Divine Level Witch Doctor

When Zhao Yuan had come to the lawn earlier to retrieve Li Shizhen's Bronze Statue, there hadn't been a soul in sight. But now, a large crowd had gathered on the grass, especially around the spot where the statue once stood.

They were watching the live broadcast on their phones while waiting for Zhao Yuan to return the bronze statue.

They wanted to see just how Zhao Yuan would manage to bring back such a heavy bronze statue.

"Crap!" Zhao Yuan couldn't help but curse.

'Damn it, how am I supposed to return Li Shizhen's Bronze Statue now? On stage, I could claim it was magic—a combination of skill and hidden mechanisms. With the red cloth for cover, people wouldn't get too suspicious. But out here, in front of so many people and at such close range... if I pull the bronze statue out of the Storage Ring Space, they'll definitely see through it. They're bound to get suspicious!'

'Even David Copperfield couldn't make a heavy, life-sized bronze statue appear out of thin air!'

Shaking his head, Zhao Yuan slipped back to the backstage rest area of the auditorium, using the cover of night before anyone could spot him. He decided he would have to wait for a moment when no one was around to return Li Shizhen's Bronze Statue. As for the people waiting on the lawn? 'If they want to wait, let them wait...'

Back in the rest area, Lin Xue was the first to greet him. She handed him a bottle of mineral water and said with a beaming smile, "I never knew you could do magic. And your Oral Skill is incredible!"

Zhao Yuan took the water and drank a mouthful. It tasted a little sweet. He wasn't sure if that was the water itself or if the gesture from a beautiful girl had added a special bonus.

With a smile, he said, "To be honest, I don't actually know anything about magic or Oral Skill..."

The words had barely left his mouth when a chorus of boos erupted in the rest area.

"Zhao Yuan, my friend, modesty is a virtue, but too much of it just sounds fake," a student said with a laugh.

A female student in a maid outfit—part of some unknown act—joked, "Exactly! Zhao Yuan, your magic and Oral Skill were practically divine, and you're saying you don't know how to do them? If other magicians and vocal artists heard that, they'd all call you out for being pretentious."

Zhao Yuan was speechless for a moment, then laughed and shook his head without further explanation.

He was telling the truth, but no one was willing to believe him!

"Hey, where's Zhang Chao?" Zhao Yuan glanced around, not seeing the magic act's original performer.

"He was sent to the hospital," Lin Xue replied. "Vice Principal Liu checked on Zhang Chao just now and said his heart rate was still showing signs of arrhythmia, so he had him sent to the university's affiliated hospital for a full check-up."

Zhao Yuan nodded. "That's the right call. Based on what I observed, Zhang Chao does have some heart issues, which is why he had an attack when he couldn't handle the stress."

The New Year's Gala continued to proceed in an orderly fashion.

Yang Jing and her group finished their dance performance to thunderous applause. Backstage, she and the others were thrilled. It was, after all, their first time performing in front of so many people, not to mention the numerous famous musicians and dancers among the guests.

Zhao Yuan went up to them and offered his congratulations. "Congratulations, everyone! That was a perfect performance!"

"Thanks! I was so nervous I nearly died up there, but I'm glad I didn't mess up," Yang Jing said with a chuckle, patting Zhao Yuan's shoulder a couple of times. "Now it's up to you and Lin Xue. Speaking of which, I still have no idea what you two are even performing... You sure it'll be okay?"

"Don't worry!" Zhao Yuan said with a grin. "I stepped in to save the day just now, didn't I? Did I disappoint you? If my impromptu performance was that amazing, imagine what an act we've been preparing for days will be like. I guarantee it'll stun the crowd and bring the house down!"

"I'll be happy if it's half as amazing as your magic and Oral Skill performance," Yang Jing said.

"You have too little faith in me!" Zhao Yuan shook his head, then glanced at the program schedule. "Alright, I can't chat anymore. Lin Xue and I need to go get changed."

Unlike the other performers who had changed into their costumes long ago, Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue still hadn't. The reason was simple: Zhao Yuan just wasn't used to it.

Soon, they had changed into their performance attire.

Zhao Yuan was dressed in a scholar's robes, their white fabric flowing with a dashing elegance. This, combined with the powerful physique he'd honed through Cultivation, added a heroic vigor to his scholarly charm, giving him the air of a peerless national talent, master of both pen and sword.

Lin Xue wore a *ruqun*—a traditional skirt and blouse ensemble—that was primarily white with wisps of blue and pink. The outfit was perfectly tailored, accentuating her lovely features and imbuing her with a touch of Immortal Qi. She looked like a Fairy from the highest heavens who had drifted down to the mortal realm.

The two had only changed their clothes and wore no makeup, but even so, their natural appearance left the students and teachers in the rest area utterly stunned.

"What a perfect couple!" a teacher who was helping out murmured.

The other teachers and students all nodded in unison, agreeing with his sentiment.

Meanwhile, on stage, another act had just finished.

The two hosts walked onto the stage.

The female host said with a brilliant smile, "That crosstalk performance by the two students was wonderful, especially the chubby one. His mischievous look reminded me of Xiaoyueyue."

The male host added, "And this next act is going to be just as amazing. Because both performers are celebrities here at our university!"

After a brief pause, the hosts announced in unison, "Please welcome Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue, performing a music and dance piece, *Flying Immortal*!"

"It's time!"

Hearing the name of the act, Huang Shijia shot up straight in his seat.

"Finally!"

Zhang Liping's eyes widened. She even took out her phone and switched it to video mode, looking every bit the obsessed fan.

Their reactions left the surrounding musicians and dancers completely stunned.

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Elder Huang, Teacher Zhang, what are you two getting so worked up about?"

"Quiet!" Huang Shijia shot the man a glare and spoke rapidly, "This next act is the one I was telling you all about! The one that will be earth-shattering, an immortal masterpiece!"

Zhang Liping nodded emphatically in agreement. "That's right! This is it! Don't bother me from this point on. I need to appreciate this performance properly!"

Hearing this, all the musicians and dancers were immediately intrigued.

'So this is the act that had Huang Shijia and Zhang Liping singing its praises? An act even more amazing than the magic and Oral Skill performance from before?'

'We'll have to watch this very carefully!'

Zhao Yuan, holding a Guqin, and Lin Xue, lightly holding the hem of her skirt, walked gracefully onto the stage.

The dashingly handsome man and the stunningly beautiful woman immediately captivated the audience.

The performance hadn't even begun, but their appearance alone drew a deafening, tsunami-like wave of cheers and applause.