It's now mid to late November.
The closer we get to December, the intenser the atmosphere of the annual Battle of the Gods becomes. Almost every day more media join in covering and hyping this divine battle, thus an overwhelming number of related articles and stories are circulating online.
"The Battle of the Gods is about to begin!"
"A showdown between Yang Zhongming and Xian Yu!"
"In the variety show, Our Song, Yang Zhongming and Xian Yu ended in a draw, yet in the Battle of the Gods, there is absolutely no possibility of a stalemate. Victory will eventually emerge between these two."
"Battle of the Gods rankings predictions!"
"Several Maestros gang up on Yang Zhongming?"
"Xian Yu's path to a triple crown maybe brought to an end!"
"With Yang Zhongming joining the Battle of the Gods, some professionals in the music industry predict that this year's Battle of the Gods might become an internal competition within Starlight."
The mainstream media reports with caution.
They maintain relatively neutral statements.
However, smaller media outlets tend to be rather biased. From their perspective, the outcome of this war is not so uncertain. After all, isn't it common knowledge that Yang Zhongming is the King of the Charts
Most netizens also sentiment.
It's not that they underestimate Xian Yu. By comparing him with Yang Zhongming, it just shows how much they acknowledge Xian Yu's talent. However, Yang Zhongming's strength is just too formidable, which all of them are well aware of. Accordingly, they all predict that the highest possibility of this epic clash is Yang Zhongming emerging victorious, making Xian Yu's prospects of victory rather slim.
If Yang Zhongming hadn't appeared, looking at Xian Yu's recent performances, he might have had a real chance at clinching the triple crown. This led many netizens to joke that what was supposed to be the Battle of the Gods has suddenly turned into an extended match from "Our Song".
Isn't it an extension?
Just so happened that, Yang Zhongming and Xian Yu drew a tie on the "Our Song" show, and it perfectly dovetails into the Battle of the Gods coming in December, where both will compete!
This coincidence is of course welcomed by everyone. As for this year's Battle of Gods where Xian Yu will directly face Yang Zhongming, some people just can't stop making puns:
"Sheep, sheep, sheep!"
"The Battle between the Fish and the Sheep!"
"Are we watching Animal Planet?"
"This pair really sparks joy!"
"Lock Fish and Sheep together for me!"
"This year's Battle of Gods might be less explosive than the previous two, but because of the atmosphere of the internal rivalry in Starlight, it feels pretty novel. After all, Father Yang has always been fond of Xian Yu."
"If we lose, it's not a loss."
"Fish Papa, go and act adorable in front of Father Yang! For him being ranked in the top five of Blue Star's Maestros, he dares to aim for your triple crown at the Battle of Gods. This matter cannot pass without some compensation!"
Netizens love to ship pairings.
Most of them have been following along from "The Masked Singer". They are well aware of Yang Zhongming's consistent support towards Xian Yu. There are already numerous online discussions about how good their relationship is.
Yang Zhongming's attitude towards Xian Yu in "Our Song" is undoubtedly different from how he treats others. Although it's widely accepted as a senior's appreciation for a talented junior, there's no way to stop netizens from letting their imaginations fly!
The names of the two are also interesting.
Xian Yu, being a fish, needs no further explanation. The word "Yang" in Yang Zhongming's name, if phonetically translated, actually means "sheep". This presents a curious correspondence.
Apart from making puns, not everyone is leaning towards Yang Zhongming's guaranteed victory over Xian Yu. Xian Yu has performed more than just one miracle since his debut, so who dares to say that he can't continue to create miracles?
"On the surface, Father Yang is stronger."
"But Fish Papa often creates spectacles."
"Like his 'Laugh in the Sea', a song of this level could be a challenge even for Father Yang, who back then gave the song extremely high praise."
"And 'The Ordinary Road'!"
"All we can say is that Father Yang, as the senior figure who debuted earlier, has created more sensation with his songs and thus has stronger solid strength. But in the end, it will still come down to their state and performance on the day. After all, even Father Yang and other top Maestros like Lu Sheng have had slip-ups in their battles."
This is the opinion of the remaining netizens. State and performance are also critical. It's like the world's top-ranked athletes, they have not always won, they just win more times than the others.
In the music industry.
Professional musicians certainly pay keen attention to the upcoming Battle of the Gods. Some of them also hold a similar objective view. If Xian Yu performs exceptionally well while Yang Zhongming does not deliver his best this time, there's still hope for Xian Yu to defend his triple crown at the Battle of Gods!
As for both of them messing up?
The possibility is not zero, but it's so low that it can be almost ignored. Despite the presence of other Maestros in the same period, they do not rank among the top few of Blue Star. When they pit against Xian Yu, they still couldn't dare to claim assured victories, let alone facing a daunting opponent like Yang Zhongming who rules the stage!
Someone then notices.
Zheng Jing, a Maestro from Starlight just like Xian Yu and Yang Zhongming, unexpectedly posts a new update on his social media feed. There's no caption or comment, just a picture.
On the left of the picture is a monkey.
The monkey is depicted magnificently, wearing a phoenix-feather cap, a Lock Son Golden Armor, cloud-walking boots, and holding the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel in its hand!
To the right of the picture is a man.
The man looks majestic, clad in gorgeous silver armor with a black cape waving behind his back. There's a conspicuous golden line running vertically down his forehead, and a three-pointed, double-edged lance in his hand!
Someone smiles knowingly.
Those who have seen Journey to the West would know that this image depicts the scene of the battle between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen. Drawn by a fan based on the storyline of Journey to the West, it was primarily intended to portray one of the most exciting scenes in the novel, and also as a metaphor for the great war in the Primordial Chaos era in Journey to the West.
Now, it's being used to metaphorize the competition between Yang Zhongming and Xian Yu.
When Xian Yu and Yang Zhongming tied in terms of votes, host Anhong once jokingly remarked that their competition somewhat paralleled the battle between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen.
Xian Yu is like that Monkey.
Making grand appearances and creating numerous miracles.
Yang Zhongming, on the other hand, is like Erlang Shen. As one of the most powerful combat forces in the Heavenly Court, backed by numerous accomplishments, he is one of the most impressive gods in Blue Star in the eyes of many.
Many thought this picture posted by Zheng Jing was mocking Anhong's comment and recalling the tie between Xian Yu and Yang Zhongming in "Our Song". Barely anyone guessed that Zheng Jing was subtly hinting at the upcoming Battle of Gods at the end of the year.
Some people made those guesses.
But soon others rebutted, "For Xian Yu, Yang Zhongming is not Erlang Shen, a formidable adversary who matches him in combat. Instead, he should be likened to the Buddha, who trapped Sun Wukong under the Five Finger Mountain!"
So, what does Zheng Jing's post mean?
The conclusion is about to be reached, because amid the discussions everywhere and continuous media reports, the horn of the Battle of the Gods is about to sound...