It wasn't just him; in fact, anyone who came to attend this show, whether they were a singer or an audience member, was at the very least a lover of songs.

Why had these people traveled such great distances to get here?

An excellent live music performance is what a music enthusiast loves most, and sometimes the moments of spontaneous brilliance at a live show are far more interesting than a conventional album.

The problem was that Qin Xiao was too steady, so steady that there were no surprises, and naturally, no distinctiveness.

The key point was she was now in a competition, and her opponent was Xu Qingqiu!

A singer whose singing skills were better than hers, who had a better foundation, who worked harder, and who was more famous.

When their performances were compared, it was as if two different songs from the same artist's album were performed, yet each rendition exuded a completely different aura.

Xu Qingqiu's songs, whether in terms of arrangement, timbre, or even the high notes, brought a completely different pleasure to the listener. In contrast, listening to Qin Xiao felt more like listening to a CD.

If this were a poetry recitation, Xu Qingqiu's would be full of emotion, whereas Qin Xiao's could only be considered clear in articulation and accurate in pronunciation, with nothing more.

Such a huge gap, to put it bluntly, was like rubbing her face in the dirt.

As expected, during the voting segment that followed, the audience had a clear answer, even if they voted with their feet.

"382:198"

"Congratulations to [Just One More Bite Won't Make You Fat] on advancing to the next round!"

Over three hundred votes to less than two hundred—a victory by a large margin.

It could even be said to be the biggest score difference of the round.

[Jasmine Flower], who had been only slightly nervous moments before, stood up instantly upon hearing the result as she returned to the rest area.

"Why?"

"How can this be? Such a big gap, how is it possible? Did I sing poorly?"

Unfortunately, no one answered her. Aside from the recording staff, she didn't even have her assistant around.

If Chu Tian heard her say this, he would likely be even more disappointed.

Not only is her skill lacking, but her judgment is poor too. Others might be accused of having high standards but low ability; at least they have high standards.

Does she not even have that?

It wasn't that Qin Xiao wasn't capable, but she had spent too much energy on cruises, luxury bags, and parties over the past year, causing her professional level to regress.

Her response earlier was just an unconscious reflex, but she quickly realized her mistake.

Her team had actually proposed two strategies: one was to play it safe, the other was to innovate. But with high-intensity, hellish training and only a week, how could she possibly find the time?

She couldn't manage most of the improvements; even playing it safe was asking too much of her.

Besides, who among those here was mediocre? Wasn't each one experienced and highly skilled?

Constantly surrounded by fleeting popularity, she had thought her own abilities weren't so bad. But when pitted against true powerhouses, she realized how ridiculous her thoughts had been.

They might lack mainstream appeal or be criticized as washed-up or old, but no one dared to call them untalented!

As for her performance, Chu Tian never had high expectations. He had her come merely to serve as a foil.

How far along did she think this was? Did she think it was all over after just one round? According to the rules, losing three initial matches meant unmasking and elimination.

And Qin Xiao was the first he had marked for elimination.

This is only the beginning; there are two more chances to go. She'll get used to it eventually.

A surprise? There were no surprises! If there had been, the person responsible for such an upset might as well drop dead.

The world doesn't stop for anyone, and neither does time.

"Alright, the first round of the competition has ended, and the three advancing guests have been decided. Now comes the intense battle for the championship!"

"Next, the three advancing guests will each perform a song. The sole winner, who will be the King of Songs for this episode, will be determined by voting."

"The first to take the stage is... the first group's advancing singer... [Double Iron Armored King]!"

Backstage, [Double Iron Armored King] had been waiting. After the host finished speaking, the director's voice came through his earpiece.

Following instructions, he slowly stepped onto the path of competition, standing at the very back of the stage with his arms crossed in front of him, head lowered, waiting for the music to begin.

Elsewhere, the freshly advanced Xu Qingqiu hastily took a sip of water, one hand propping up her mask, then quickly found a place to sit down and focus on the live broadcast on the screen.

Even though she didn't know who was hidden behind her competitors' masks, based solely on their previous performances, she realized she had come to an extraordinary place.

When she was originally invited to the show, she thought it was a competition among the younger generation of singers, given her own youth.

She hadn't ruled out the presence of veterans, but usually, in such cases, she'd just be an accessory.

But under Chu Tian's guidance, she suddenly realized she seemed to have improved a lot.

Especially during that week of preparation, buried in practice sessions in the recording studio, she had felt her tremendous progress.

Yet, she was still unsure exactly how much she had improved.

Now that she had such a platform, she was desperate not to miss a single second.

One reason was to compare herself with the others to gauge her own level, and another was to learn something from them.

As a result, she did learn some things, though not much. However, she uncovered quite a number of issues.

This pitch is unstable. According to Chu Tian's explanation, it's due to excessive fatigue of the throat, indicating the singer is struggling with control due to a lack of skill.

He sang that part flat; high notes are his weak point.

Her large eyes hidden inside the mask, she watched the screen intently, muttering to herself.

Fortunately, there was no one else around, and she didn't make a sound. Otherwise, if someone heard her comments, they wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.

It didn't matter what others did. The current Xu Qingqiu seemed possessed, her mind filled with things Chu Tian had explained.

Ordinarily, she would slowly comprehend things on her own, but there were still many things whose rationale she didn't understand.

Knowing the "what" but not the "why" was frustrating. Time was too short, her experience insufficient, and she could only forcibly cram the knowledge in and slowly absorb it.

But now, after observing others' performances, she found she quickly grasped the concepts.

What she hadn't understood before became easy once she had a reference point.

This is actually the benefit of combining study and practice. Knowledge not applied doesn't leave a deep impression, nor does it afford deep understanding.

However, if you use what you just learned immediately, while it won't necessarily be remembered for a lifetime, it definitely leaves a deep impression and offers a deeper understanding.

This was also why Chu Tian wanted her to participate: to compete on the same stage with veterans, to learn, to feel, to integrate, and to surpass!

He had previously considered another show, "The Voice," intending for Xu Qingqiu to act as a mentor there.

She could utilize the content Chu Tian had taught her, reinforcing her own understanding while mentoring contestants, thus achieving the same goal.

But then Baise Entertainment caused trouble, smearing her singing skills.

So Chu Tian changed his mind. After all, the purpose was to hone skills through variety shows. Which one they used didn't really matter, did it?

And going from "King of Mask Singer" to "The Voice" wasn't against the rules either.

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