Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

When Jiang Zhiyu stood in the center of the stage, wearing a simple white shirt and pure black trousers and illuminated by several spotlights, his distinct facial features and stunning appearance made people feel what true beauty is.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Jiang Zhiyu lowered his head, closed his eyes, and quietly felt his own heartbeat.

The song he was to perform on his first stage was called "I Die, I Live".

As soon as the intro began, the unique melody instantly captivated everyone's attention.

The music playing from the speakers wasn't pop ballads or rhythmic dance tracks, but rather the deep, muffled sound of hand drums mixed with the long, drawn-out sound of a huqin (a type of Chinese bowed string instrument), creating a unique exotic atmosphere.

Jiang Zhiyu slowly raised his eyes in time with the drumbeats.

His eyes were bright, and his long eyelashes adorned his shimmering, almond-shaped eyes, making him stunningly beautiful.

The moment he looked directly into the camera, the entire audience gasped.

Jiang Zhiyu held the microphone to his lips and tapped his index finger lightly in rhythm.

"The wind and sand kissed the broken monument"

Who is calling to those from another world?

Upon hearing the first sentence, Professor Tang Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight.

Jiang Zhiyu's voice is very unique, clear and cool.

But when he used a lower vocal range to interpret this exotic song, it had a unique flavor on this talent show stage that mainly featured pop music.

The dance steps began in sync with the drumbeats.

The choreographer made full use of Jiang Zhiyu's background in ethnic dance, choreographing the dance part of this piece into a combination of traditional ethnic dance and exotic modern dance.

Amidst the reverberation of drums and erhu, he moved his hips and lowered his waist in rhythm, each movement understated yet carrying just the right amount of languid tension.

"Silver bells shake off the old dust"

"One sound arises, one sound dies"

Tang Zhuo nodded involuntarily as he listened. He could clearly hear in his in-ear monitor that the boy performing on stage had excellent pitch and steady breath control while singing and dancing. In addition, his timbre was pleasant, and he was already showing the beginnings of a stage king.

The four mentors exchanged glances, understanding each other's thoughts without saying a word.

The chorus of the song suddenly rises in pitch, and increasingly dense drumbeats interact within the stirring melody, like drumsticks pounding directly into the heart.

Jiang Zhiyu suddenly looked up amidst the heavy drumbeats, quickened his pace, and swayed his body with a powerful, agile force that surged from his toes to his spine.

The stage lights shone on the dancers who were freely stretching their bodies. The ups and downs of the song's climax, combined with their dance rhythm adjusted to the melody, made them look like gods dancing in the clouds.

"I am who I am, having shattered the mountains."

As the last line of lyrics fell, the music abruptly stopped.

Jiang Zhiyu abruptly stopped his stance, placing one arm across his chest, straightening his back, and breathing slightly heavily.

The live stream camera then zoomed in on his face for a close-up. Jiang Zhiyu lowered his eyes as if he sensed something, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The audience was silent for three seconds, then erupted in thunderous applause and screams.

The live chat exploded with comments:

-【A Song That Conferred Godhood】

-【I'm putting my words here: if Jiang Zhiyu doesn't become famous, I'll eat my words】

- [Mom, I saw God!]

He's seducing me! I have proof!

- [Those who call him a "pretty face," come forward and let's talk.]

- [I don't even know what words to use to express my shock; it's like a god descending to earth.]

-【I'm instantly becoming a fan!!!】

At this moment, Yao Wei, sitting in the contestant's seat, also opened his mouth wide, stunned by Jiang Zhiyu's outstanding professional skills and unable to recover for a long time.

Where did that world champion, who was so heavily addicted to the Zero-Based game, go? Who is that man on stage who dances and sings like a god?!

The four mentors' eyes were also full of admiration; a truly outstanding gem is never tarnished.

"very nice."

Guan Liu was the first to break the silence, speaking out and shattering the silence of the others.

He flipped through the contestant's profile in his hand: "I see it says you're seventeen years old this year, and you're an individual trainee?"

"Yes." Jiang Zhiyu paused for a moment, then emphasized, "I'll be an adult in two months."

"Um, may I ask how long you've been practicing for this stage?" Guan Liu's eyes were full of admiration.

In fact, the program team had already specified Jiang Zhiyu's practice time for his first stage performance in the materials they prepared before the competition, but he hoped that Jiang Zhiyu himself could say it during the live broadcast.

"About a month."

Uncontrollable gasps came from the contestants' seats.

For a stage with such a high level of completion and extremely high difficulty, it is truly remarkable that one month of practice was enough to perform it so well.

"Your voice is very distinctive, and your singing style is excellent. This song is surprisingly suitable for you. Is it your original composition?" Tang Zhuo couldn't help but chime in.

Jiang Zhiyu pursed his lips: "No, it's a gift from a friend. His name is Jing Chi, and he's a very talented original singer."

Jing Chi is the source of his nightmares, and also his childhood friend.

The two had been playing in the mud together every day since kindergarten. Their parents, while trying to discipline their naughty children, decided to move in together as neighbors so that they could go to school together every day with their little backpacks.

Xiao Jiangzhiyu and Xiao Jingchi grew up together, bickering and playing, and each developed their own hobbies and aspirations.

Jiang Zhiyu fell in love with the newly launched FPS game "Zeroing Out", while Jing Chi started clamoring every day to debut as a big star.

But their different preferences did not lead them to part ways.

Jiang Zhiyu was dragged by Jing Chi to learn ethnic dance for a while and became the first listener of his original song. Jing Chi also often pestered Jiang Zhiyu to help him rank up in various FPS games. They were the most tacit partners.

They are also partners who transcend life and death.

In a world-changing moment, Jiang Zhiyu left his family and moved away from his hometown.

Jingchi remains forever in his hometown, in a small urn containing his ashes.

He left very little behind in this world; most of it was left to Jiang Zhiyu.

"I Die, I Live" is a gift that Jing Chi left for Jiang Zhiyu, and Jiang Zhiyu is a relic left by Jing Chi.

Noticing the unusual wording in Jiang Zhiyu's introduction, Tang Zhuo keenly sensed the hidden meaning. So he didn't press for details, but simply praised, "A very catchy and unique song, I really like it."

After their brief conversation, Yu Qizhen looked at him with a smile, her tone full of approval: "You have a really good control over your body. This choreography is extremely difficult to get right. Too much and it would be greasy, too little and it would be loose. You just hit the perfect balance."

"Thank you," Jiang Zhiyu replied with a polite smile.

Then came the routine scoring session by the mentors, and the four mentors raised their scoring boards almost without hesitation.

The camera slowly zooms in, and on the four panels, four eye-catching "A"s stand out.

"Jiang Zhiyu, congratulations on becoming the first A in this season's 'Shining Project'!"

"Thank you, teachers." Jiang Zhiyu bowed deeply, his eyes shining with determination.

This is just the first step.

He was convinced that he would start climbing up from here.

Jiang Zhiyu stood in the center of the stage, his eyes meeting the gaze of Wei, who was staring at him from the top of the pyramid, and a burning, surging fighting spirit ignited in his heart.