Someone was just about to ask, "What kind of garbage poem is that? Where are these ’cute pets treading on flames’?"

But then, the cute pets treading on flames arrived.

Li Xiang directed the cute little pets as they performed all sorts of amazing stunts.

It was still in the Apocalypse style. Jiang Cai’Er simulated a mini "zombie siege" special effect, but she beautified the details to avoid scaring any children to tears, like what happened with Yao Yao before.

Furthermore, some of the older folks were a bit superstitious and couldn’t stand seeing such things. By toning it down, it was more visually acceptable for everyone.

For example, to fit the festive mood, Jiang Cai’Er had the zombies wear rather celebratory outfits. It was the New Year, after all, so the zombies were dressed festively, even wearing signs on their heads that read "Wishing You Prosperity," "Good Fortune," and "A Happy Family." It was a fitting touch for the occasion.

Er Huang and the Little Fox, meanwhile, were decked out in custom-made Obsidian Cool Mecha (Crystal Vein Armor) that Li Xiang had designed for them, engraved with the words "Prosperity" and "Wealth" respectively. They leaped through rings of fire ignited by Lei Xiaohui, carrying "Crystal Cores" (which were ordinary glowing toy balls) in their mouths to rescue trapped rag dolls.

The moment the two little guys appeared, their comical outfits sent the crowd roaring with laughter. But afterward, their heroic performance earned them round after round of applause.

At the same time, the live stream chat activated a "Feed Crystal Cores" gifting animation.

The kittens came out next, walking a tightrope more than five meters in the air. A projection of lava churned below the wire, looking exceptionally dangerous. One slip, and they would be melted without a trace.

Even though everyone knew it was fake, it was so realistic that they couldn’t help but worry for the adorable kitty squad.

Then, Xiaobai, who was bringing up the rear, added a dramatic twist. The calico and tabby cats had already crossed nimbly, but Xiaobai "accidentally" slipped and fell from the high wire!

The audience gasped!

And then, a magical scene unfolded. Xiaobai’s body twisted in the air like a pretzel. With an incredible mid-air flip, it leaped back onto the thin wire and landed steadily!

Holy crap! The audience went wild. The live stream chat exploded.

People spammed the comments: "Divine Cat! Divine Cat!"

It’s said that no matter how you drop a cat, it will always twist its body in mid-air to land on all fours—but that’s a normal cat. Xiaobai, as an Extraordinary divine cat, could actually fall, twist its body mid-air, and launch itself upward instead of continuing down. It was undeniably magical and defied all scientific principles.

After that, the little hedgehog, the two little geese, and the big rooster all took the stage, each with their own special talent.

The little hedgehog, for instance, performed "The Crystal Fruit Transporter."

The little hedgehog curled into a ball, the gaps between its spines filled with glowing Crystal Stones simulating "fruit," and rolled at high speed down a slope on the stage. Li Xiang secretly used his Earth Superpower, causing a dynamic Crystal Stone track to crack open on the ground. Every spot the hedgehog rolled over triggered an AR projection—

When it rolled over a track with watermelon patterns, virtual watermelon juice sprayed out from between its spines;

When it touched a pineapple projection area, golden crystal powder burst around its body, simulating splashing fruit pulp.

Of course, this was all fake, simulated by Jiang Cai’Er using her Mirage Realm.

Simultaneously, the live stream started a "fruit emoji rain," where fans could send fruit emojis to trigger corresponding special effects.

When the little hedgehog accidentally rolled off course, Jiang Cai’Er would control a swarm of drones to project a Crystal Fruit Maze to guide it back on track.

Li Xiang’s cousin, Shen Wenqian, provided "play-by-play commentary" from the side. Her witty and amusing live narration had everyone roaring with laughter.

This "educational" combination of "game performance and commentary" was truly ingenious and proved to be especially popular with the children.

Many of the kids stood up and shouted nonstop, "Go, little hedgehog, go!" "Go, little hedgehog!" "Little hedgehog, you went the wrong way again! You’re supposed to hit the watermelon next!"

You could even call it "Hedgehog Fruit Ninja"—an adaptation of the classic mobile game.

The two little geese performed "Swan Lake 2.0." With fluorescent ribbons tied around their necks, they crisscrossed the water like ballerinas. One performed a "single-webbed-foot spin" on a floating Crystal Stone, its webbed foot skimming the water and triggering a Spirit Flame pre-planted by Lei Xiaohui, which erupted into a lotus flower of blue fire.

The other goose held an LED corncob in its beak and did a "tap dance." When it accidentally flung the corn away, Li Xiang used his Earth Superpower to form a Crystal Stone corncob to catch it, causing the chat to spam "The Charlie Chaplin of geese."

’Whoa, I’ve seen a lot of circus acts, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a goose and a hedgehog put on such a clever performance!’

Zhao Xueqing secretly used her Vine Technique to form an arched bridge. The two geese flapped their wings and leaped over it, their feathers shaking off AR snowflakes that formed a projection of a "goose-shaped snow sculpture" upon landing.

In the live stream, the fans were simply mind-blown. The special effects were on a whole other level. ’Just how much money did this cost?’

The big rooster then performed "Crowing at Dawn." With its red comb and colorful feathers, it strutted proudly to the center of the stage and let out a loud, clear crow. Nine crimson-gold lines of fire burst from its tail feathers, shooting toward the night sky. Jiang Cai’Er simultaneously controlled a drone swarm to form a "Sunrise in the East" pattern, and as the lines of fire passed through the clouds, Li Xiang used his Earth Superpower to shake loose crystallized dewdrops, simulating morning dew.

At the same time, the live stream featured a "Crowing Decibel Battle." The louder the audience cheered, the more intense the flames on the rooster’s tail feathers became. Reaching the highest level triggered a "Full Tail Burn" special effect—a miniature panorama of the Underground City appeared within the flames.

On the back mountain, Tuantuan, Huanhuan, and Lele watched the spectacle from afar, their eyes shining with envy.

Tuantuan thought to himself, ’When will I get to go up there and perform? I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight. It’s destined to be a sleepless night, and my dark circles are going to get even worse!’

Li Xiang’s younger cousin, Shen Zimo, who had recited the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" last year, performed "The Memorial of the First Campaign" this year. Despite his young age, his recitation was full of emotion and expression. Li Xiang accompanied him with an Illusion Realm of the Three Kingdoms’ armored cavalry, which, it had to be said, moved many of the older audience members to tears.

Afterward, Zhao Xueqing, Yao Yao, and Lei Xiaohui led a dozen other girls in a chorus of "Red Mountain Fruit."

It wasn’t just singing; they sang and danced while incorporating special effects from various elements like vines, Ice Crystals, and Spirit Flames.

First, Zhao Xueqing took a light step onto the stage, and frost flowers spread out to pave the way. Her Vine Technique activated silently, and all things began to grow.

Lush, leafy vines instantly grew around the edge of the stage, sprouting little flowers as they went.

The gnarled branches of the vines formed a natural musical scale, while the light-and-shadow sheet music for "Red Mountain Fruit" appeared on the surfaces of the leaves. The petals of the flowers on the vines opened and closed automatically with the melody, simulating the changing formations of a choir.

Furthermore, corresponding scenery materialized according to the lyrics: "a flower," "a tree," "a house," "a road," "a mountain," "a river"...

When they reached the chorus—"The southern mountain’s slopes are covered in wildflowers, you hide in the east and I’ll hide in the west. You must hold my hand tight, and we’ll cross the river together..."—the real-time popularity index broke five million, crushing all the other celebrity galas that night. Even the stars of ’Philharmonic Journey’ would have watched and admitted they couldn’t compare.

Around ten o’clock at night, Li Xiang and Jiang Cai’Er took the stage for the grand finale: a dual flute duet of "Thousand Mountains Crane Cry." The flutes their grandfather had made for them were simple instruments crafted by an ordinary old rural artisan (Li Xiang’s maternal grandfather), but when played, their sound quality was first-class.

When Li Xiang held his Qu Di horizontally and blew the first long note, crystallized reed clusters suddenly grew around the stage. Jiang Cai’Er cut in sharply with her Bangdi, and the sounds of their flutes intertwined like two cranes circling with necks entwined—inspiring endless flights of fancy.

As the low notes of Li Xiang’s Qu Di trembled, the tips of the reeds burst forth with blue crystal particles that formed a three-dimensional musical staff in the airflow.

At the high-pitched peak of Jiang Cai’Er’s Bangdi, the drone swarm transformed into 88 mechanical cranes. As their beaks opened and closed, they emitted the harmonic overtones of the guqin piece "Guangling San."

When they reached the cadenza, "Crane Formation Piercing Clouds," Li Xiang stomped his foot, triggering his Earth Superpower. The ground in front of the stage suddenly crystallized, each tile turning into an independent resonance chamber. Meanwhile, Jiang Cai’Er directed the mechanical cranes to dive and skim over the crowd, causing waves of screams.

It was a feast for the senses.

Absolutely legendary.

Gifts continuously flooded the live stream chat. One talented scholar even composed a poem on the spot, titled: "A Gift Upon Viewing ’Thousand Mountains Crane Cry’."

A song divine cracks the nine-fold sky; a thousand engines, like stars, drift as feathers fly.

The Earth Pivot and celestial shells create a new domain; the cry of cranes forever startles the tides of the four seas.

In reality, it was just one of Jiang Cai’Er’s alt accounts. Like a merchant praising her own goods, she was just patting herself on the back. No one would ever know, anyway. She had tens of thousands of alt accounts online; an ordinary person would never be able to trace them.