light, appearing and disappearing. The oppressive feeling that accompanied them caused the air in the room to feel thick and stagnant; even the slightest sound seemed capable of creating a powerful tr...Chapter 57: The First Drop of Blood in the Art of Ranch

Every light in the theater seemed to be imbued with life. The moment the music ended, a wave of illumination filled the entire space. Pale gold light flowed across the black marble, like a stream murmuring in the night.

The back row of the audience.

"I originally thought this classroom was examining art, but what they were actually examining was the destruction of art. It turns out that destroying art is itself a form of art…"

Lance let out a breath, his voice laced with a mixture of relief and a sense of something loosening its grip.

Now he was smiling confidently, as if eager to show off on stage for his classmates.

"..."

Hughberry leaned to the side, observing Lynch's condition. It felt like a lump in her throat.

He seems to have benefited greatly from his time at this demonic academy.

Others may be coming to challenge the Shadow Realm.

And Lan Qi is truly here to learn.

Logically, Ranchi's "wholehearted" way of life should be commendable, but... she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.

"Wait here and stay safe."

Lanche stood up and, as he passed beside Huberly, dropped that remark before proceeding along the red carpet staircase towards the stage.

"Okay."

Hubley replied.

With her spellbook, she's not well-suited for this exam.

In situations where things get hairy, having Krang as a magical support makes Zira feel strangely safe.

Theoretically, Lanche would go first. Once Lanche passes, they could swap purple and below magic cards on the stands temporarily, restructuring their spell decks so that Huberlian could also pass.

……

The music exam has been going on for most of the time, and the classroom is filled with a mixture of silence and anticipation. Students confident in their abilities have mostly finished performing already.

The rest are either students with weak abilities, or those who are top-tier competitors.

From the previous few performances, whenever the show ended, a while had to pass before the demon students would come on stage voluntarily.

So this time, when the head teacher saw Lan Chi quickly stand up and raise his hand to volunteer, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

... accompanied by a leisurely rhythm echoing through the theater.

In no time, Lan Chi strode onto the stage. His figure stood out under the theater's lights, his presence seemingly merging with the performance environment itself. All eyes were drawn to him.

"Are you ready"

The teacher standing beside Ranch asked.

Before the exam starts, students can raise any legitimate requests or questions to the invigilator. This is standard practice in any examination hall, so the invigilator started by asking:

If there are no further questions, the 2-minute performance timer will officially begin, and students will be permitted to freely use spells on stage.

"Could you please tell me what the reward would be if four music instructors all acknowledged it"

Lanche nodded slightly, asking with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment.

"There is no design for the course that all four of them could agree on."

The host teacher looked at him, smiling and shaking his head, a hint of unspoken authority in his smile.

But what if such a situation occurred

"The guide doesn't mention this because the criteria for recognition by the four music mentors are inherently contradictory, making it impossible to fulfill them all simultaneously."

The host teacher's voice gradually subsided.

For example, there is no music that can be so loud and enticing as to put the slumbering demon spirits to sleep while simultaneously possessing the terrifying intensity of a corrupted and diseased body and the feverish atmosphere desired by phantom armor.

"There has never been a student who could win the approval of all four music mentors at the same time, no matter how talented."

The host teacher added, hoping that Lance could understand his meaning — their curriculum design was unquestionable.

"Teacher, I really think I can do it."

Lanche stared straight at the host teacher.

"If you could do that, it would indeed prove that our exam design has flaws and that your musical level has far surpassed what we can understand. You could even be said to be underqualified as a music instructor."

The host's words seemed to taunt Lanchi for his ignorance.

After all, this is a performance being watched by many bigwigs from the Demon Realm. A student repeatedly questioning the rules is essentially sabotaging the show.

"If you are recognized by four music instructors, you will be directly hired as a teacher in our Music Department. How does that sound"

The host teacher looked down at the audience and raised his voice slightly before announcing, then turning to Lance and asking.

As the voice faded, a rustle of laughter rippled through the audience.

"Teacher, are you sure What if the music director doesn't have enough composure to judge after the performance"

"This is the Demon King's Court Theater, watched over by the Demonic Eye and also attended by noble demons. Should you betray this stage, even I, the Head of the Music Department of this academy, wouldn't live long enough to see the sun rise again. Furthermore, should the Music Instructor be unable to judge, such as when Mr. Slumbering Demon Spirit is in slumber, I will judge based on the standards he submitted to the academy prior to his performance, ensuring fairness."

The host teacher gazed at the magic eye suspended above the center of the stage, and handed the microphone to Lance with a hint of amusement.

So, do you have any other questions

No problem, let's get started.

Immediately, Lance grabbed the microphone, smoothed his collar, and strode to the center of the stage.

His eyes had completely changed, like a star from the demon realm about to rise.

Once you step onto this stage and the performance begins, you can use any magic.

Lan Qi didn't say a word, and used [The Great Love Poet].

Upon his summons, a gray-haired beauty in a crimson gown, accompanied by a fragrant mist, appeared on stage.

She opened her eyes as if waking from a dream, her hair and skirt hem swaying gently, like the soft lullaby of summer or the rustling mountain wind of autumn. In an instant, she had lost many demons in the audience to her enchanting presence.

The great love poet's bright eyes gazed upon everything in the theater, as if she had understood something. A hint of regret or joy played at the corner of her lips, but she didn't speak, using her magical voice to influence the minds of any living beings.

Since summoning itself is a kind of magic, it's not a problem to summon familiars bound by a soul contract in a performance.

"In a little while, you'll be the lead singer. It's time for the four mentors and classmates to see the results of our studies."

Lance passed the microphone to the great poet of love.

The great poet smiled brightly, nodding gently. Her eyes sparkled with boundless confidence.

And then, with grace and composure, Erlan reached a piano-like Demonic instrument. She sat down elegantly, raising the lid.

The distance in the audience.

When Hubertian saw that the one holding the microphone was the Great Love Poet, he instinctively wanted to run away.

She couldn't even imagine what would happen in the theater if this thing went on stage and started singing at full blast!

(The End)

[ ]vated, the sounds of the sea breeze and waves returned to this guestroom.Everything seemed calm and peaceful, as if nothing had just happened.The humming beside the Silver Clad Priest's ear slowly fad...