On the stage.
Neither expressive changes on judgesâ faces nor the astonished gasps emanating from the audience managed to disrupt Lin Yuanâs performance.
Lin Yuan did not look or listen to anything in his surroundings.
With in-ear monitors plugged into his ears, he immersed himself in the melody, achieving an even better state of performance than when he rehearsed. The slight discomfort caused by being in the constant focus of cameras gradually faded away.
A gentle light cascaded down.
The backdrop on the large stage screen was a painting of enchanting landscapes.
High peaks towered.
Mists swirled.
Rivers babbled.
Lin Yuan, amidst reactions of varied descriptions from below the stage, gripped the microphone with great stability, perfectly capturing the beats within the music.
The ethereal and natural female voice arose once again, eliciting another round of awe from the audience, even though they had already witnessed the Prince of Lanling switch seamlessly between different voices in the main verse sections.
This was the first part of the high-pitched chorus:
âBracing the chill of the night as I think of you, as if I transmute into spring soil to protect you.â
However, in the next line, Lin Yuan effortlessly switched back to a bass-baritone voice, which emanated a sense of deep affection and magnetism:
âA fleeting span of years brushes love onto your sleeves, one after another, memories of our love flow away like a river.â
Not only the main verse part!
The climax was also a duet of male and female voices!
The audience below the stage was stunned speechless!
â¦
Waiting area.
Tongtong was filled with worries and self-reproach, thinking that the sequence placement she drew might affect the performance of the Prince of Lanling.
But, in the next moment!
When the first seamless transition of male and female voices from the Prince of Lanling resounded, she was dumbfounded, as if struck by a bolt of lightning!
King of Singing?
Queen of Singing?
She could not remember at all; she simply stood there, mouth slightly agape, eyes wide open, gazing blankly at her surroundings.
Dumbstruck!
Meanwhile.
Singersâ lounge.
The Swan stared transfixed at the television on the wall. Even the robotic treatment of her voice couldnât conceal her astonishment:
âIncredible.â
The room next door.
Inside the lounge of the Robot.
The Robot, who seemed to have a more lively character, leapt to his feet. One could only imagine the shocked expression beneath his mask, âI canât tell the gender of this person, they managed to pull off both parts of a male and female duet by themselves!â
The same went for the other singers in their respective lounges.
âWho is this?â
âA prodigy!â
âI have been in the music industry for so many years, and Iâve never heard such a natural transition between male and female voices. When singing the male part, itâs a complete expression of masculinity. When singing the female part, itâs a perfect display of femininity!â
How is this possible?
â¦
Backstage directorâs room.
The director, Tong Shuwen, was also completely taken aback!
Others may not know who the real identity of the Prince of Lanling is. However, he was privy to the information, and thus the shock was even deeper for himâ
Thatâs Xian Yu!
Isnât he a composer?
Why has his singing reached the level of a professional singer, capable of mastering both male and female voice parts!?
This is insane!
The first discovery was surprising enough, just showing how incredibly talented Xian Yu was; however, the second discovery shocked Tong Shuwen. This was not simply a display of talent, but a manifestation of his unparalleled and unique gifts!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Reveal his identity in the first episode?
If the Prince of Lanling reveals his identity in the first episode, nobody would question it.
Tong Shuwen, the director himself, would suspect that âThe Masked Singerâ is manipulating the results!
â¦
Amidst the shock from all parts.
Lin Yuanâs performance had reached its conclusion. As the final climax approached, his voice soared increasingly higher, whether as the male or the female part:
âIs there any period in these cold ten miles that will witness the thriving of spring again, seeing beneath the trees a familiar outline;
Flowers fall on purpose, the river flows indifferently, donât let quarrels and resentments chill the purity of the flower.â
The lights no longer shifted.
They all gathered under Lin Yuanâs feet.
The color of twilight descended on the big screen.
In the close-up shot, beneath the beautifully chilling demon mask, a voice permeated with tenderness and affection rang out:
âUnable to bear the burdens of the mundane worldâ¦â
During the wistful conclusion, the audience seemed to discern a blend of two voices in their daze.
Everyone could not even differentiate if the last line of lyrics was sung in a male voice or a female one.
The scene was silent.
While many cameras were ready to capture the reactions from the showâs team, every face caught in the lens expressed shockâ
Including the four judges.
It wasnât until the last few seconds of the music when Prince of Lanling bowed to the band and the audience that the onlookers were finally able to snap back to reality!
Whoosh!
The audience erupted!
This was something the Robot wasnât able to achieve, and something that even the Swan, who was consistently touted as a top-tier singer, couldnât do eitherâ
âMy god!â
âThis is horrifying!â
âWho on earth is this Prince of Lanling!â
âWhen he first transitioned to the male voice, I thought I had misheard, even doubted if there was something wrong with my ears!â
âIâm still doubting my ears!â
âDoes the stage conceal another singer aside from the Prince of Lanling?â
âIf heâs a male singer, how can he sing so well in a female voice? If sheâs a female singer, how can her male voice be so expressive?â
âMy goodness!â
âWhile other singers perform solos, Prince of Lanling is delivering a mixed-gender doubles match!â
â¦
Judgesâ panel.
The celebrity judges even momentarily forgot their role in setting the atmosphere, although admittedly the atmosphere didnât require any help at that moment.
From the moment the Prince of Lanling first shifted his voice, the impact of the performance had already reached its peak!
âPhewâ¦â
Even An Hong, who was the host, needed to take in a deep breath and moderate his emotions before going on stage.
âThank you, Teacher Wang, for your performance!â