After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

"Next, please welcome the final ace of Han Xuening's team—Li Ziming!"

As the host's voice faded, the lights in the entire studio changed.

The modern beams that had been set up to complement the previous matches were extinguished.

On the huge LED screen behind the stage, images flowed, and a majestic and awe-inspiring ancient city gate slowly opened.

On the city tower, banners obscured the sun.

Beneath the city gates, envoys from all nations gathered, their carriages and horses moving in a constant stream.

That was—the glorious Chang'an!

"Ding-dong!"

A clear and melodious chime, seemingly from a thousand years ago, heralded the start of the performance.

Immediately afterwards, musicians from the Yanjing Folk Music Orchestra began their performance on the left side of the stage.

The flowing melodies of the guzheng, the resonant sounds of the pipa, and the melodious strains of the xiao instantly transported the audience back to the glorious Tang Dynasty, a time when "the palace gates of heaven opened, and the people of all nations paid homage to the emperor."

Li Ziming, dressed in a modified version of a brocade Tang suit, stood in the center of the stage, holding a gilded folding fan.

He stood tall and straight, with a scholarly air about him, as if he were truly a noble young master who had stepped out of a painting.

He raised the microphone, but instead of speaking immediately, he opened his folding fan with a whoosh as the drumbeats of the intro began.

His movements were graceful and fluid.

With just one appearance, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and screams.

"So cool!"

"Is this the aura of the pinnacle of traditional Chinese style?"

Finally, Li Ziming spoke.

"Remembering the past, under the moon in Chang'an, we drank wine and talked about farming..."

"Look at today, the splendor has faded, but in my dreams lies China..."

His singing skills are truly remarkable.

His voice is deep and magnetic, every word carefully crafted, carrying a rich classical charm, yet retaining the clarity of pop music.

The lyrics are ornate and full of classical allusions, vividly depicting the magnificent scene of prosperity and the arrival of envoys from all nations.

This is his original work, "The Prosperous Chang'an," which he has been working on for half a year.

This song contains no sentimental whining about petty love affairs, but only the confidence and pride of a rising great power.

With the ever-changing night view of Chang'an, the Lantern Festival, and the Silk Road on the large screen behind them, the entire stage seemed to transform into a large-scale live performance.

"The palace gates open to the heavens, and the officials of all nations bow before the emperor—"

As he sang the chorus, Li Ziming's voice progressed in layers, full of emotion.

Suddenly, the drumbeats of the accompaniment became more rapid.

Li Ziming turned his body slightly to the side and suddenly closed the folding fan in his hand.

Immediately afterwards, a powerful and explosive opera chant came from his mouth!

"ah--"

This is a recitation and chant that incorporates the singing style of Peking Opera's old male roles!

Holy crap!

in the audience.

"Is this theatrical singing? It sounds amazing!"

"And it blends in perfectly! It's such a wonderful combination with pop music!"

"Is this the power of a top influencer in the Chinese style music scene? I'm in awe!"

In the media section, even the most discerning music critics nodded in agreement.

"It's a sure thing! This song is definitely a sure thing!"

"Li Ziming truly deserves to be called the top male artist of traditional Chinese style. His aura and control are unmatched by many in the younger generation."

"The key is that the arrangement is so sophisticated. The combination of folk music and pop music is not jarring at all, but rather complements each other perfectly."

"Li Ziming is indeed a professionally trained singer. Although this recitation is not pure opera, it is definitely top-notch among pop songs."

"This song is so well-made; the lyrics, music, arrangement, and performance are all flawless."

"Ye Lan's team has no chance of winning this time. A performance of this caliber deserves full marks."

On the mentor's seat.

Han Xuening exclaimed, "This is fantastic! This is exactly the traditional Chinese style I've been looking for; this is the grandeur of a great nation!"

Shen Ming couldn't help but exclaim, "The lyrics are well-written, the music is well-arranged, and the singing is even better. Especially the addition of the opera elements in the middle section, it's the finishing touch that elevates the entire song's style."

Although Li Ge is a veteran rocker, he was also impressed by this powerful performance: "No doubt about it, the spectacle and the momentum were truly awesome. I even wanted to headbang to the beat."

Ye Lan nodded as well.

On stage, Li Ziming became more and more confident and more and more engaged as she sang.

He enjoyed the feeling of being in control of the entire event and the admiring gazes of the audience.

He seemed to have truly transformed into a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wielding his brush and ink before the emperor, pointing out the landscape of the land.

The song ended.

The last note faded away slowly with the lingering resonance of the chime bells.

Li Ziming closed his folding fan, bowed deeply to the audience, and performed an extremely elegant movement.

Cheers swept through the entire studio.

"Li Ziming! Li Ziming!"

"Champion! Champion!"

Fans waved their light sticks wildly, and many passersby were also captivated by the perfect stage performance, applauding generously.

Standing on the stage, Li Ziming listened to the cheers around him and looked at the nodding approving crowd in the mentors' panel, revealing a victor's smile.

He knew he was destined to win.

Such a performance would be a bombshell even in the finals, let alone in this second round?

That Lin Zhixing? What makes him compare to me?

……

In stark contrast to the bustling activity at the front desk was Ye Lan's team's preparation room.

Watching Li Ziming's near-perfect performance on the screen, no one felt any desire to fight back.

"It's over...it's completely over..."

Gu Qingzhou slumped in her chair, muttering to herself, "How can we win? This isn't even in the same league. They're a regular army with tanks; what are we supposed to fight?"

Chen Xi was still sobbing, her voice hoarse: "It's all my fault... If I hadn't lost so many points..."

Song Zixuan held her guitar, head down, without saying a word.

Li Bowen buried his face in his hands, unable to look at the screen.

Gu Qingzhou shook her head. "It's no use blaming you. Even if you win, you can't possibly beat Li Ziming."

An 80-point gap, coupled with the opponent's perfect performance.

This is no longer a question of whether we can win, but a question of how badly we will lose.

Everyone thought that even if Lin Zhixing performed exceptionally well, he would at most get a decent score, and it was simply wishful thinking to think he could bridge this huge gap.

On the mentor's seat.

Han Xuening couldn't hide her smile any longer. She turned slightly to Ye Lan beside her and said, "Sister Lan, it seems we got lucky this time. Zimo performed exceptionally well today. You must be under a lot of pressure."

Although these words were polite, everyone understood the subtext: you're doomed to lose, so hurry up and prepare the elimination list.

Seeing Han Xuening's smug look, Ye Lan was not angry at all; instead, a smile curved her lips.

"Yeah?"

Ye Lan's voice was cool and languid, "The performance was wonderful, but... the competition isn't over yet."

Han Xuening was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Even now, you're still being stubborn?

"Oh? It seems Sister Lan has a lot of confidence in Lin Zhixing?" Han Xuening raised an eyebrow. "Then I'll have to wait and see what kind of surprise will turn the tide."

Ye Lan stopped speaking.

Just then, all the lights in the venue suddenly went out.

The audience, who had been discussing the matter, fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at the stage.

In the darkness, the host's voice rang out, deep and full of suspense:

"A clash of titans, the ultimate battle!"

"Next, please welcome the final contestant from Team Ye Lan—"

"Lin! Zhi! Xing!"