Chapter 992: The Flawless Beauty

"Hahaha, this skit is so interesting."

In the dressing room, Luo Quan and Xu Yanqing laughed together watching the show.

By the time they changed clothes and applied makeup, the Annual Gala had already begun.

Since it was a family-friendly gathering, the programs were mainly light and entertaining, with language-based acts like skits being the most numerous, followed by singing performances, then dance numbers, and finally a few one-off special acts.

The Universe Beauty Awards, where Luo Quan and her group performed, was a mixed bag—featuring singing, dancing, and instrumental performances, each presented separately by different performers.

Luo Quan hadn’t watched a skit this attentively in a long time; most domestic skits these days were awkward and uninspired—you could guess the ending within a minute, and not a single joke landed.

In contrast, every skit on the Annual Gala had excellent plots and energetic performances that made the audience burst into laughter.

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t finish watching this one—because it was almost their turn to go on stage; the director shouted through a megaphone for them to hurry backstage and prepare.

"This is your first time on such a big stage—are you nervous?"

As Xu Yanqing and Luo Quan walked down the corridor, perhaps to ease her own tension, she asked Luo Quan if she was nervous.

"I was probably born to perform on stage, to bask in the glory of being the center of attention."

Luo Quan smiled with absolute confidence, like a seasoned superstar: "I’m not nervous at all—I’m excited. I can’t wait for the audience to witness my masterpiece."

"Your mental strength is even better than I imagined."

Xu Yanqing stared at Luo Quan, then sighed: "Some people are just born for this life—you’ll achieve incredible things."

Luo Quan replied with a radiant smile: "Then I’ll take your good wishes as a blessing."

Laughing and chatting, they arrived backstage, where the other thirty-some female stars were all dressed in lavish attire, waiting for the most important moment of the year.

Nearly forty beauties would each take the stage through thirteen different acts.

For Luo Quan’s choral piece, four level-eight beauties were assisting—two as lead vocalists, two as pianists—and during the performance, the cameras would focus almost entirely on them.

As the main performer of the act, Luo Quan didn’t mind if the other four stole some of the spotlight.

After all, the conductor is always the most dazzling presence—once the music began, her baton would effortlessly draw every eye, since she was undoubtedly the most dynamic figure on stage.

After Luo Quan appeared, the four young beauties assigned to her act immediately gathered around her, gazing at her with pure admiration, clearly treating her as their leader.

The other beauties watched this scene and murmured among themselves: this Holy Mother of the Dawn Church was quite skilled at winning hearts—how had she managed to tame these proud, high-spirited beauties so quickly? It was truly impressive.

But they had no idea that these four young beauties’ devotion to Luo Quan had nothing to do with any manipulation.

As musicians, after playing Luo Quan’s music, an uncontrollable wave of reverence surged from deep within them.

Luo Quan’s music was simply too powerful—her mastery rivaled even the greatest musicians of the Universe.

It was this peerless skill that made them revere and admire her so deeply.

Originally, despite having rehearsed the piece countless times, they still felt some nerves before going on.

But once Luo Quan appeared, it was as if they’d found their anchor—just being near her calmed their hearts, filling them with an indescribable warmth.

In the music world, this phenomenon was called Universal Stability—a presence only the most accomplished musicians could possess, one that brought calm and confidence to those around them, minimizing the chance of mistakes.

Without doubt, Luo Quan was such a musician, and they were incredibly fortunate to feel the soothing effect of her Universal Stability aura.

Luo Quan herself, however, remained unaware—after all, who could imagine that singing and composing could generate an aura?

As the skit ended, all the actresses preparing to go on stage grew solemn—even the most seasoned and confident among them lost their casual smiles.

"Group One, go!"

At the director’s command, the twelve actresses chosen to open the Beauty Awards immediately stepped into the teleportation array.

Though called “backstage,” this area was actually far from the stage—entry and exit required teleportation arrays, and what happened on stage could only be seen via light screens.

The first act of the Universe Beauty Awards was the dance “Twelve Golden Flowers,” in which twelve beauties portrayed the Universe’s twelve most beloved flowers through movement, embodying the beauty of the human form mirroring blossoms.

These dancers possessed extraordinary skill—their bodies were impossibly supple, maintaining grace even in the most extreme poses.

Each of the twelve flowers represented a distinct dance style; one, resembling belly dancing, was especially fiery and sensual. After this dance, the Annual Gala’s viewership hit a new high for the night and continued rising.

“Twelve Golden Flowers” set a brilliant tone for this year’s Gala—both live and screen audiences now had their anticipation fully raised.

Then Xu Yanqing, the second performer, immediately shattered the five-year peak viewership record.

Her explosive figure delivered explosive ratings—when she sat beside the instrument resembling a piano, what she would play next became irrelevant.

She herself seemed transformed into an artwork named “Desire”—just looking at her sent blood racing, impossible to look away.

Undoubtedly, Xu Yanqing’s technical skill paled compared to professional musicians—but the audience hadn’t tuned in for technique.

Xu Yanqing offered them her most beautiful self, and received thunderous applause and astonishingly high viewership in return.

When she returned backstage and saw three of the top five trending topics were related to her, she finally broke into a delighted smile.

If nothing went wrong, this Annual Gala would mark the beginning of her artistic second wind!

Too bad the other women were preparing in another room—she couldn’t enjoy their envious, jealous glares.

Xu Yanqing blew a casual whistle, slumped softly onto the sofa, and opened the light screen to watch the Annual Gala as an audience member.

All were beauties, yet the quality of their acts varied sharply—Xu Yanqing had pushed the show’s viewership to its peak.

The performers who followed didn’t raise it further, but at least kept it steady, preventing any drop.

Yet after being bombarded by wave after wave of beauty, the audience finally began to suffer from aesthetic fatigue.

Some went to the restroom, others switched channels—the only thing still worth waiting for was Chu Yueyan, the inevitable finale.

And Luo Quan stepped onto the stage precisely at this awkward moment.

Originally, the director had planned to save her for the finale—after all, the quality of her song was so high, it could easily serve as the Gala’s closing act.

But the director also anticipated that by mid-show, viewers would experience aesthetic fatigue.

To ensure consistently high viewership and break records, he deliberately scheduled Luo Quan’s performance at this awkward slot—to lure back viewers who had switched channels.

Though the Annual Gala had official backing, the authorities couldn’t force audiences to watch only this one program.

Other channels had prepared dazzling New Year’s performances of their own, so the Gala faced real viewership competition.

But because its quality had always been solid, it had long stood alone as the top choice.

Still, which director wouldn’t dream of making his Annual Gala the highest-rated in history?

This year’s director had just been handed such an opportunity.

Though many viewers had switched channels, even more were now rushing in upon hearing the news.

So Luo Quan’s timing was awkward—and yet, perfectly timed.

With the three-act climax of Xu Yanqing—Luo Quan—Chu Yueyan, the director was confident this year’s viewership would break the five-hundred-year record!

If he succeeded, he could rest on his laurels for the rest of his life.

As for Luo Quan herself, she had no strong feelings about the order—right now, her mind held only one thought: to present this next act perfectly to the audience.

Stepping out of the teleportation array, she and nearly a thousand orchestra members stood on a dazzling, glittering stage.

Before them stretched audience seats piled higher than mountains.

The dense crowd radiated a pressure like a mountain range, making her involuntarily take a deep breath.

After calming her nerves, Luo Quan lifted her gown’s hem and bowed to the audience in a graceful curtsey.

A simple gesture, yet exuding unmatched elegance—many viewers’ eyes lit up.

"Next, please welcome Luo Quan and the Starlight Orchestra with their choral performance—‘Ode to Joy’!"

As the announcer spoke, Luo Quan drew out her baton.

After a three-second pause, she swung it—and a lively melody immediately spiraled across the stage, halting every viewer who had reached for the remote.

No Earthling could have imagined that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, fourth movement, would appear on an alien stage.

Compared to other classical pieces, this movement had more sung lyrics, which alien audiences couldn’t understand.

But the music alone was enough.

To Luo Quan, Beethoven’s Ninth, fourth movement—“Ode to Joy”—was among the highest achievements of Earth’s musical art, embodying truth, goodness, and beauty in music.

Some said this song was like the sun, illuminating all things in the musical world, crossing every boundary—its very existence was greatness, and Beethoven, who created it, was beyond description.

In these soaring movements, we hear Beethoven’s breath.

His rhythm, his pulse, feel him galloping through fields, hear his music, swept up in ecstatic passion, like King Lear in a thunderstorm.

After ultimate joy comes religious ecstasy; then a sacred feast, then the thrill of love.

Humanity stretches its arms to heaven, crying out, rushing toward “Joy,” clutching it tightly to its chest.

This piece is undeniably a shining jewel of human civilization—so outstanding that even if Earth had never created it, Luo Quan dared not replicate it.

Or perhaps, she was just too embarrassed.

As one of the Master’s masterpieces, to compose such an emotionally powerful work required far more than a twenty-year-old’s experience and vague flashes of genius.

Even if one wished to “borrow” it, one should wait until after forty—otherwise, humanity could never comprehend how such a piece was born.

But with aliens? It didn’t matter.

Do you need logic with aliens?

Of course not.

All Luo Quan wanted to do now was give them a small, earth-shaking taste of Earth.

After a brief three-and-a-half-minute buildup, the climax of “Ode to Joy” arrived in silence.

Luo Quan moved gently, as if caressing a lover’s body; her expression was relaxed—she seemed less like a conductor than someone savoring music she hadn’t heard in ages.

In her heart, this was the pinnacle moment of human musical history.

By this point in the performance, every audience member was moved.

They hadn’t expected that a show centered on admiring beauty could also deliver such profound artistic music.

As the song began, a halo-like aura, resembling divine light, rose behind the entire orchestra—no explanation was needed.

A musician capable of composing at this level was a treasure among treasures in the Universe—even the Annual Gala couldn’t afford many such performers.

Yet they hadn’t anticipated that these brilliant three-and-a-half minutes were merely the prelude—the true climax was just beginning.

As silence stretched for about ten seconds, the entire studio grew so still you could hear the pounding of excited hearts.

As Luo Quan raised her arm, the grand chorus of "Ode to Joy" erupted thunderously:

“Joyful goddess, pure and beautiful, your radiant light shines upon the earth!”

“Our hearts brim with passion as we come to your sacred hall!”

“Your power reunites all people once more!”

“Beneath your glorious radiance, all under heaven are brothers!”

………………

As the singing threatened to shatter the ceiling, a massive, pristine white statue appeared behind Luo Quan.

She was a true, flawless beauty!