Chapter 127: A Stunning Display Live on the Scene

The giant screen above the basketball arena displayed a countdown.

The long-expectant audience even began to chant along spontaneously:

"10... 9... 8... 7..."

"3... 2... 1!"

As the final second ticked away, the lights in the arena suddenly extinguished. The entire venue plunged into darkness, save for the ethereal glow cast upon the stage, which shimmered like moonlight, revealing the full panorama of the set once the tarps were pulled away.

The stage had been designed in the style of an ancient Loulan city—stone pillars, crumbling walls, and a floor covered in sand—all accompanied by the immersive sounds of the pipa and huqin.

The stage design itself was a masterpiece of artistic craftsmanship. Following a sequence of ancient instrumental music, the haunting accompaniment of vocals in an exotic language pulled the audience instantly into a distant, bygone era.

Wisps of dense smoke permeated the stage, curling and swirling as if one had stepped into a celestial realm. Then, the audience saw the smoke gather within a ruined stone archway, coalescing into the shape of a person.

It was not a static figure; it drifted with the faint breeze, elusive and ephemeral, yet the silhouette of a human remained vaguely discernible—a truly exquisite and magical feat.

Those who had seen the viral "Flying Apsaras" video kept their eyes locked on the scene.

Among them was Daniel Cooper, who had traveled all the way from the United States. In his quest to unravel the secrets of his old rival, he had spared no expense, even securing a ticket in the VIP section.

Under the gaze of the captivated crowd, the swirling smoke transformed into the figure of Li Lekang.

The mist did not dissipate entirely; rather, it faded gradually as his form solidified. It gave the impression that he had materialized from a cloud of vapor, as if born from primordial chaos, which perfectly enhanced the process of his appearance.

At the very least, it was a feast for the eyes of the spectators.

It was like witnessing the birth of a myth in real-time. Isn't that the very essence of a magic show—to evoke such wonder in the audience?

Thunderous applause erupted in the arena within less than three minutes of the opening.

Cooper was left utterly incredulous. He understood the difficulty of this performance better than anyone; at its core, it was a "human appearance" illusion, but this stage had no blind spots—it was being viewed from all directions!

To manifest a person with no visual dead zones? The difficulty level was absolutely off the charts.

Moreover, the technique of transforming smoke into a human was highly innovative, possessing a profound sense of Oriental mystery. And listening to the applause of nearly twenty thousand people, he realized this was merely the beginning.

This guy was becoming more and more godlike; you could never tell where his limits lay.

As Cooper marveled at the sight, Li Lekang stepped out from the ruins. Dressed in exotic, flowing robes, he scanned the empty stage, then bent down and scooped up a handful of earth from the ground.

A close-up camera captured his hands, projecting them onto the giant screen for all to see. Li Lekang worked the clay-like substance with nimble fingers, and in moments, a small bird took shape.

He placed it in his palm, admiring it briefly.

Then, he blew a gentle breath onto it and tossed it into the air. The clay bird suddenly transformed into a living creature, fluttering its wings!

The bird chirped joyfully, circled the arena, returned to tweet at Li Lekang a few times, and then spread its wings to soar away, vanishing into the lingering mist.

Li Lekang watched this scene, appearing deep in thought. He picked up more earth from the ground and began to mold it again. Soon, a tiny human figure appeared in his palm.

He displayed the clay figurine, placed it in the center of the stone archway, and blew a puff of smoke onto it—or, as the Chinese audience perceived it, a breath of celestial energy!

The thick mist swept over the figurine, and as it cleared, a woman in ancient attire stood in its place! She cradled a pipa, her face veiled, her waist slender, and her movements graceful. It was as if she were imbued with a celestial aura, breathtakingly beautiful.

The audience erupted with a collective gasp.

To them, this performance was a classic!

Foreigners might not grasp the cultural allusions, but every Chinese person knew the legend of Nüwa creating humanity from clay. Li Lekang had skillfully demonstrated that very process!

It was as if he were telling the audience that he occupied the role of a deity, a creator of life. From the lively bird to the living woman, the scene was entirely immersive.

The local audience found the spectacle deeply moving—it was the very image of the immortal life they had always imagined. Creating objects with bare hands, molding people out of thin air; amidst the swirling celestial mist, one fairy became two, then four!

Some of the women were slender and elegant; others were curvaceous and graceful, their brows filled with emotion—a perfect blend of modern aesthetics and ancient style.

No one could see how he did it; from any angle, the trick was flawless.

The vast majority of the audience had long since given up on looking for flaws, choosing instead to focus on appreciating the "celestial magic."

Li Lekang brought out five fairies in one go. Some held a pipa, others a konghou, and the music they played accompanied their dance. People could no longer distinguish whether they were watching art or magic.

Or perhaps, it was both.

Because in either case, it was master-class. The magician was top-tier, and the dancers were elite professionals from the national troupe; the sparks created by the collision of the two were simply indescribable.

Amidst the melodious music and dance, the "flying" sequence that the audience had been most anticipating unfolded gracefully within the drifting clouds!

The woman lifted her foot, but instead of stepping down, she stepped onto the empty air.

Her other foot followed, lifting and stepping, alternating as she ascended, riding the clouds and mist.

With fluttering silk robes and flowing ribbons, they seemed to sit upon the clouds, changing dynamically—leaning, tilting, soaring, and diving, with no limitations!

This was the most shocking part. Traditional wire-work could never escape the pull of gravity; the performer's center of gravity always remained anchored downward.

But these "flying fairies" could sit, lie down, or even stand on the tips of their toes, performing exquisite spins that completely shattered conventional physical understanding!

What made the audience's eyes widen even further was that the fairies' range of movement was not restricted to the stage. As the music and dance reached a crescendo, they leaped, crossing half of the arena!

Looking up, people could see the fairies treading on clouds passing directly over their heads, their long silk sashes dancing in the breeze as if they could reach out and touch them!

Yet, there was not a single sign of wires or ropes!

The shock of witnessing this scene live left the audience so stunned that their minds could barely keep up with their instinct to applaud.

Looking around, one could see people everywhere with mouths agape and eyes wide open.

This was no longer just "exciting"—it was mind-blowing!

Whether amateur spectators or seasoned professionals, everyone felt a tingle on their scalp. Their worldview was on the verge of being overturned; they began to wonder if they had truly been transported into a realm of gods!

Cooper hated this feeling of being unable to guess the secret, yet his body honestly expressed his fascination—his eyes had not left the stage for a single moment!

He had thought the previous performance at the New York stadium was magical enough, but this seemed even more outrageous. He knew the faces of those internet trolls would surely be slapped by this display!

Because the "Flying Apsaras" video had truly been recreated here!

Before nearly twenty thousand people, they flew without wings or feathers, without halos, using clouds they didn't actually rely on, soaring through the sky purely on the strength of their fluttering robes and dancing ribbons!

Apart from the fact that one was in the daylight and one in the night, the dark ceiling of the arena surely housed mechanisms, and the swirling clouds were certainly masking props... but even so, Cooper could not bring himself to say it wasn't good.

It was designed too perfectly!

He felt he was hardly qualified to evaluate this performance; it was too far ahead of its time! He even felt that one needed a deep understanding of Chinese culture to fully immerse oneself in the story.

Only then could one, like the Chinese audience beside him, exclaim in wonder at specific narrative nuances, feel the joy, and achieve that collective sensory elevation... He found himself actually feeling a bit envious of them!