Chapter 119: A Breathtaking Performance

That evening, Wang Mo was also watching *Eternal Spirit Connection*.

It was Xu Mengqi who had specifically called to remind him to watch it. Of course, Wang Mo was also somewhat curious about how he had performed in the drama. After all, when he played the Immortal, he hadn't been fully aware of his own performance.

That was why he and Yuan Xiong were currently sprawled out on the sofa together, binge-watching the show.

When they reached the "Immortal Descends on the Peak" scene in *Eternal Spirit Connection*, Wang Mo and Yuan Xiong exchanged blank stares. Even though Yuan Xiong had witnessed the filming, seeing that back view on screen still left him profoundly shaken.

As for Wang Mo, his heart was in turmoil. He thought to himself, "This shift in temperament is a bit terrifying."

It couldn't be helped. It was just too realistic. Sometimes, being too realistic wasn't necessarily a good thing. If he were to play a drug lord, a murderer, or a con artist in the future, would it alert the police? Would it cause unnecessary panic and trouble? After all, no matter how well others act, it’s just a performance. But when he acts, it’s the real deal!

After a moment of thought, Wang Mo silently asked his system, "System, can I control the ratio of my temperament conversion? For example, if I switch to the Immortal temperament, would 60% be enough?"

The system replied: [The host can purchase the "Temperament Control" prop in the shop. Each prop costs 100,000 reputation points.]

Wang Mo: "But I haven't unlocked the shop yet."

System: [Please work harder, host.]

Wang Mo: "..."

Fine. At least he knew there would be a way to control the temperament shifts in the future. Otherwise, this ability really couldn't be used lightly. It was just too frightening.

...

It was indeed frightening, as several major social media platforms were in an uproar.

On Weibo, within less than half an hour, several trending topics had popped up:
[Immortal Descends on the Peak]
[This back view is too ethereal]
[A single back view makes me want to kneel and worship]
[The true Immortal]

These topics drowned out everything else related to *Eternal Spirit Connection*, even overshadowing the news about Lu Qian, the protagonist, receiving the "Star Source" award, which had been expected to be the main topic of discussion that night. Almost every viewer of the show couldn't stop talking about the "Immortal Descends on the Peak" scene.

"My goodness, the moment that back view appeared, I had goosebumps."
"Me too, I thought I was looking at a real Immortal."
"I'm not lying, I actually knelt down and kowtowed at home."
"The temperament, it's just too divine."
"And the subtle pressure it radiated—it was exactly how I imagine an Immortal to be."
"How on earth did he do it?"
"That back view is still stuck in my head, I can't shake it off."

In the comment sections, netizens were more shocked than ever. Every word betrayed their disbelief. Many who hadn't watched the show found the trending topics absurd.

"Is *Eternal Spirit Connection* overhyping this a bit too much?"
"Exactly, the trending topics today are an eyesore."
"Is a single back view really worth such praise?"
"Haha, hilarious. How ethereal can a back view actually be?"

However, just as these uninformed netizens were mocking the buzz, others quickly posted video clips of the scene and a classic still of the back view in the comments.

Some saw the image. Some watched the video.
And then... all those uninformed netizens fell into shock as well.

"Is it possible for a human to act like this?"
"Holy crap!"
"Unbelievable."
"It gave me goosebumps all over."

On Weibo, the discussion was merely heated, but on Bilibili and Douyin—especially Douyin—the clips of "Immortal Descends on the Peak" had been posted by various marketing accounts and were going viral rapidly. In a short time, the video's share count exceeded ten million!

After the initial shock and worship, many professionals and industry insiders began to analyze it seriously. Their first thought was: The domestic entertainment industry has an actor with this kind of acting ability?

It was no wonder they thought that way. The performer's acting in the video had truly transcended the limits of their imagination.

A major influencer with ten million followers who specialized in film reviews, "Drama Person," posted a video saying: "Honestly, if I hadn't seen this back view with my own eyes, I couldn't imagine an actor portraying an Immortal to this extent. In my view, the person on screen is no longer an actor. He stands there, and he *is* the Immortal! His aura, his pressure, the intangible presence he radiates—all of it tells us he is an Immortal descended from the heavens. This acting isn't just refined; it's reached the pinnacle of perfection. Looking at the back, we can vaguely judge that the person is likely young, probably under thirty. I just wrote down every actor in the domestic industry under thirty to see if I could figure out who it is, but after ruling them all out, I’m still at a loss. Because none of the young actors in the entertainment industry can match this performance."

Next, a well-known director in the industry also shared his thoughts: "To my knowledge, no actor I have ever worked with could reach this level. I even suspect the back view is AI-generated, because no matter how great an actor is, it’s hard to portray such a divine, otherworldly temperament while standing perfectly still without any body language. However, I just asked an AI expert, and they said that while AI can certainly draw a lifelike virtual character, it cannot replicate the transcendent temperament seen in that back view. So, I am confused. Who played this role? I’ll say this: someone who can act this exquisitely with just their back is no nobody. This person's acting skills are even superior to the current generation of Best Actors and Actresses."

If the "Drama Person" video lacked persuasion, this director's words left people genuinely stunned.

"Who on earth is this person?"
"Could it be my idol?"
"Pfft! You have the nerve to say that."
"Either way, I can't figure it out."
"This acting is breathtaking."
"I'm certain, no one in the young generation of domestic actors has this skill."
"It’s not like this person popped out of a crack in a stone, right?"

What puzzled everyone even more was that in the credits of *Eternal Spirit Connection*, the role of Lu Qian’s master was listed as: Anonymous.

Anonymous meant someone unwilling to reveal their name. This caused quite an uproar. An actor of such caliber, yet unwilling to be known? What was the reason? Netizens began to let their imaginations run wild.

"This person must be a master from the general public."
"I think so too."
"China is full of hidden talent. The director probably just happened to meet an ethereal hermit and asked them to play the role."
"That’s very likely."
"Right, that’s the only way to explain how they have such acting skills—because they were just being themselves. It also explains why they didn't want to be shown, because they are a hermit..."
"Hey everyone, is it possible that this back view was played by a real Immortal?"
"You've watched the show so much you've lost your mind, haven't you?"

While the netizens were lost in their own theories, Guo Wei, the director of *Eternal Spirit Connection*, had his phone blown up. Countless people from the industry—directors, screenwriters, actors—called to ask who played the role.

"Director Guo, do we really need to keep secrets between us?"
"Director Guo, let’s be straight; I want this actor."
"Director Guo, tell me who this genius actor is."
"Director Guo, I'm shooting a fantasy drama right now. Tell me the info on this person, and I'll pay a huge reward."

Faced with all these inquiries, Guo Wei could only smile bitterly and decline one by one: "Sorry, it's not that I don't want to tell you; I really can't."

At that moment, he felt a pang of regret for letting Wang Mo take the role. He had simply been so shocked by Wang Mo's performance that he had acted on a whim, ignoring everything else. But now that the show had aired, Guo Wei realized he had lost control of the situation.

First, Wang Mo’s performance had stolen the spotlight; that night, almost everyone ignored the protagonist and only talked about the back view. Second, many of those calling were top-tier directors and screenwriters; refusing them was, to some extent, offending these heavyweights.

"Not worth the gain," Guo Wei sighed, shaking his head. But at the same time, he harbored hope: "I wonder if the company can overcome the difficulties and let Wang Mo make a comeback one day. If that day comes, I’ll shoot another fantasy drama and invite him to be the lead. With his transcendent temperament, the characters he could play are unimaginable. He would absolutely become one of the most classic figures in the history of fantasy dramas."

In the following days, the speculation about the identity of the person behind the "Immortal Descends on the Peak" back view remained at a fever pitch. It could be said that the all-knowing netizens had turned the entire entertainment industry upside down, yet they still couldn't identify the true owner of the back view.

As time passed, various rumors emerged. Some said the character didn't exist at all and was an AI creation. Some said it was a master hidden in the famous mountains of China. Others claimed the director had captured footage of a real Immortal. There were even those who said the figure looked a lot like the disgraced top idol Wang Mo, because the build, age, and height all matched.

The first three rumors had many supporters. Only the fourth rumor's poster was cursed at by netizens. Damn! How unlucky! Everyone was looking for an Immortal, and this person was looking for a scolding!

At this moment, the true owner of the back view, Wang Mo, after browsing the online discussions about himself for a few days, was just about to go to sleep. Suddenly, a notification sound from the system rang in his mind:

[Congratulations to the host for reaching 5 million reputation points.]
[Award: Special Treasure Chest *1.]
[Award: Silver Treasure Chest *1.]