[Chapter 563: Popularity Soars, Breakthrough to Mid-Celestial Presence Stage]
The electrifying performance of Natural completely ignited the crowd's passion.
"Linton! Linton! Linton!"
As the song ended, the audience waved their glow sticks wildly, shouting his name with excitement. Linton wore a satisfied smile, holding the microphone in his left hand and raising his right hand high.
"Up next is Sold Out, for everyone -- let's light this place up together."
The dynamic, powerful beat of Sold Out kicked in, but this time he wasn't performing solo. Four men and four women dancers quickly joined him on stage, breaking into an electrifying modern dance routine that synced perfectly with the intense rhythm.
As Linton's voice soared, it sounded like a wild roar echoing across a vast battlefield, pulling all the fans into an epic frenzy.
This was no surprise -- its rhythm was relentless and commanding, a true epic battle hymn that made everyone feel like a war god. The entire crowd shouted along, swaying their bodies in powerful unity.
If Natural had sparked everyone's passion, then Sold Out was the call to arms, urging everyone to charge forward.
♫ I'm sold out
With every single
Step that I take now
With every drop of blood
Left in my veins
I'm gonna be making it count
I am sold out ♫
When the song finished, the stage lights dimmed, and Linton slipped offstage to change. The host came on, cracking jokes before introducing the band and special guests.
...
Once Linton and the dancers were ready, the host announced, "Next, please welcome Linton back for a soulful blues love song, I Swear."
After two explosive rock songs, this slower ballad gave the audience a chance to breathe.
The music started, and a spotlight illuminated Linton at center stage.
"Friends, how are you all doing? Raise your glow sticks high," he called out, eliciting warm cheers from the crowd.
♫ I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky
And I swear like the shadow that's by your side
I see the questions in your eyes
I know what's weighing on your mind ♫
...
After Linton's heartfelt performance, it was time for the guest vocalists. The host introduced Vivian Chow first.
Amid thunderous applause and envious glances from the female celebrities backstage, Vivian Chow glided onto the stage in a simple yet elegant gown. Instead of going solo, she chose to perform a duet of That's the Way Love Goes with Linton.
Vivian started softly,
♫ Like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire
My love is blind, can't you see my desire?
That's the way love goes ♫
Linton followed smoothly,
♫ That's the way love
That's the way love
That's the way love goes ♫
Their voices intertwined tenderly, filling the room with deep emotion. The previously frenzied audience gradually quieted, returning to their seats to savor the intimate performance.
When the song ended, the crowd erupted into warm applause.
...
After the two bluesy ballads, Linton fired up the stage again with the rock anthem Believer.
♫ First things first
I'ma say all the words inside my head
I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh
The way that things have been, oh-ooh ♫
At the song's climax, watching his energized fans below, Linton fixed the microphone to its stand, shrugged off his jacket, and tossed it into the crowd, triggering wild screams.
Now clad only in a fitted white patterned short-sleeve shirt, his muscular physique rippled with every movement. The audience's excitement soared even higher at the sight.
Believer was a fierce anthem of self-belief and fearless pursuit, declaring that no matter the thorns or cliffs ahead, nothing would stop the dreamer's path.
With his jacket thrown aside and supported by the band and dancers, Linton radiated raw, explosive energy, sending the atmosphere into a new fever pitch.
...
The concert continued seamlessly with guest singers rotating in and out, each set breathtaking. The audience's energy never waned.
However, Linton found himself both amused and a little exasperated. His entrance alone had been superhero-caliber. During the performances, his unrestrained energy and overflowing charisma kept radiating wildly, almost hypnotizing.
The female celebrities in the front row felt this keenly. To them, Linton was undeniably a love god, forcing them to clench their legs tightly while occasionally dripping with desire.
While the guest performers sang, several actresses who fancied themselves glamorous and popular slipped backstage for embraces and passionate kisses. Some even shamelessly reached out to grope him, ignoring the sweat covering his skin.
Those who had deeper flings -- Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Mariah Carey, and Anne Fletcher -- each vied to secure time with him. Some even tried to cling to him all night.
Linton had no choice but to agree, though he promised it wouldn't be these next few days. His harem had all returned home; he needed to settle them first.
A week later, he reserved one night for each, spreading the passion equally. Only then did the ladies retreat contentedly to their seats.
As for others, he could only offer apologies. A friendly hug was no problem, but dating needed a minimum of a 90+ rating in looks.
Interestingly, two high-profile beauties did appear -- Brooke Shields, hailed as the eighth wonder of the world for her stunning looks, and Cindy Crawford, the top supermodel ranked second most beautiful by Form magazine.
Although both were nearing their 30s -- born in '65 and '66 respectively -- the magic of Linton's Beauty Pills had restored their peak attractiveness. Years of maturity added a depth of mature allure that rivaled his other A-list beauties like Nicole Kidman, Cristiana, and Monica.
Faced with invitations from these two breathtaking femmes fatales, Linton hesitated but ultimately exchanged private phone numbers, agreeing to meet them soon.
Meanwhile, Madonna, Shania Twain, Izumi Sakai, Akina Nakamori, Mariah Carey, Will Smith, Britney Spears, and Eminem all graced the stage with stellar performances.
The legends held their own, each presenting signature hits. But Britney and Eminem's presence unsettled some established stars in the audience.
"Losing to Linton's harem and to Madonna is one thing, but these two newcomers have no hits yet. Why are they on such a prestigious stage?"
Indeed, Britney Spears and Eminem were complete rookies in this context. Anyone seated in the first three rows could have outshined them easily.
Though both had gained popularity on America's Got Talent, neither had released official singles or albums, so they didn't yet qualify as established stars.
However, Britney's live rendition of Madonna's classic Into the Groove was sweet and captivating. Supported by six dancers executing sharp choreographed moves, she radiated irresistible charm, earning enthusiastic cheers.
Eminem performed My Name Is, proving to be a genuine prodigy. In a genre dominated by Black artists, this white rapper unleashed his strongest voice yet.
His rapid-fire, emotionally charged delivery had the crowd in a frenzy, the rhythm seeming almost magical in its infectious power.
For Britney and Eminem, performing on Linton's concert stage was a windfall opportunity.
With nationwide TV coverage, their exposure skyrocketed globally.
Though they had rallied fans through America's Got Talent -- surviving auditions, preliminaries, and semifinals -- they still needed a breakthrough.
America's Got Talent was a variety show, with less musical influence compared to Linton's concert.
So their live performances here would save them big marketing costs for their next singles, boosting their potential audience exponentially.
...
For the finale, Linton invited all guest singers to join him on stage for an explosive performance of Legends Never Die.
As the opening chords rang out, the entire crowd rose to their feet, raise glow sticks high, singing and shouting, releasing every ounce of their passion.
...
As the concert ended, internet forums exploded with discussions.
Right after Linton's opening act, many fans watching the live broadcast on UPN TV were stunned by his unique entrance. The online boards filled instantly.
Some claimed Linton was a real superhero come to life from a comic book.
European fans swore he was the reincarnation of Apollo, god of light, with divine powers.
Asian fans believed he must have mastered kung fu/karate, taking legendary aerial skills to unrivaled heights.
Others argued that, as a top director and studio owner, Linton simply used movie-style props -- like wires cleverly hidden in the dark.
The debate raged fiercely, especially on Yahoo forums and fan boards, posts flooding in nonstop.
After the concert, viewers who'd watched the live broadcast on TV felt eager for more and rushed online to share their thoughts.
Initially, comments praised his looks, the audience of celebrities, and the show's production -- expressing envy for those lucky enough to attend.
But the conversation quickly shifted to whether Linton's entrance was movie magic or genuine supernatural ability.
After all, leaping and flipping from over three meters high without visible support while singing rock vocals flawlessly was beyond ordinary human capability.
Most assumed he used hidden elevator wires or props.
Yet, a fan who recorded the concert on a home video camera slowed down the footage and repeatedly watched the segment with no sign of wires or devices.
He posted his discovery and screen captures on forums, suggesting Linton truly possessed miraculous powers.
Upon this finding, many dug out their recorders to rewatch -- and found nothing that disproved the fan's claim.
Support for the notion of Linton's supernatural ability grew.
Still, others insisted it was movie trickery too cleverly done, combined with nighttime shadows and camera angles.
With more people joining the argument, neither side convinced the other. Instead, the discussion intensified.
Meanwhile, internet journalists who had covered the concert uploaded dazzling photos and videos from every angle.
With these new visuals flooding online, chatter about Linton's concert grew even louder.
Yahoo had prepared extra server capacity for the surge but was still overwhelmed, causing the site to crash briefly.
Fortunately, technical staff restored service within half an hour.
Such heated online debates spilled over into public spaces -- homes, schools, bars -- people everywhere lively in the early days of the Internet.
...
Throughout the concert, Linton sensed his popularity rising rapidly, his cultivation speeding up automatically.
After the show, as he returned with the women to the mansion, he felt the gathered energy swirling around him surpass even the wave when Mission: Impossible had just come out.
Two months ago, he'd only reached the peak of the early Celestial Presence stage.
Now, a bottleneck seemed to loosen inside him.
He urged everyone to grab a quick bite. Cradling Xu Qing with his left arm and Jennifer with his right, he said, "I'll take them upstairs first. You girls come up as soon as you can..."
The thought of the upcoming passionate encounters lit everyone's hearts on fire. They quickly ate to replenish energy, then rushed to their rooms to bathe and dress in their finest attire before storming the master bedroom on the third floor.
The night's intimate party was about to begin.
As the passionate encounters progressed and outside discussions swelled, Linton's charisma and popularity surged even higher. Supported by his harem, his cultivation pressed on, repeatedly smashing through the Celestial Presence stage's mid-level bottleneck.
By early morning, around 2 a.m., after a relentless internal onslaught of spiritual energy, a booming breakthrough occurred.
Linton had advanced to the mid-Celestial Presence stage.
*****
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