Chapter 991: The Annual Ceremony

Days passed one by one, and the year was down to its final few days; the entire universe was immersed in the festive atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

Yuanyu’s New Year was celebrated jointly by all nations, regardless of lunar or solar calendars; although the Sheng Tang Heavenly Dynasty differed from the Divine Protection Federation in some traditional customs, they agreed completely on the date of the New Year.

Reuniting with family for the New Year and watching the Annual Ceremony had become a custom among the people of Yuanyu Star.

On this day, nearly all professions took the day off, and the streets were filled with pedestrians shopping and buying New Year goods.

Luo Quan and Bai Xingwei went out onto the streets, navigating the crowded throngs to feel the festive energy.

But one such experience was enough; coming again within a short time would greatly diminish the novelty.

Back home, the two tossed their purchases onto the bed and then sprawled lazily beside them.

“Aren’t your parents coming back for the New Year?” Luo Quan asked Bai Xingwei, gazing at the ceiling.

She had originally hoped to take this opportunity to properly meet them, since she’d been living in their home for so long yet had never even met the hosts—it really was hard to justify.

“They haven’t come back in three years; they’re the type who put work above everything else. It’s already a miracle if they remember to send me a video during the New Year,” Bai Xingwei replied cheerfully, her tone showing no resentment or sorrow.

A few years ago, she might have harbored some bitterness toward her workaholic parents.

But now, she no longer cared. What’s the New Year, after all? Isn’t it still just the New Year if you spend it alone? Besides, now she had Luo Quan with her—it was even livelier than before.

Hearing Bai Xingwei’s answer, Luo Quan let the topic drop.

As Yuanyu’s most lively festival arrived, people celebrated in every way possible, both online and offline.

Luo Quan’s Confessional Room was also in full swing; normally, each livestream hosted only five lucky viewers for confessions, but during the holiday, the number had been expanded to ten.

Luo Quan had assumed that over time, these outrageous netizens would gradually dwindle, since surely normal people still outnumbered them.

But reality slapped her hard: compared to normal people, the outrageous ones were actually the majority.

Every confession was essentially material worthy of a Human Oddity Awards showcase; just hearing their descriptions was already intensely bizarre, and the fact that her livestream had never been shut down was nothing short of miraculous.

After hosting the tenth outrageous man, physically and mentally exhausted, Luo Quan looked into the camera and made the prayer gesture of the Dawn Church: “May the merciful Lord forgive the sins of these lost sheep.”

This moment sent the live chat into fits of laughter:

“Look, you perverts have driven our Holy Mother to this!”

“I remember the Holy Maiden was an atheist—after listening to these people’s confessions, she actually said that? Clearly her worldview has been shattered.”

“Short for ‘Daoxin damaged.’”

“After being repeatedly baptized by ten perverts, it’s already a miracle you didn’t turn into one yourself.”

“At least those ten perverts found release—we got entertainment.”

“A world where only the Holy Mother suffers has appeared.”

“A Holy Mother must suffer herself to benefit the masses.”

“You’re not a Holy Mother—you’re a sucker.”

“Hahahahaha.”

……………………

The alien netizens’ teasing remained as sharp as ever, but luckily Luo Quan had strong stress tolerance, so she could laugh along with the comments.

These alien netizens were simply too well-traveled; many of the confessions she received were things she’d never even heard of.

Like confessing to snakes, to giant octopuses, to floating cars…

If you can’t imagine it, they’ve done it.

Luo Quan had suffered from her first exposure to such a concentration of perverts, so she’d been unsettled—but after more experience, she’d adapt much better.

But this kind of experience should end now.

“Fans, my livestream will end today,” Luo Quan said, suddenly announcing her farewell to the camera.

The comment section immediately erupted:

“Wait, why?”

“Your livestream is going great! The past few days have been trending nonstop, consistently in the top ten of the category—it’s your growth phase! Why quit now?”

“Could it be your Daoxin is damaged and you need rest?”

“Don’t go! We still want to watch Luo Quan’s Confessional Room!”

……………………

Seeing how reluctant her fans were, Luo Quan smiled weakly: “Ending the livestream is unavoidable—tomorrow I have to perform at the Annual Ceremony, and after the performance, I’ll return to my hometown, where I won’t be able to livestream for you.”

As for the Confessional Room, my heart isn’t that fragile—I won’t shut it down just because I can’t handle it. When I return, the segment will resume as usual.”

“But since the livestream is on pause, you won’t be able to see the Confessional Room for now. Please bear with me.”

………………

After this explanation, the fans finally relaxed:

“Oh, you’re just going home? That’s fine—I thought you were quitting forever!”

“You scared me half to death! If you’re going home, there’s nothing to be done—we’ll wait for you to come back!”

“Remember the livestream ID: 114514—I’ll check in every day, hoping to see our Holy Mother return soon.”

“Ugh, the next few days are going to be boring.”

………………

This farewell with her fans left Luo Quan with their heartfelt, reluctant words.

But not a single person asked about the performance she’d give tomorrow night.

Then again, it made sense: the Yuanyu Beauty Contest was about showcasing beauty and physique—performance content was secondary, since no one expected contestants to produce truly astonishing artistic acts like real masters.

The only thing that could truly amaze was their otherworldly beauty.

So while netizens had high expectations for the show, they also knew exactly what to expect, and rarely discussed it in depth.

But they had no idea what kind of performance Luo Quan had prepared.

The next day, Luo Quan and Bai Xingwei arrived at the 10,042nd floor of the Yuanyu Broadcasting Tower.

This was the floor where the Annual Ceremony livestream took place, but performers and audiences used separate entrances, so the two parted ways immediately after exiting the teleportation elevator.

In the performers’ backstage area, men and women were separated into two zones, with each room housing six people.

Luo Quan’s room had only Xu Yanqing as an acquaintance; the other four were performers from different acts.

More accurately, they were musicians—they didn’t rely on looks but on skill, though they were all decent-looking nonetheless.

Today, Xu Yanqing wore a red gown that clung tightly to her figure, dazzlingly vibrant.

In truth, her figure stood out in any outfit, but this gown was especially effective: the openwork cut along her lower back accentuated her nearly overflowing pale skin with a sculpted, cinched effect.

The impact on viewers was immense—and yet, despite her enormous bust, the rest of her body remained lean, not bulky at all.

Typically, women with large chests tended to be overall fuller, even slightly soft.

Because size was innate; being large in just one area required even greater natural talent—most people never progressed beyond the first stage; those like Luo Quan were rare.

As for Xu Yanqing, her waist had once been chubby, but her incredible willpower, combined with scientific diet and exercise, had stripped away the fat, transforming her from slightly soft to an absolute masterpiece.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare wear such a revealing, body-hugging dress.

It’s said the less popular you are, the bolder your clothing becomes.

But this entertainment industry rule clearly didn’t apply to Xu Yanqing—her style had always been to showcase her figure’s beauty without appearing to deliberately show off.

After all, showing off flesh and being sensual were different: the former was cheap and vulgar; the latter demanded exceptional skill.

Xu Yanqing mastered this balance perfectly—today’s cut-out dress was proof.

The front was modestly covered, yet the sides were daringly exposed—she balanced conservatism and openness, highlighting her strengths without appearing excessive.

Seeing it, Luo Quan couldn’t help but stare a few extra times.

Partly to learn, partly because Xu Yanqing’s figure was so rare—even as a woman, she couldn’t help but be drawn to it.

“You’re dressed very elaborately today.”

Xu Yanqing, meanwhile, had also been observing Luo Quan—if she herself represented the extreme of Yuanyu’s female physiques, then Luo Quan represented perfection.

Tall, voluptuous, slender, rounded, toned, sensual, fair, soft…

Every adjective she could think of applied to Luo Quan—this alone proved how exceptional her figure was.

If physiques had rankings, Xu Yanqing believed Luo Quan was unquestionably number one—far superior to Chu Yueyan’s flat board.

Too big was bad—her figure drew attention, but also criticism.

Too small was bad too—the most common online attacks on Chu Yueyan targeted her AA-cup “scenery,” mocked by haters as lacking femininity.

But Luo Quan had struck the perfect balance: add an inch and it’d be too much; subtract an inch and it’d be too little—just right.

This was likely the ideal physique in most people’s eyes, desired by both men and women.

Unfortunately, despite such a perfect physique, Luo Quan’s face was slightly lacking—she needed makeup to reach level nine, and even with future growth, the chance of a qualitative leap was extremely small.

Then again, if her natural beauty could reach level nine, she wouldn’t be stuck in the awkward position of being a gatekeeper for the Top Ten Beauties—she’d at least make the top three!

“What a pity,” Xu Yanqing sighed, shaking her head. “The Creator is so fair—he never favors anyone. Even us, supposedly the most beloved, all have our flaws. No one is truly perfect.”

Even the legendary Empress and Holy Maiden, said to have reached level ten, had their own shortcomings.

A truly flawless beauty seemed not to exist.

“What’s so pitiful?” Luo Quan asked, curious.

“I’m lamenting how fair the Creator is—he never favors anyone. Even us, the most cherished, all have our flaws.”

Xu Yanqing gazed longingly at the ceiling. “If only there were a truly flawless beauty—what a wondrous being she’d be. Just imagining her feels unbelievable.”

Luo Quan chuckled. “That’s a novel idea.”

“It represents the ultimate of the universe—a path of the Three Thousand Dao fully realized, the embodiment of humanity’s limit, worthy of our worship!”

Xu Yanqing excitedly expressed her thoughts to Luo Quan—clearly, she regarded beauty as an art form.

But this art could only be completed by the mysterious Creator, relying heavily on luck.

Yet according to the principle that all things can enter the Dao, beauty might yet have its own path to enlightenment.

But she herself certainly had no hope of it—even the top-ranked Chu Yueyan was still far from sufficient.

The Empress and the Holy Maiden might have the potential, but both had other cultivation paths and likely wouldn’t devote much effort to their appearance.

Thus, she doubted she would ever live to see anyone attain mastery in this regard—and that was precisely what she mourned.

Different upbringing made it hard for Luo Quan to understand Xu Yanqing’s feelings.

But she could understand the desire to be close to an unparalleled beauty.

Luo Quan touched her earring and ultimately suppressed the urge to confess.

She might as well keep it hidden for now; her identity as the Holy Mother was already drawing too much attention—removing the earring would surely ignite the entire universe network.

It was no big deal for a beauty like Xu Yanqing to want to be close to her; she wasn’t unwilling to accept it.

She only feared that, once word got out, countless men would rush to cling to her—each one powerful, high-ranking, and formidable in martial skill—that would be a nightmare.

Though she currently had the Divine Martial Temple’s backing, who knew if some high-ranking members there might one day develop ill intentions toward her?

One must always guard against others; she was far from being able to act recklessly—she must remain cautious in all things and avoid unnecessary trouble whenever possible.