

However, there are many people like this girl who admire foreign things and belittle domestic ones, especially in the music industry, but that is the truth... it's just that this truth is hard for people to accept.

Is Shantimo really that strong?
In foreign countries, she might not even qualify as a second-tier star. Fansia is a genius girl, but does she have the same popularity overseas as Ikeno does in China?
No, not necessarily.

But their singing skills are beyond doubt, and on the stage of "Singer" at this moment, their overwhelming strength is also beyond doubt.

The audience thinks that many of the 500 "judges" had already mentally condemned the "competition" to failure before even entering the venue.
The participating singers felt the same way.

……

At 7:30, the live stream connected. Backstage, the singers, who were the focus of attention for hundreds of millions of viewers today, all nervously stared at the director.

It certainly garnered immense attention because "Singer" was a massive production, broadcasting simultaneously not only in mainland China but also in Taipei, Hong Kong, and other locations.

Overseas, it was also broadcast simultaneously in Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries.

"Internationalization" in the true sense.

With the fifth episode of "Singer" underway, in addition to the announcement of the rankings being a major highlight, the other six singers naturally also have their own "highlights".

They will also "choose" their opponents in this round, but unlike the open competition, they will be eliminated through a points system. Losing once will not result in elimination, but if they run out of points, they will be eliminated.

The production team of "Singer" has mastered the art of creating eye-catching and suspenseful moments.

Now that the order of appearance has been determined, everyone has moved on to the "choosing" of their opponents.

However, apart from Chi Ye and Xiang Timo, who were already confirmed opponents, Na Laoshi, Xiao Tan Wang, and Shi Jinwei, who had the right to choose their opponents first by drawing lots, all looked at each other, not knowing who to choose.

The teacher's gaze had just landed on Fanxia when she met his jewel-like eyes, and she immediately looked away guiltily, then looked at Hua Yichen's face: "Huahua, you're the one."

Hua Yichen: "???"

Little Spit King glanced at Fansia, then gave an awkward smile and chose Secondhand Brother without hesitation.

The secondhand guy grinned and said, "Damn, you think you can take me for granted? I'll send you all away later!"

Shi Jinwei, who was left with nothing, looked at Teacher Shi, who hadn't said a word from beginning to end, and felt a little helpless.

—Stevie is actually quite strong, but compared to Vansia… sigh, I was too slow to speak!
"The production team should just advance my daughter directly."

Seeing this, Ikeno couldn't help but make a suggestion.

Program team: "..."

Since there are eight initial singers and one challenger, making a total of nine people, and everyone else has skipped Fansia, according to the rules, Fansia will get a bye and receive points, which is a kind of "victory without a fight," and is also a kind of strength.

But this is...very awkward.

The production team didn't expect everyone to be so "easygoing," isn't that a bit too much?

"Sigh, it's not that I don't want to choose Fansia, it's just that they're all young people. I think it's better for young people to interact more. At my age, it's not suitable."

The teacher also felt a little embarrassed and, unable to defend himself, shifted the blame to the "young people."

The two "young people" present, Shi Jinwei and Xiao Tanwang, did not look too good.

"The style of the song I prepared today isn't quite right. I thought Sister Shi... um..."

Little Spit King stopped talking halfway through his sentence when he noticed Shi Jinwei's gaze—not everyone is Chi Ye.

"It's a bad relationship!"

Just then, pop star Fansia spoke up, speaking in Mandarin she had only recently learned: "Go everyone!"

Then, she asked Chi Ye curiously, "Sister Hai? What do you mean?"

Ikeno: "...You have a great style."

"Is there food?" Vansia asked thoughtfully.

Online, in several live streaming rooms.

"Shameful!"

"Surely not? You're too scared to even choose?"

"Fun fact: Fansia was born in 00. In China, she would be less experienced than Ikeno."

"Smile, Chiye is going to compete with Vanshia?"

"There's nothing wrong with liking foreign singers, but can you please stop constantly putting others down?"

"As for guarding the national gate, Yingzi, I've figured it out. She's just a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong."

"This show made me inexplicably embarrassed. It felt like they were all so ashamed of themselves in front of overseas singers that they wanted to bury their heads in their pants."

"This program gave me a strange sense of powerlessness, like that of the late Qing Dynasty."

"The Eight-Nation Alliance invasion, right? That's too fantastical."

The popularity of "Singer" is so great that as soon as something embarrassing happened backstage, it was already trending on social media.

The fact that the teacher and others "habitually avoid battle" has clearly made many netizens and viewers' blood pressure soar - they may be strong, but why don't any of you dare to stand up?

He's really not as good as Ikeno.

Look at Ikeno, even though he only got "Ultraman Taro" as the challenge, he still looks perfectly normal, without even a hint of nervousness or unease.

Regardless of winning or losing, at least his mental fortitude is far superior to yours!

Yes.

Ikeno's demeanor in front of the camera was extremely natural. His longtime fans are no strangers to this, because he was like this even when he was still relatively unknown. Now that he's famous, it's even more impossible for him to be nervous.

Of course, just because he himself isn't nervous doesn't mean that those who "care" about him aren't nervous.

……

At 8:00 AM sharp, the fifth episode of "Singer" officially began. After the opening remarks by the host, Mr. He, the presenter for this episode, Sheng Ning, took the stage to introduce the new additions, Chi Ye and Shi Jinwei.

This is how she introduced Ikeno: "A rising star in the Chinese music scene, um... just like Fansia."

"Utter praise to death! Blatant praise to death!" Ikeno's fans were furious.

When introducing Shi Jinwei: "A talented singer and actress."

"Sarcastic and sarcastic!" Shi Jin's fans were furious.

The first singer to appear in this episode, Second Hand Brother, has already made his dazzling debut on stage, beginning his journey of "I want to bloom, I want to sprout."

The scene fell silent. Jin Sui, sitting in the audience, covered his head and muttered, "If you can really get rid of these two foreigners, that'll be a great achievement for you!"

Shang Youshu, who was also in a "VIP" seat next to her and was completely covered up, turned around when she heard this, paused for a moment, and vaguely felt that this woman looked a little familiar.

"Annual bonus?"

"Ok?"

Jin Sui was also taken aback. After looking at it carefully for a couple of seconds, she opened her mouth wide and asked uncertainly, "Shang..."

"Shhh!!"

Sister Shang quickly raised her index finger to shush him, then, as if remembering something, excitedly asked, "You're here to cheer for Chi Ye?"

"Since you're here, it seems Ikeno and Natsumi have talked!!"

This year: “…”

She ignored those words and shook her head: "I'm here to wait for Chi Ye to sing the theme song for our movie. Also, my company has a singing competition."

"Oh..." Sister Shang nodded, then realized, "Didn't he let you hear the theme song before?"

This year, I fell silent upon hearing the sound, grinding my teeth in frustration.

听？
Damn it, he only came to "Singer" to cram at the last minute and asked me for "tutoring"!

She gets angry when this is mentioned, because she feels that Ikeno has been lying to her all along.

The promised theme song had been delayed for so long, and now that she's finally on "Singer," she's proactively seeking her out for "cramming," claiming it's to better sing her theme song...

But she had already inquired with those Beijing opera teachers. Although Chi Ye did go to listen for two days and pretended to ask them many questions, she did not know.

But... that was the last thing I heard.

Just a few days!
The more she thought about it, the more unreliable it seemed, and she got angry.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Sui, what's the name of your company's movie?"

Just then, Sister Shang casually exchanged a few pleasantries.

This year, he nodded: "It's a kung fu movie, called... 'Fist of Fury'."

"The Fist of Fury?"

Shang Jie was taken aback and looked at Jin Sui: "A kung fu movie?"

But at this moment, I was stunned.

She suddenly realized that the plot and background of "Fist of Fury" were remarkably similar to the current state of "Singer" and the Chinese music scene.

Especially the protagonist... as a famous patriotic martial artist, when the country faced invasion by foreign powers and the dignity of the nation was severely trampled, he used his martial arts skills and spirit to truly bring honor to the nation and inspire the people's patriotism and national pride.

Although there are still fundamental differences... it's quite a coincidence considering the current online public opinion environment.

This year, as he shook his head, the stage suddenly dimmed, and today's second singer, and also the most important guest, Chantilly Mo, took the stage.

……

at the same time.

As the next singer to appear, Ikeno had already gotten up and left the backstage area, coming to her team's side to prepare for going on stage.

"I need to express the Chinese style and national pride in the prelude, understand?"

He had final confirmation talks with the band.

The band leader has finally grasped the meaning of "Chinese style" in the past few days and nodded: "We've been practicing all night for three days straight, no problem."

He had another thought in his mind: The intro to this song is invincible. The composer is too strong. They don't need to do much. They just need to follow the rehearsals step by step.

"OK."

Ikeno didn't say anything more.

Crash.

A deafening round of applause erupted from the front of the stage. Chantilly's performance was as consistent as ever; while not exactly explosive, it was certainly no worse than in previous episodes.

Chi Ye glanced at the executive director, who gestured to him.

He nodded, checked his makeup, and then walked straight through backstage to prepare for going on stage.

"Eh…"

As he passed by Sister Pliers, she stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute."

Chiye: "?"

Shi Jin hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice: "Don't force yourself to hit the high notes. Just use some techniques to build them up. The effect is actually not noticeable to the average person."

Ikeno: "...I don't sing 'A Bridge of Fate'."

Shi Jinwei: "Huh?"

"But since you're unusually refraining from using pliers, next time you ask me to sing, I'll give you a 20% discount."

Ikeno waved and walked past the other people, who all gave him perfunctory encouragement.

Only two people are truly sincere.

One was Teacher Shi's gentle and weak "Go for it!"

One is the awkward "Go for it, bon yum" from pop star Fansia.

As for why Fansia was also sincere... Ikeno was referring to her determination and attitude towards learning Chinese, which was genuine!
As I walked backstage, I could already hear Sheng Ning's "introduction" and Chantilly's exit.

... stage.

After each singer finishes their performance, they will be interviewed briefly, a task handled by the presenter.

In addition, the presenter will also be responsible for introducing the works performed by the newly appearing singers.

Like this moment.

Sheng Ning smiled as she watched Xiang Timo leave the stage, then opened the cue card she had just received from the staff, saying as she opened it, "Next up is Chi Ye, a rising star in the Chinese music scene. His performance will be..."

She paused abruptly, looking somewhat surprised and bewildered.

A buzz arose from the audience. She snapped out of her reverie and calmly read out the name: "His own new work, with lyrics and music by himself, is called 'Huo Yuanjia'."

"Huo Yuanjia?!"

The audience and backstage were completely dumbfounded.

It's not "A Bridge of Destiny"?!

Shi Jin opened her mouth slightly. Teacher Shi's gaze was calm. The teacher and Hua Yichen and the others exchanged glances.

Fansia asked curiously, "Uh... what's wrong with you guys?"

No one spoke, but Jin Nian, who was in the audience, felt a flutter in his heart—Huo Yuanjia was the protagonist of their movie "Fist of Fury"!

You better not mess this up, kid.

Just as I was thinking this, Sheng Ning left the stage, and the lights on the entire stage suddenly became dazzling—a change in an instant.

At this moment, Ikeno stands on the stage.

The stage backdrop is a huge, oriental-style ink painting scroll, quietly unfolding.

Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, a simple yet majestic martial arts school can be vaguely seen.

The vermilion gate was tightly shut, as if it concealed countless legendary stories.

At the edge of the painting, a few strokes depict emerald bamboo swaying gently in the breeze.

Chi Ye stood in front of the "martial arts school," wearing a modified Chinese robe, completely different from the one he wore to the Mid-Autumn Festival party.

The robe was embroidered with intricate cloud patterns in gold thread.

He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his posture was upright. His eyes, which were usually stunning, were even more dazzling like cold stars at this moment.

Holy crap, what a handsome guy!

The two girls beside Lin Yuan gasped softly.

But this stage style... what style is this? Ancient style?

As soon as the thought came to mind, a burst of rousing Chinese drumbeats resounded throughout the venue. The drumbeats were dense and powerful, like thousands of horses galloping in, instantly giving people a magnificent and grand feeling.

"This is…"

Lin Yuan opened his mouth.

Just then, the clear notes of the guzheng poured out like flowing water, the lively notes leaping in the air, forming a stark contrast with the powerful sound of the drum—yet they blended together wonderfully!
"My God... this prelude?!"

Backstage, Shi Jin's eyes widened slightly, the teacher sat up straight, and Hua Yichen stared in astonishment at Chi Ye in the camera.

Fancia and Chantim, who had just sat down, tilted their ears in surprise.

At this moment, the melodious sound of the flute quietly joined the prelude. The sound was gentle and ethereal, with a touch of ancient charm, as if it had traveled through the long river of history, bringing all the guests and audience members into that legendary era.

"Traditional Chinese style?! It doesn't look like it!"

"This fusion..."

"This piece of music?!"

Everyone was stunned for two seconds.

But that's not all.

The cymbals rang out with a loud bang, like a thunderclap in one's ears; the erhu, with its slightly melancholic tone, seemed to weep and lament.

Drum set, flower drum, pipa, electric guitar, bass, and even gong!
A total of nine musical instruments, mainly traditional Chinese folk instruments, were blended with Western electronic instruments, and surprisingly, they did not appear out of place at all. In fact, they had a grand, magnificent, passionate, and explosive quality that exceeded everyone's expectations.

Chinese style, a strong Chinese style.

The intro was so amazing that everyone in the audience was stunned just by hearing it—because they had never heard a song of this style before.

The originally tightly closed vermilion gate slowly opened as the prelude instruments joined in one by one.

Ikeno's voice was also wide open.

He seems to have mastered a magical skill, once again bringing to life a singing style and technique that does not yet exist in this world, following "Confession Balloon":

"Oh dear, my life depends on how many rounds I get in the ring."

What does it matter who is number one in the world?

"To stop war, we uphold martial virtue."

"My martial arts skills are excellent."

"But alas, it has only added to my empty reputation."

"The world of martial arts is unpredictable; who is the strongest?"

"Who will claim the right to unify the martial arts world?"

"!!!"

"Holy shit!?"

"rap?!"

"Rap?!"

The backstage area was in complete chaos.

"It doesn't seem like either... but it also seems like both... What are these lyrics about?!"

"Holy crap, this is so catchy and sounds amazing!"

Sounds good!

The moment Ikeno opened his mouth, his singing style was unlike any he had ever used before, and his rap skills, which he had never shown before, were so unique that they were unforgettable. The amazement of hearing this style of song for the first time made everyone gasp in surprise.

—What style of singing is this?

Even though I can't hear the lyrics clearly, why is it so good, so exciting, so exhilarating...?

But what happened next was even more chilling.

Before the audience could react, Ikeno's unique singing style suddenly changed with the accompaniment and various instruments, becoming gentle yet carrying a unique ancient charm, like a babbling brook or a gentle breeze:

"The clear courage that flows through the years in this small town"

"Memories washed clean"

"I remember you living on with pride."

Beijing accent!

It was only to be on the safe side that Ikeno specifically drew a master-level Beijing dialect!

"Ahhhh!!!"

The woman in the audience bit her lip, incredulous: "That strong?! Teacher Koike?!"

This year, he opened his mouth wide and remained silent for a long time.

Everyone at the scene remained stunned, while the guest singers backstage had already reacted, some covering their mouths and others screaming.

Chantilly and Fancia stared wide-eyed. They still couldn't understand the lyrics, but they could understand the Beijing dialect.

This was a style and vocal technique they had never encountered before... yet it inexplicably gave people an unimaginable sense of beauty.

— I got goosebumps.

And the melody of this song… how can this melody be so good?!

Wow!
Suddenly, screams erupted from the audience below the stage—it was an explosion!

On stage, Ikeno sang the first chorus:
"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho"

"The routines and techniques of Huo Family Boxing are flexible."

"laughing live laughing live laughing live laughing live"

"Life should be lived to the fullest."

As he sang, he turned to one side of the audience and even interacted with them!
His breath control during the live performance was incredibly steady.

The audience went wild, they were ecstatic!
"Pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass"

"Faults and weaknesses have never been my faults."

"Me me me me me me me me me me me"

"When our Jingwu martial arts team strikes, no one can dodge."

"OMG...!"

"It's blown up!"

"Wait, what style is this?"

"This ancient style... no, this isn't ancient style... but... my god, how did he create this piece?!"

The audience at the scene was already going wild, and the backstage live broadcast room was also exploding with excitement.

Unbelievable, incredible, I'm a little dizzy.

The main thing is that the people sitting there are not laymen. Let's not talk about the lyrics of "Huo Yuanjia" or the music itself... This music is unbeatable, okay?
This fusion and innovation of Chinese style, and even Ikeno's unique singing style, were completely unprecedented in the music scene before.

And indeed, that is the case. The music in "Huo Yuanjia" is a prelude of divine status, with 5 classical instruments, 4 Western instruments, and Beijing opera, showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese culture to the fullest.

This song has won the Golden Melody Award for Best Composition several times around the world, and it even became popular overseas. It had a huge influence in Asia and was one of Jay Chou's must-sing songs when he was abroad.

In addition, the lyrics of this song are equally excellent and exquisite, perfectly blending patriotism with Huo Yuanjia's national spirit of fighting against foreign invasion.

"What does it matter who is number one in the world? To stop the fighting, we should uphold martial virtue."

The core spirit of the Chinese people—their bravery in the face of foreign enemies, their aversion to war, and their refusal to provoke trouble but not being afraid of it—is contained in this poem.

Therefore, some people say that the song titled "Huo Yuanjia" is not actually a song.

It's as if the spirit of China's five thousand years of history has been distilled into adrenaline and injected into the veins of every ordinary person!

That's right, this song not only has a high artistic core, but it is also pop music. It's explosive and exciting!

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho"

"The routines and techniques of Huo Family Boxing are flexible."

"laughing live laughing live laughing live laughing live"

"Life should be lived to the fullest."

"..."

"Ahhhhh!!"

The scene has completely erupted.

Ikeno took a few steps back, turned around, and returned to the center of the stage, exuding a strong live performance vibe.

"Pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass"

"Faults and weaknesses have never been my faults."

"Me me me me me me me me me me me"

"When our Jingwu martial arts team strikes, no one can dodge."

"!!!"

"Chiye! Chiye!!"

"Aaaaah!! Blow them all up!!"

"Wow! He's so handsome! His voice is so good! He's so awesome!"

"..."

At the backstage entrance, Sheng Ning stood with her arms crossed, watching Chi Ye perform on stage with ease and charisma, like a "big demon king," and fell silent for a moment.

When did he become so unfamiliar?

This is different from the Ikeno I remember.

However, this song…

What kind of terrible singing style is this... I have to say, it's actually pretty explosive.

Yes, just like people.

"How about it?"

Behind him, Teacher He ran over, looking a little excited, and quickly lowered his voice to look at the stage: "The ratings are off the charts!"

Sheng Ning glanced at him and her lips twitched slightly.

Teacher He was taken aback for a moment before realizing what she meant and then laughed, "Oh my... Chi Chi... you really are impressive."

"He won?"

Sheng Ning asked.

Teacher He paused for a moment and said, "I think if this song doesn't win, it would be too... well, unscientific."

Sheng Ning was in a daze, and lowered her head without saying anything more.

"what happened?"

"Could you go up and help me with the cooking later? I don't want to interview him after he won."

Teacher He: “…”

His expression shifted, then he shook his head and sighed, "Why bother with all this? Sigh..."

As they were saying this, Chi Ye had already finished her performance. Seeing that Sheng Ning really didn't intend to go up, Teacher He had no choice but to signal to the executive director before hurriedly going on stage.

……

The atmosphere around them was electric, with shouts of "Ikeno, Ikeno!" echoing everywhere.

Lin Yuan's face was flushed and his throat was a little hoarse, but he didn't care much because today he finally saw Chi Ye "reclaim" his "signature".

Next door, the two girls who had been arguing not long ago were now one with a flushed face, while the other remained silent.

I just don't know if I'll fast-forward to the rambling nonsense later...

(End of this chapter)