Chapter 283: The Arrogant Bodyguard, the Descent of the Blood God, the Clash of Domains (I)
Chapter 283: The Arrogant Bodyguard, the Descent of the Blood God, the Clash of Domains (I)
The hall, capable of accommodating sixty thousand people, was semicircular and divided into three sections: front, middle, and rear. At the moment, the seats were already filled with an audience, all eagerly looking toward the stage in front.
Many of these people held glow sticks, distributed for free at the entrance. When waved, a sprinkle of crystalline powder would fall, resembling brilliant starlight.
Behind the stage, Chen Chu slightly lifted a corner of the curtain, gazing at the sea of people outside with a calm expression as he pondered whether there might be any traitors among the audience.
"Lighting is normal."
"Projector No. 3 is working fine."
"Okay, starting the countdown. Ten, nine, eight... Lights off!"
Following the command from the main control desk, the entire hall went dark in an instant, followed by the roar of a dragon.
Roar!
The massive hall burst into a brilliant light. A hundred-meter-long golden-scaled dragon unfurled its wings and appeared in the sky, while sparks and fountains of light erupted from the edges of the stage below.
In the dazzling light, the familiar intro of a song began to play. The wall at the end of the stage cracked open, and Yan Ruoyi, dressed in splendid attire, slowly walked out. Behind her followed a bodyguard in a black suit, maintaining a three-step distance.
White mist began to spray from some cracks in the ground. With the swirling mist, the bright golden light, and the roar of the golden dragon, the girl appeared like a celestial maiden from legend.
Through the eight large screens hanging in the hall, everyone saw this stunning scene, and the entire venue erupted instantly. Countless young men and women stood up, thrilled.
"Ruoyi! Ruoyi!..."
The shouts of tens of thousands of people drowned out the sound system, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
This feeling of being the center of attention made Chen Chu, standing behind Yan Ruoyi, feel a surge of excitement, reminiscent of the night of the Blood Moon when countless mutated beasts swarmed him.
The same overwhelming waves of sound made him want to grab a halberd and smash everything...
Ahem! What am I thinking? Chen Chu shook his head, discarding the strange thoughts that had suddenly emerged.
The first song of the concert was a solo by Yan Ruoyi. The 3D golden dragon in the sky faded away, and a beam of light shone on her while she gradually walked toward the center of the stage.
As an internationally popular star, Yan Ruoyi's singing skills were impressive. Her voice was clear and gentle, pleasant to listen to, and combined with the meaningful lyrics and upbeat rhythm, it created a captivating performance.
Even Chen Chu couldn't help but exclaim from how beautiful it sounded. However, his brows soon furrowed. He noticed that there were not many gazes directed at him, and those that did glance his way quickly moved on.
Under these circumstances, it was nearly impossible to identify any potential hidden enemies.
Thinking this, Chen Chu's eyes fell on Yan Ruoyi.
By this time, Yan Ruoyi had reached the center of the stage. Her long dress swayed with her slight movements to the music, making her appear both beautiful and charmingly spirited.
A camera suspended in the air not far away also captured this scene, projecting the feed onto the large screen.
However, just as the tens of thousands of spectators were entranced, a tall figure suddenly appeared—it was Chen Chu, the bodyguard standing behind Yan Ruoyi.
"What the heck is that guy doing?"
"Yeah, why is he just standing there blocking the camera?"
Although the young man in black on the big screen looked cool and handsome in his sunglasses, the audience had come to see Yan Ruoyi.
Fortunately, as Yan Ruoyi moved, the camera followed her, and the guy, who might have been a dancer or an actual bodyguard, disappeared from the big screen.
The rest of the performance went smoothly, without any unexpected incidents. On stage, the young girl sang her heart out while the dancers performed, and the audience below listened intently, though the sight of the bodyguard in sunglasses occasionally appearing on the big screen was somewhat annoying.
Over the next hour, Yan Ruoyi changed outfits three times, while the dancers also rotated. Each outfit had a different style.
Currently, dressed in a red striped bodycon dress with a black trench coat, Yan Ruoyi gently twisted her body, surrounded by eight female dancers.
Accompanied by the familiar melody, the tens of thousands of spectators watched excitedly.
Then, once again, the bodyguard in the black suit appeared on the big screen, standing in front of Yan Ruoyi and completely blocking her from view. His face, expressionless behind the sunglasses, scanned the vast audience, as if he were the true master of the stage.
"Damn, that bodyguard is blocking the view again! Get out of the way, I can't see Ruoyi!"
"This is infuriating! Bodyguard, move! Stop blocking the camera!"
"Hey, hey! Does that guy have a grudge against Ruoyi? He keeps blocking the view at crucial moments on purpose."
"Where are the people from the Yuntian Group? Why isn't anyone dealing with that bodyguard?"
For a moment, the concert venue was filled with angry voices. Many of the male fans were shouting in unison, protesting against the bodyguard's outrageous behavior on stage.
At this point, it wasn't just the audience who was confused. The dancers on stage were also bewildered, not understanding what had gotten into the bodyguard who had been following Yan Ruoyi for the past few days.
The other bodyguards, including Li Long, were similarly puzzled. They had no idea what Chu Batian was doing, wandering around the stage like that.
Li Daoyi pressed a finger to his earpiece and spoke in a strange tone. "Brother Chu, you've blocked Ruoyi's camera shot more than ten times. Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up when you leave?"
In the center of the stage, Chen Chu, deliberately standing in front of Yan Ruoyi, remained calm and said indifferently, "Do you think any of these fans dare to, or even can, take me on?"
Saying this, he nonchalantly stepped aside, revealing Yan Ruoyi. He then walked leisurely to the edge of the stage, as if taking a casual stroll, while both his demeanor and posture radiated extreme arrogance.
Yan Ruoyi, for her part, continued to sing with a smile, as if she hadn't noticed anything.
Backstage in the director's room, the director of the concert turned to Bai Yunfeng. "Director Bai, should we call that bodyguard down? He's deliberately blocked the camera sixteen times."
"...Ignore him. Just follow the usual rehearsal schedule."
Although Bai Yunfeng was also confused, she knew that as a professional, Chu Batian must have his reasons.
At the edge of the stage, Chen Chu appeared unbothered by the audience's protests, but behind his sunglasses, his gaze was fixed on the left front section.
Over two hundred meters away, located in the middle left section of the first tier seats, a woman in her early twenties was excitedly waving a glow stick, enjoying the concert along with others around her.
Looking at the rather ordinary-looking woman, Chen Chu's expression turned slightly serious. "Such intense malice, and it feels somewhat familiar."
From the first moment he had blocked Yan Ruoyi, Chen Chu had felt countless malicious gazes, numbering in the tens of thousands. Among these stares, he had sensed one particularly intense and evil gaze flickering momentarily.
This malice was different from the instinctive dislike from the ordinary people whose view he blocked. It was a deep and sinister gaze. However, with such a vast crowd at the concert, it was impossible even for him to pinpoint it amid the myriad of looks, as his brain wasn't a supercomputer.
Yet, it was still possible to investigate this. Most people in the venue were actually watching the big screens. This allowed him to determine the direction first and then eliminate suspects from the small sections around the stage, which was why he had repeatedly blocked the camera.
After narrowing down the area and capturing the malicious gaze multiple times, Chen Chu finally locked onto the target.
With this in mind, Chen Chu pressed a hand lightly on the frame of his sunglasses. "Brother Li, keep an eye on the person at column 170, row 55. She's suspicious."
Instantly, Li Daoyi's eyes sharpened, a flash of purple lightning appearing in his somewhat surprised gaze. "Someone really managed to infiltrate. What audacity."
Then, Li Daoyi inquired, "Brother Chu, can you determine her strength? Is she from the Blood Cult or the Demon God Cult?"
Naturally, the Blood God Akunus didn't need an introduction; it was the one who had established the Blood Cult.
On the other hand, the Demon God Cult, also part of the Alliance of Cults, was founded by the Purgatory Demon Clan. Since they resembled the demons and devils of mythology and legend, they were worshiped by many who had abandoned their souls for power.
Chen Chu's voice remained calm. "The crowd's too big, the aura is too mixed to sense clearly. We'll pretend we haven't noticed her for now. Unless she makes a move, we'll wait until the concert ends."
At a concert with tens of thousands of people, if the enemy's strength was considerable enough, an explosive battle involving high-level cultivators could result in hundreds or even thousands of casualties from the shockwaves alone.
That would just be if the battle ended in the blink of an eye. Otherwise, a stampede could cause even more trouble.
After all, when Fifth or even Sixth Heavenly Realm cultivators fought, they could explode with supersonic speed, collapsing buildings and shattering the earth with a single move. This was also why the authorities had strict restrictions against cultivators taking action within cities.
Li Daoyi nodded slightly. "I understand what you mean. Should we notify the others?"
"Just inform Director Bai. Let her check the person's detailed information, although I doubt we'll get much from it."
Those who passed the initial screening had no apparent issues with their identities. Not even these so-called high-tech smart sunglasses could lock onto individual faces; the distance was too great, and there were too many people around.
While they spoke in low voices, Li Daoyi casually walked over, positioning himself between the woman and Yan Ruoyi.