Livestream

The following day, Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er arrived at the foot of a skyscraper. This was the main city of Jiangcheng City. Towering skyscrapers rose like a forest of steel, and swift currents of traffic surged past in a rush—a sight rarely seen in the satellite cities. The satellite cities were separated from the wasteland zones by only a single barrier, and strange incidents involving evil entities occurred from time to time. By comparison, public order in the main city was far superior. Such was the nature of this era: the further inward one went, the safer it was, so resources and talent naturally gravitated toward the city core. A massive sign hung atop the skyscraper: Wangyou Media. After humanity restored most of its past technology and returned to the internet age, the profession of influencer had once again taken the historical stage. Yet with cultivation so prevalent nowadays, what people cared about most was cultivators, giving rise to a new concept. Influencers plus cultivation—could it work? Several media agencies began experimenting with signing and collaborating with cultivators. From immortal sect grandmasters at the top to young geniuses at the bottom, one gleaming name after another was manufactured, drawing legions of fans and endless adoration. Among them, the agency with the most signed cultivators was Wangyou Media. This imposing building was merely their branch headquarters in Jiangcheng City. "It really pays to be a proper immortal sect disciple. He actually has connections with Wangyou Media," Yue Wen murmured, tilting his head back to gaze at the towering roof with an appreciative shake of his head. "Still, Qi Dian only said it paid a lot of money without explaining what we'd actually be doing. They're not going to make us perform suggestive dances, are they?" Reluctance was written all over Zhao Xing'er's face. Yue Wen declared resolutely, "No profession is above another." A real man had gold beneath his clothes, and now was the time to cash out. Yesterday, Qi Dian had tipped them off about an opportunity, mentioning that someone had contacted him earlier, but he had turned it down because it conflicted with his sect mission. This gig paid handsomely for just three days of work. Because he had signed a nondisclosure agreement, he couldn't divulge the details and had merely offered to recommend Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er. This morning, the two of them had been summoned here. They felt a faint touch of apprehension. Following the instructions given over the phone, they gave their names downstairs and headed straight to the sixteenth floor. Every floor featured dark, reflective tiles and bright yet gentle strip lighting, with elevators seamlessly built into sheets of glass curtain walls. The moment the elevator doors slid open, a yellow-haired young man in a floral-print shirt and tight jeans was waiting outside. He wore elaborate makeup and an eye-catching gold earring. Sizing them up from head to toe, he instantly broke into a radiant smile. "Oh my, you two must be from Yue Cultivation Agency! I'm an agent here at Wangyou; just call me A'mei." Leading them forward, he said in a feminine tone, "The moment I saw your look, I knew you'd be a perfect fit for our company. Even if you don't make it into this project, don't leave—I'll sign you as talent." "Um, A'mei..." Yue Wen asked, "what exactly is this project?" "Impatient, aren't you!" A'mei glanced back at him with a grin, continuing, "I can't say just yet. You have to sign an NDA before I can share any details. Young Hero Qi from the Linjiang Sect really is dependable, recommending such great prospects to me." Beaming, he escorted Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er into an office and tossed out two contracts. "Here. Only after signing these can we discuss the project." Yue Wen skimmed the nondisclosure agreement. If someone heard the project details and leaked even a shred of information, getting caught basically meant their next eighteen generations would be working off the debt to Wangyou Media. No wonder Qi Dian had kept his lips sealed. Just how shady was this project that they feared leaks so desperately? "Trade secrets, darlings. Please understand," A'mei said beside them. Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er hadn't intended to leak anything anyway, so they weren't worried about breach-of-contract penalties and promptly signed the papers. A'mei took the contracts back, tucked them aside, and clapped his hands together. "Splendid! Allow me to introduce Wangyou Media's newest venture—a wasteland exploration livestream!" ... A wasteland exploration livestream? Those words left Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er wearing baffled expressions. Livestream culture had experienced quite a revival, spanning all kinds of industries: livestreamed exorcisms, livestreamed alchemy and weapon crafting, livestreamed cultivation methods... But never had anyone livestreamed from a wasteland zone. The reason was simple: there was no signal in the wasteland zones. The so-called wasteland zones were regions that had reverted to savage wilderness, overrun by evil entities and reduced to a primal state. Even if an area had once held urban architecture, once it fell within a wasteland zone, it had long since deteriorated into ruins. Crossing into a wasteland zone meant severing ties with civilized society in the cities; that was common knowledge today. At most, a few high-cultivation practitioners recorded expedition footage inside the wasteland zones. Even those shaky, blurred clips were enough to satisfy the curiosity of audiences who had never set foot there, garnering massive traffic. A place where phone calls couldn't even connect was going to host a livestream? Besides, even if some new technology made such a breakthrough possible, why would they seek out the two of them? With their Third Realm cultivation levels, they might not even be able to protect themselves in a wasteland zone. What could they possibly do to help? "You must be wondering how this is possible, right?" A'mei chuckled. "The group hasn't reached a consensus on whether to roll this project out on a large scale, so we're conducting a trial run here in Jiangcheng City to see how it performs. Jiangcheng City's wasteland exploration livestream will be headlined by He Caihua, accompanied by a few young prodigies on camera. Cultivators exploring the mysterious, perilous wasteland zones together..." "Every participating cultivator gets a base fee of one hundred thousand yuan. Furthermore, you'll receive a five percent cut of the tips earned during the stream. If tips are sent directly to your solo camera angle, your cut is fifty percent. All told, over a three-day livestream, walking away with several hundred thousand or even a million is entirely feasible!" "If we're going into a wasteland zone, we might not be strong enough, right?" Yue Wen hadn't let money cloud his judgment, asking prudently. He didn't doubt the livestream's earning potential. He knew the name He Caihua; she was arguably Jiangcheng City's most popular cultivator influencer, and her content consistently consisted of videos of herself battling various demons. While many creators made such videos, her sizzling figure, glamorous looks, and consistently minimalist outfits meant that every move in combat offered breathtaking scenery, immediately setting her apart from the competition. However, she was only at the Third Realm herself. As the saying went, you had to be alive to spend what you earned. If they really wanted Yue Wen to risk a one-way trip into a wasteland zone, he would rather do suggestive dances. "Silly boy." A'mei smiled playfully. "Not being strong enough is the whole point! If powerhouses of the upper three realms went in and swept through everything, where would the entertainment be? What we want is handsome guys and pretty girls facing peril at every step, struggling forward in the wasteland zone to keep the audience on the edge of their seats!" His gaze drifted into the distance, growing more excited the more he spoke, clearly lost in his own vision. Zhao Xing'er's eyes gleamed. "That sounds so thrilling!" "What are you getting excited about?" Yue Wen gave a wry laugh. "We wouldn't be the audience. We'd be the ones putting our lives on the line." "Silly little fools, both of you." A'mei looked back at them and added, "The danger is fake, of course. We'd never send you into an actual wasteland zone. Even if the group didn't care about you two, how could we possibly risk He Caihua's life?" Though a bit stinging to hear, it was the plain truth. Finding a Third Realm cultivator was easy, but cultivating a major influencer with millions of followers was not something that could be replicated at will. "What you'll be exploring is a simulated wasteland zone—it just looks real," A'mei explained. "You can rest assured regarding safety. However, you haven't been confirmed for the project yet; you still have to pass a selection trial." "A simulated wasteland zone... No wonder we had to sign an NDA." Yue Wen mulled it over. "Isn't that just an outright scam?" "Trust black-hearted capitalists to come up with every sleazy moneymaking trick imaginable," Zhao Xing'er remarked. "And there's still a selection trial." Yue Wen exchanged a glance with Zhao Xing'er. "I thought the money was practically in our pockets, just waiting for us to take it." "I know, right?" Zhao Xing'er sighed. "Even the chance to be a dog for black-hearted capitalists has to be fought over." "..." A'mei looked at the two of them, rendered speechless. "Excuse me, I'm still standing right here." ... Once they finished talking, A'mei led them to a different floor, arriving at the building's twentieth story. This floor housed an extraordinarily vast training ground. On the other side of a glass partition sat an observation room, currently occupied by over a dozen people. At the head of the conference table sat a woman with wavy hair. She had striking, high-contrast features, with almond eyes and crimson lips, her brows and eyes exuding dazzling glamour. She wore a red cropped top that tightly hugged her full bust, exposing a pale waistline. Below, black denim shorts framed her crossed, porcelain-white legs, radiating an overpowering beauty. It was none other than He Caihua, the major Jiangcheng City influencer. Many claimed that if they could marry her, they would be willing to drive luxury cars and live in mansions for the rest of their lives. Her appearance held up just as well offline. Flanking the conference table were eight diverse young men and women. All of them carried bright spiritual radiance, clearly fellow cultivators competing for the project. The looks these youths directed at Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er were faintly hostile. "Sister Hua," A'mei hurried over and reported softly, "the two recommended rogue cultivators have arrived. Their looks and realms match our requirements, so I brought them up for the selection." He Caihua looked at Yue Wen and Zhao Xing'er, nodding in satisfaction before addressing the room: "The ten of you gathered here are all talented youths of Jiangcheng City, but this project only needs six people. Aside from Liu Yuanjun and Little Sister Feixia, whose spots are already confirmed, the remaining four spots will be selected from among the eight of you." "Since we are all cultivators, I say we settle it directly with magical duels."