[Maritime Music Hall, Aurora Aria]
After the stage lights dimmed, the Star Dream Stone on the ceiling slowly lit up.
A pale blue light, like moonlight cascading, wove into a mesmerizing special light column focused on Jing Liuli at the center of the stage.
She closed her eyes and raised her hands slightly, as if reaching out to touch the starlight flowing before her.
Without rushing to start the performance, Jing Liuli seriously felt the energy of the Star Dream Stone enter her body and interweave with her Star Energy.
Slowly, a faint purple luminescence was released from all around Jing Liuli, making her body begin to appear slightly ethereal.
However, this state did not last long.
Accompanied by an invisible wave that spread across the venue, Jing Liuli withdrew from that miraculous state.
Then, she gently exhaled and opened her eyes again.
This time, her pupils had been replaced by a field of faint purple, fragmented starlight, as if foreshadowing something.
Gazing at the dense crowd below, Jing Liuli suddenly raised her hand and flicked it.
The next second, countless faint purple Dream Butterflies flew out from around her, surging like a tide throughout the entire Maritime Music Hall.
They swept over the audience seats, rested on fans' light boards, landed on the shoulders of staff members, and with the fluttering of their wings, the faint purple light spots converged into a brilliant 'starry sky.'
To others, Jing Liuli's action was to enhance the stage's performance effect.
But what Tendo saw through his Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye was a completely different scene.
Every single Dream Butterfly carried a dream thread that was difficult for ordinary people to observe.
These threads started to sprout from the Dream Butterflies and eventually converged into the Star Dream Stone above Jing Liuli's head.
These vast quantities of dream threads, like the threads of a wool sweater, were guided by Jing Liuli and aided by the Star Dream Stone, collectively forming a unique dream world.
However, among these threads, some were very peculiar.
Because they transmitted a pale blue 'dream power' instead of a faint purple one.
Upon closer inspection, the threads showing abnormalities were located precisely where the Star Frost Faction members sat in the audience.
Clearly, these threads were being affected by these individuals.
Yet, Tendo not only did not intervene but also wore a profound expression.
Because, in a sense, these individuals were not destroying Jing Liuli's ritual but were actually helping her.
The prerequisite was that Jing Liuli could withstand the influence of 'divinity.'
Under the influence of these Dream Butterflies and the Star Dream Stone above the stage, everyone present, including Tendo and Caroline, were affected by an invisible dream power, entering a dream world that was nearly indistinguishable from reality.
This was only the first step of Jing Liuli's breakthrough ritual. What she was about to do next was the real key.
That was to connect the dreams of everyone present and, under her guidance, form a shared, beautiful dream.
This was undoubtedly very difficult, as there were a total of 120,000 audience members in the current Aurora Aria.
And to make these 120,000 different individuals have the same dream...
This required Jing Liuli not only to weave a 'story' that could be accepted by the majority of them but also to guide them to a certain extent throughout the process.
Jing Liuli had largely completed this preparatory work before the concert began.
Why did Jing Liuli specifically choose to break through during a concert?
The core reason lay in the word 'screening.'
Over ninety percent of the people attending this New Year's Eve concert were Jing Liuli's fans.
The remaining people, even if unfamiliar with Jing Liuli, definitely knew of her existence.
The difficulty of an idol guiding their fans versus a stranger guiding a stranger is completely different.
It could be said that the opening time, location, and the songs to be sung were all meticulously designed by the Star Sound Faction.
The only part that changed was the song Jing Liuli was about to sing now.
However, while the song itself was important, even more crucial was the 'emotion' Jing Liuli infused when singing it.
Because this sincere emotion was the best 'bridge' to make fans drop their psychological guard and immerse themselves in the dream.
As all preparatory work was completed, Jing Liuli's singing softly began.
"Without a single preparation, without a hint of hesitation, you appeared in my world just like that, bringing me a surprise, beyond my control..."
There were no elaborate vocal transitions, no soaring high notes. Jing Liuli's voice was like a clear spring, gently flowing into the hearts of everyone present.
Under the influence of the song, the fans in the audience gradually quieted down and slowly closed their eyes.
Some leaned on their companions' shoulders, while others clasped their hands over their chests, their minds involuntarily conjuring their own 'warm scenes.'
Under such circumstances, even the staff in the back row stopped their work, focusing on listening to Jing Liuli's song.
Similarly, Jing Liuli herself was immersed in the 'dream world' she had woven.
At this moment, she was standing as an observer on the familiar park lawn of her childhood.
In the scene, a young Jing Liuli held a pink cotton candy, happily running on the grass.
Not far away, her 'father,' whose face was now a bit blurry, walked over with a smile, helping little Liuli wipe the sugar stain from the corner of her mouth.
The park sun was perfect, and butterflies danced among the flowers.
Watching this scene, Jing Liuli instinctively reached out, wanting to hold onto this heartwarming moment, but just as her hand lifted, the picture began to blur.
Because the dreams of others were starting to converge in her world, diluting her own 'dream.'
What she had to do was maintain her self-awareness while beginning to guide the vast and complex sea of dreams.
This was her stage, her world.
Therefore, what happened here... should be decided by her.
[In the VIP section of the concert]
As all the audience members unconsciously entered the shared dream, the vast Maritime Music Hall was left with only Jing Liuli's singing, without any other noise.
Among those present, only a very few could experience the wondrous dream while remaining fully conscious.
Tendo was one. Caroline... was also one of them.
Tendo was seen sitting quietly in the VIP section, his eyes closed.
Listening to the soft, gentle singing by his ear, Tendo recalled the small Jing Liuli curled up and trembling in the blanket in the abandoned room, like a frightened little rabbit.
He remembered her seriousness when she hugged her pillow and said she "wanted to become a big star to find her dad."
Lost in thought, the silver coin Tendo was gently twirling between his fingers slowly stopped, and a gentle smile touched his lips, one he hadn't even noticed himself.
The little girl who once needed protection had now grown into someone capable of protecting others.
However, some nightmares cannot be overcome alone.
With this thought, Tendo fully entered the deep, real dream.
Even though by doing so, he was essentially handing over all initiative to Liuli.
Because he could only appear as his younger self in that unique world dominated by Jing Liuli's own dream.
But it didn't matter, because he was subject to this, and so were the others with ulterior motives.
And even though his dreaming self had become weaker, it didn't mean that they had become stronger than him.
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