Chapter 113: Ignition

"It's just like the Wangde Evening News constantly slandering you; I'm not some national goddess, so I only get these bothersome calls." Chu Feng said calmly, not forgetting to subtly jab at Jiang Luoshen's sore spot to change the subject.

Jiang Luoshen's eyelids twitched, and a few dark lines appeared on her pristine forehead. She wanted nothing more than to punch him!

This dinner could no longer be enjoyed; it was simply too upsetting. News reports about Jiang Luoshen kept appearing online, one after another. She felt full just from reading the articles, without needing to eat.

Dinner concluded. Chu Feng was eager to leave, truly not wanting to stay any longer, fearing Zhou Yitian might suddenly contact him again.

"Why do I feel like you're relieved?" Xia Qianyu asked suspiciously. Jiang Luoshen also turned back, looking at him intently.

"I told you already, I'm unwell. I want to go home, check the news, and go to bed early," Chu Feng replied.

Jiang Luoshen felt uneasy at the mention of "news." Those two words had plagued her all evening, and she couldn't help but glare fiercely at him.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Xia Qianyu said, also displeased.

"Of course not." Chu Feng turned to leave, but after a few steps, he stopped and looked at Jiang Luoshen. "Miss Jiang, did you bring me the exotic earth?" "I'm sorry, I grabbed the wrong one," Jiang Luoshen said naturally, putting away the exquisite cloth bag.

"Alright, never mind then. But it truly was a pleasant evening, dining with Miss Jiang. Goodbye." Chu Feng smiled and waved.

"Pleasant? This guy was definitely trying to provoke us! I'm going crazy tonight!" Xia Qianyu watched his retreating figure, fuming. "Tonight was truly unlucky, with all sorts of ridiculous things happening. Luoshen, you've been slandered terribly."

Jiang Luoshen also stared at Chu Feng's back, constantly wondering if he was truly the Ox God King. If so, that would make him even more detestable!

...

As soon as Chu Feng returned home, he called Zhou Yitian. Before he could say anything, a torrent of words erupted from the other end.

"Brother, I thought I'd lost touch with you! I've been looking for you, wanting to share my joy. Everything went so smoothly tonight..." "Joy? It was horrifying! I'm warning you, don't make me an enemy of the whole world, or I'll throw you into White Snake Ridge myself!" "Hey, brother, that's not fair..."

It was a frustrating call. No matter how much Chu Feng argued, Zhou Yitian remained unfazed, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

"Alright, I'll be more careful next time!" In the end, Zhou Yitian could only compromise to that extent.

Chu Feng was quite surprised, as he learned through their conversation that the relevant authorities were strongly supporting Zhou Yitian. They considered it a documentary epic that recreated the battle at White Snake Ridge and provided him with all sorts of conveniences.

In the early morning, Chu Feng woke up and practiced his special breathing technique, bathed in the sunrise glow. He found himself improving daily, his physique constantly strengthening, which put him in a pleasant mood.

This morning, however, some other people were destined to be in a bad mood.

King Kong woke early to practice. These days, he was growing stronger, and with the right exotic fruit, he would eventually be able to contend with the beast kings. At breakfast, his mood soured. He finally saw the reports – what was going on? He had become famous overnight?! The news was everywhere, with many people liking his posts—no, liking the four words: "King Kong Rides a Pig!" King Kong nearly smashed the table upon seeing those words. It was utterly shameful! Who did this? He looked closely and found that on the trending search list, he was dominating, reigning supreme, with only Jiang Luoshen as his equal in popularity.

The phrase "King Kong Rides a Pig" was too prominent, so sensational that it was about to top the charts.

"It's infuriating!" Finally, with a crash, the dining table collapsed.

Similarly, Jiang Luoshen's mood was terrible that morning. Her beautiful face was clouded with anger, and she wanted to slap the leaker dead. Now, reports about her were everywhere, truly making her a queen of the trending charts. The most frightening thing was that several hot search terms related to her had appeared, such as: "Goddess Jiang's Incident," "Three Days and Two Nights"... One could say she was now unrivaled, like Dugu Qiubai, with only King Kong as a worthy opponent; everyone else paled in comparison!

"Ahhh!" Jiang Luoshen shrieked in rage. It was outrageous; she had never encountered such trouble before.

That day, various regions were restless, with many people eagerly discussing the news. It became the perfect topic for after-dinner conversation.

"This is so interesting! So King Kong is truly that mighty! I'm really looking forward to 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'; I must go see it when it comes out." "The authentic recreation of the battle in the Taihang Mountains is indeed very appealing. I also want to see how terrifying that white snake is!" "Haha, poor King Kong, and Goddess Jiang! They're so unlucky!" "Who is the man behind Jiang Luoshen? There's a rumor circulating that he might be the star of 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'!"

All sorts of discussions were rampant. While talking about those two, 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' also gained initial popularity and became known to many.

Soon, "Rise of the Apocalypse" felt the pressure and began to intensify its promotional efforts. They also followed suit, creating various gimmicks to grab attention, as their cast was star-studded with big names. However, the popularity of "Rise of the Apocalypse" couldn't directly overshadow 'Great Sage Ox Demon King.' Although the latter had a more unconventional origin, its lineup was by no means weak.

On that very day, various promotional images for 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' were released online, featuring the Silver-Winged Heavenly God, King Kong, Jiang Luoshen, Lin Nuoyi, and Bai Hu's sister, Lu Shiyun. Most importantly, it showed thousands of evolvers, not as special effects, but as a real battle of evolvers. The material Zhou Yitian released had an explosive power, causing a sensation.

"Oh my god, the Silver-Winged Heavenly God is so handsome!" "Ah, Jiang Luoshen is going to be in 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' too?" "No way, is that woman whose side profile alone caused a sensation also making an appearance? She's the eldest daughter of Heavenly God Biological!" "My goodness, this is amazing! Thousands of evolvers—this is a truly grand spectacle, far more realistic than the so-called 'Rise of the Apocalypse.' We absolutely must support it!"

Zhou Yitian unleashed a big move, igniting the internet. It's safe to say that after these stills appeared, the internet erupted, with everyone discussing them.

At a crucial moment, Zhou Yitian even released a blurry photo of a white snake—its terrifying size, its enormous, snow-white body hidden in white mist, was simply astounding. Zhou Yitian elaborated on the unique selling point: the battle was authentic, everything was real, absolutely not cheap special effects!

This naturally caused a huge sensation, and many people were filled with anticipation.

The original cast and crew of "Rise of the Apocalypse" felt double the pressure. From the directors to the actors and producers, everyone's faces turned grim. They were actually being challenged and had a formidable competitor. "Didn't they say their equipment was rudimentary and they only filmed some blurry footage? How is this completely different!?" "Quick, contact the relevant people and find a way to stop them!"

From that day on, the two blockbusters went head-to-head. Their promotional efforts were intense, and there were often various underhanded tactics employed.

In the days that followed, 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' did face obstruction, but whenever a crisis arose, Zhou Yitian would unleash a bombshell, like a trump card, sweeping away all obstacles.

For instance, on one occasion, the original cast and crew of "Rise of the Apocalypse" appeared as guests on a popular variety show solely to promote their drama, making all sorts of revelations to capture attention.

Zhou Yitian's response was simple and direct: he released another set of photos. These included scenes of the Ox God King using a bow and arrow to shoot down an armed helicopter, as well as astonishing pictures of his great duel with the Silver-Winged Heavenly God. He specifically noted that everything was real.

"Seriously? Can a bow and arrow really blow up a helicopter? This man is too formidable! The Ox God King is truly valiant!" "War epic, fantasy epic, mythological epic—all in 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'! We definitely have to support it!" This caused a huge stir!

Zhou Yitian emphasized that these were real battles, not cheap special effects.

The original cast and crew of "Rise of the Apocalypse" were furious, because every time Zhou Yitian mentioned "cheap special effects," the comparison was truly devastating.

Soon, the people behind "Rise of the Apocalypse" retaliated, starting to spread rumors and various slanders. However, Zhou Yitian had successfully stirred up public anticipation, and many people automatically came to his defense.

"'Great Sage Ox Demon King' doesn't rely on big-name stars, because this is a truly spectacular and terrifying battle, unparalleled and surpassing all others! That's why I haven't revealed the true identity of the male lead in the drama until now, because there was no need. However, given the overwhelming demand, and since everyone unanimously wants it, then I'll show you!" Zhou Yitian released another photo. It was incredibly eye-catching, clearly a bombshell, causing a sensation that lasted an exceptionally long time. In the photo, a man wearing sunglasses and a mask was shown subduing Jiang Luoshen.

As soon as this photo was released, the internet exploded with boundless impact! "Isn't that the mysterious man who was dining with Jiang Luoshen? My god, he's the star of 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'!?" "This person must have an extraordinary background to capture Goddess Jiang's heart; he must be exceptional."

The internet was abuzz. Jiang Luoshen, too, felt a burning in her lungs! She never imagined this photo would leak; it was outrageous! It was taken by one of Chu Feng's unsavory friends when she was fighting him. At that moment, Shunfeng Er Ouyang Qing was boasting to people, claiming it was his doing, having sent it to Zhou Yitian to be released.

Jiang Luoshen was furious, and at the same time, many things clicked into place for her. "That scoundrel really did star in a film!" At this moment, she suddenly realized that the film was 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'. Jiang Luoshen was beside herself with anger, feeling like she had been deceived from beginning to end. That Chu Feng was truly despicable.

She directly called Chu Feng's communicator. "Chu, you're quite an actor, always deceiving us!" "How have I deceived you? I've been saying all along that I was in a play, you just didn't believe me," Chu Feng said.

Jiang Luoshen lost her temper and quickly hung up. On second thought, it was true; that scoundrel had always said he was the lead actor, but she and Xia Qianyu hadn't believed him. "Don't tell me you're the Ox God King!" Just as she put down the communicator, Jiang Luoshen suddenly thought of his identity and gritted her teeth. This identity was even more loathsome, as he had constantly been entangled with her.

Xia Qianyu was also stunned. That pervert actually starred in a play and wasn't lying? And, most importantly, his play was fiercely competing with hers, becoming a rival! "Great Sage Ox Demon King, that liar!" Xia Qianyu felt completely speechless.

Days passed, and the two major productions were about to be released.

Both sides pulled out all the stops, though it was fortunate that the relevant authorities were strongly backing Zhou Yitian, otherwise he would have long been taken care of by underhanded tactics.

In recent days, Lin Nuoyi had also seen these reports and was speechless. Even she was being used? To appear in 'Great Sage Ox Demon King'? It was absurd. King Kong and the Silver-Winged Heavenly God were naturally also shocked. As for Jiang Luoshen, she was preparing to use legal means to formally sue the 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' production team. This was because she hadn't participated in the so-called 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' at all, and forcing her involvement constituted an infringement. Especially thinking that Chu Feng was actually the lead actor, she couldn't let it go; she was absolutely furious. However, her assistant informed her that the relevant authorities had sent a letter, hoping for her understanding. They stated that appearance fees could be discussed, but it was crucial that she support the drama. With the endorsement of state authorities, such a level of support was unprecedented, leaving Jiang Luoshen dumbfounded.

"Oh my god, I've passively acted in this drama and appeared with that scoundrel?!" Jiang Luoshen could already guess the enormous uproar this would cause, and that she would once again top the trending searches.

Recently, Chu Feng had been very low-key, preferring not to show his face, because that drama had truly put him through the wringer, leaving him at the center of controversy. One could imagine the consequences when the drama was released and his true identity as an actor was recognized.

Finally, the release date drew near; both dramas were set to premiere tomorrow. At this critical juncture, all sorts of explosive news naturally emerged.

"Rise of the Apocalypse" had, needless to say, an incredibly strong cast, with actors exuding powerful presence! Zhou Yitian was equally assertive, releasing astonishing stills: a large black ox that could speak human language in the video, and the full appearance of the white snake's true form. "Don't think these are cheap special effects; everything is real. Do you know who this great black ox is? The legendary Ox Demon King!" Zhou Yitian swore to the public that it was indeed the Ox Demon King.

This news created an unavoidable earthquake in public opinion. Furthermore, on this day, Zhou Yitian dropped a spoiler: "While 'Great Sage Ox Demon King' doesn't portray the story of the Ox Demon King, it features a significant plotline about him—a moving and heroic love story. The Ox Demon King traveled thousands of miles from Flame Mountain to White Snake Ridge, just to meet the White Snake Immortal whom he had secretly admired for a thousand years!"

After this bombshell was released, not only did the internet explode, but Kunlun Mountain was also on the verge of erupting. A group of powerful demons on Kunlun Mountain, influenced by the Yellow Ox and each carrying a communicator, often paid attention to human society. Now, they instantly knew about this matter. "Old Ox is something else!" "Big Old Black is pursuing the White Immortal? How bold!"

Upon hearing these words, the Great Black Ox, who hadn't yet set off for the Vatican, was instantly enraged. What was going on? It quickly went online to find out the details. That day, an earth-shattering roar from the Ox Demon King echoed through Kunlun Mountain: "Damn it, how dare you fabricate stories about your Grandpa Ox?! You must have a death wish! That rotten director, just you wait! Sooner or later, I'll come to Shuntian and peel your skin off!"