Substitution
"Phew..."
"Failed again."
Chen Ling swayed unsteadily on the reef but managed to stand firm. His pair of brows furrowed tightly.
"First Senior Brother said that the key is to use 'belief' to resonate with the spirit in that split second... So, in fact, the posture and angle of the strike don't matter at all. First Senior Brother should have also just casually slapped it back then."
"Deliberately imitating the 'form' will only distract my attention, and belief ultimately still won't gather. It's better to directly abandon everything and fully concentrate on comprehending belief..."
"Then the problem is, how do I generate a belief sufficient to resonate with the spirit in that instant?"
Chen Ling's brain worked rapidly. He looked down at his Great Crimson Theatrical Robe, and a thought suddenly surged into his mind.
"Belief of the Theater Dao... Could it be that the focus is on 'Theater'?"
Only by substituting oneself into a certain Role could one make belief and the Path of the Actor resonate?
Chen Ling suddenly thought of the first time he went to Clown Peak and was chased to kill by Clown. Second Senior Sister Luan Mei seemed to have been Singing Opera Vocals while substituting into a role, and then forcefully suppressed Clown... If his understanding wasn't wrong, then that should also be a type of [Sleeve-Hand Pushing Heaven]?
The waves in the distance surged closer, leaving Chen Ling little time to think. A flash of brilliance passed through his eyes, and he planned to try it first and see.
The large amount of traditional opera he had learned over the past few months flashed rapidly through his mind, eventually locking onto the lyric Luan Mei had once used.
On the pitch-black reef, that Great Crimson Theatrical Robe slowly raised its hand and struck a pose. A pair of eyes glared angrily at the surging waves ahead, taking a deep breath...
The next moment, an extremely penetrating Opera Vocal resonated in the air:
"What is there to discuss about the barbarian king's clowns? My single sword can block a million troops!!"
This lyric was selected from "Mu Guiying Taking Command" and was considered the sentence with the strongest killing Aura among Dan Role lyrics. Chen Ling remembered that when Luan Mei sang it back then, perhaps to better evoke resonance, she had modified the lyric, changing "sword" to the "saber" in her hand. However, at this moment, Chen Ling's hands were empty, so he still used the original "sword," only joining his hands together to form a sword gesture and forcefully waving it towards his front.
Boom—!!
That Great Crimson Theatrical Robe was mercilessly swallowed by the waves once again.
"He indeed comprehended it." Seeing this scene, Ning Ruyu smiled with some gratification.
"Unfortunately, the sense of belief substituted is still not enough." Luan Mei shook her head helplessly. "Although Little Junior Brother can sing, the time he has been exposed to opera is still short, and he doesn't know much about Mu Guiying in the Opera Script... At this level, it's impossible to generate resonance."
"This might be the trickiest part. We'll have to see how Little Junior Brother solves it."
While the group was discussing and sighing emotionally, a hand once again reached out from the seawater, supporting the disheveled great crimson figure to stand up again.
Chen Ling wiped the seawater from his face and let out a long sigh, his expression somewhat ugly.
"No good... I can't feel the resonance."
"Change to another role?"
Chen Ling felt that his general direction was correct. After pondering slightly, he changed his posture and stood on the reefs, his gaze staring fixedly at the next wave approaching.
"...A sea of banners beckons, horns roar in the smoke and dust, yet I shall exterminate the children in one battle!"
This time, Chen Ling sang "Deflecting the Chariots," which First Senior Brother had sung. At the same time, his mind constantly recalled First Senior Brother's demeanor back then, trying to substitute himself into it.
A wave rolled over, and the Great Crimson Theatrical Robe disappeared from the reef once again.
A few seconds later, a disheveled figure climbed up again, gritting his teeth and opening his mouth once more:
"With the Green Peak Sword shining bright in hand!!" (Note 1)
Bang—
Chen Ling was sent flying again.
After trying consecutively four or five times like this, Chen Ling still hadn't succeeded. His mind gradually calmed down, and he muttered to himself:
"Is it because my understanding of opera isn't enough? Or is it that I can't generate a sense of belief... Wait, if it's just substituting into a role, there seems to be no need to stubbornly stick to these few lyrics, right? What if I try to play a different role?"
Chen Ling recalled the Performance fragments that had left the deepest impression and that he understood the best so far... Finally, an image surged into his mind.
"Maybe... this segment could work?"
Chen Ling stood firmly on the reef and looked at the roaring twenty-fourth giant wave, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes.
He slowly closed his eyes.
It was pitch black in front of his eyes, but as his thoughts gradually traced back, a scene he would never forget in his entire life slowly surfaced beside him.
Heavy snow.
A mansion.
A blood-stained Stage.
Draped in a Great Crimson Theatrical Robe, he slowly stepped out from the room filled with shattered corpses into the heavy, goose-feather snow.
Three terrified figures sat in the snow. As he approached, they desperately tried to retreat backward, but their legs seemed to have lost all strength, and their entire bodies were trembling.
Chen Ling couldn't see his own appearance, but he knew what he should look like... An Opera Mask of a "Dan Role" with apricot-like red makeup and hook-like eyebrow tails was fitting onto his face. That was Chen Yan's face.
He was substituting into Chen Yan!
Anger, killing intent, despair, struggle... Familiar feelings surged into Chen Ling's heart. The great crimson sleeve gently lifted, and an extremely penetrating Opera Vocal echoed in the sky above the mansion.
"This little nun is merely sweet sixteen, right in the prime of youth, yet had her hair shaved by her master.
Every day, offering incense and changing water in the Buddhist hall,
Seeing a few young men playing down by the mountain gate..."
Chen Yan was substituting into "Longing for the Mundane," and Chen Ling was substituting into Chen Yan.
At this moment, the figures of Chen Ling and Chen Yan gradually merged, and Chen Ling's consciousness also began to blur... The one who performed all this back then was originally his body. All emotions and beliefs were perfectly preserved. Without any hindrance, without any sluggishness, Chen Ling easily substituted into it.
The melodious and desolate lyric didn't seem to possess any killing Aura, but the emotions hidden within were enough to cause the surrounding temperature to drop rapidly. Chen Ling and Chen Yan, or rather the spirit of "Longing for the Mundane," overlapped with each other. An indescribable, ethereal sense of belief surged into his heart!
That Great Crimson Theatrical Robe paced forward slowly amidst the black reefs. He closed his eyes, his broad sleeves rustling loudly in the wind.
"This is..." A hint of shock surfaced in Wen Renyou's eyes.
"Such strong resonance... Did he capture the Belief of the Theater Dao? Who is he substituting into?!" Luan Mei's expression was equally surprised. Also walking the Path of the Actor, they could both feel the change in the Aura on Chen Ling's body.
Ning Ruyu didn't speak. His eyes stared fixedly at that Great Crimson Theatrical Robe proactively approaching the wave, seemingly feeling nervous for Chen Ling.
The next moment, Chen Ling moved.
"He looks at us, and we gaze back at him..."
Chen Ling's eyes slowly opened. In his pupils, a flickering brilliance lit up like stars, and an indescribable Aura instantly surged out!
He subconsciously raised his hand and gently pushed toward the giant wave blocking the sky and the sun.
"He and us, us and him, both sides full of yearning."
Boom—!!!
A booming explosion burst open from the center of the wave. Snow-white spray splashed into the air, as if a torrential downpour submerged that red clothing!
...
...
Note 1: Selected from the Beijing opera "Shanhaiguan."