Chapter 3: The Greatest Superstar of All Time

Earth Date: October 25, 5203—a day that was, at first, utterly unremarkable. No one could have imagined that this date would be recorded in the annals of history.

At midnight, Earth time, Youjian Entertainment’s official website abruptly changed its style. Those who visited found the homepage shrouded in utter darkness, not even a hand visible before one’s face, yet a faint heartbeat could be heard, its source impossible to locate.

As time passed, the heartbeat grew clearer and stronger, and soon a ball of golden light appeared, pulsing in rhythm with the heartbeat—brightening and dimming.

By 8 p.m., both the heartbeat and the golden light vanished, leaving only a single, bold line of text.

The first true superstar in history breaks free from stone!

Beneath this line, a smaller caption appeared.

The Interstellar Federation’s first fully holographic animated film—a story told from the perspective of the short-lived about the long-lived.

A masterpiece of Earth’s culture, waiting for you to uncover it yourself!

At the very bottom was the entrance to view.

Everyone who entered the homepage was drawn in by these words, and ultimately chose to watch.

·

All who entered this holographic world were stunned by the breathtaking, fantastical sights before them.

It began with a swirl of white mist, pierced by the clear tones of chime bells, revealing a vast, boundless sea.

The camera drew closer, and the outline of an immortal island gradually took shape upon the waves.

On the island, jagged rocks jutted, mountain peaks layered in majestic folds.

Upon a cliff, a pair of rainbow phoenixes called out with ethereal voices, while below, on a flattened platform, a qilin lay dozing.

Not far off, the shadow of a deer flashed through the woods, and immortal cranes circled overhead. The forest teemed with rare and wondrous plants, their blossoms never fading for ten thousand years, and it seemed one could almost smell their exquisite fragrance.

The scene was already enough to leave viewers breathless, and soon they all, as if by unspoken agreement, paused the animation to wander through this frozen fairyland.

This was the greatest allure of holographic animation: total immersion, the chance to explore every corner beyond the camera’s gaze.

When this technology was first developed, it was intended for educational content, making learning easier. Later, people discovered that using it for film and television offered an unparalleled viewing experience; yet no one had ever thought to use it for animation.

This meant the artist had to move from two-dimensional planes to a three-dimensional perspective, ensuring every angle was flawless and seamless, then transforming it all into dynamic, three-dimensional images.

The time and labor costs were unimaginable—even with AI-assisted rendering, it was a formidable challenge for the AI itself.

Most crucially, when viewers paused, they could roam freely within the current scene, greatly increasing the director’s workload and costs. Would there be set design for places never shown by the camera? And since this was animation, would pausing reveal a blank, featureless boundary?

The answer was no.

After pausing, every angle revealed a breathtakingly exquisite three-dimensional landscape painting. Even at the very edge, viewers would find that the designer had cleverly placed a winding path; following it, they would unknowingly circle the entire scene. Beyond the boundary, distant mountains and faint horizons blended seamlessly with the surroundings, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Most ingenious of all, these boundaries shifted with the scene: by the water, it became a river of unknown destination; in the forest, an endless, mysterious woodland—each detail a testament to the creator’s care.

This was no longer mere animation, but a work of art that left all who saw it in awe.

This was Youjian Entertainment’s opening salvo in the era of cultural export—Journey to the West.

·

The debut of Journey to the West, Season One, Episode One, swept through the Interstellar Federation with unstoppable momentum.

Everyone—including Earth’s own people—treated the animation as an explorable game. Each viewer sought out the director’s hidden Easter eggs from the most unexpected angles.

For instance, in the opening scene’s vast ocean, everyone assumed the water was empty, until someone paused and ventured in, discovering an entirely new, wondrous world.

There were swaying seaweeds, schools of all kinds of fish, and enormous coral reefs through which one could swim. Some even found a magnificent palace built of colored crystals, guarded by shrimp and crab soldiers at the gate.

Having explored the depths, people wondered: was there anything hidden in the sky?

Naturally, there was.

The Southern Heavenly Gate, guarded by celestial soldiers; the Lingxiao Palace, resplendent in gold; the Jade Emperor seated in majesty; the civil and military immortals standing to either side—radiant, auspicious clouds swirling, the full dignity of the heavenly court on display.

Every day, people flooded the StarNet with their latest discoveries, praising Youjian Entertainment and Journey to the West in every way imaginable.

Compared to Youjian’s previous variety shows, this work attracted a much broader audience.

People from all walks of life used Journey to the West as a topic of conversation—discussing its music, its unique art style, its worldview. Just the first episode alone, after months of silence, thrust Youjian Entertainment back into the spotlight, transcendent and unmissable.

·

Everyone was desperate for the second episode, only to learn that Journey to the West would air weekly, one episode per week. The production team had only completed the twelve episodes of the first season, and even that was not fully finished—the last few episodes were still being polished.

When this announcement came out, the reaction was not anger, but numb resignation.

After the battles of the talent show era, the people of the Interstellar Federation had grown accustomed to Youjian Entertainment’s ways, even turning it into a running joke. The following, for example, became a classic meme:

Hey there, we’ve got something good~ Come and see~ Fresh and piping hot~ But it’s only half-finished, dear~ No returns or refunds, dear~

The people of the Interstellar Federation had a love-hate relationship with Youjian Entertainment, well aware that their favorite move was to douse you with cold water, then hand you a sweet date.

Youjian Entertainment added, though Journey to the West would only air one episode per week, during the wait, viewers could interpret the work from every angle.

And so, Earth’s luminaries took the stage one after another.

Literary giants released the original Huaxia text of Journey to the West, explaining scene by scene what mythical beasts appeared, what plants were shown, the symbolism of each image, why a towering mountain stood in that spot. They discussed the evolution of Huaxia mythology and the novel’s creative background, giving aliens a deeper understanding of the animation.

Masters of Chinese painting, as members of the production team, demonstrated the use of negative space and artistic conception in traditional painting, explained why this style was chosen, how they brought the images to life, the clever design of certain scenes, and praised viewers for uncovering hidden details—fanning the flames of exploration even higher.

Finally, musical masters appeared, with Yu Huaiyin and S-77 offering heartfelt explanations. They introduced the ancient instruments, demonstrated how they were played, and explained why those instruments were chosen.

With all this supplementary content, the week flew by. On the day the second episode aired, the StarNet reached a record level of activity—a new historical high.

·

Central Star System, Interstellar Institute of Literature.

Wordweaver Star Anchor had part of her mental tendrils connected to the StarNet, “watching” the footage of Earth’s literary giants explaining the original Journey to the West. The rest of her tendrils flipped through the paper edition of Journey to the West she had brought from Earth, scanning line after line to understand the slightly obscure text as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, with her own two hands, she recorded her impressions of the evolution of Huaxia literature.

“Huaxia literature places particular emphasis on the rhythm of sound, as can be seen from its classic poetry…”

When she finished writing, even one as mentally powerful as Wordweaver Star Anchor felt a trace of fatigue from splitting her focus three ways.

She leaned back in her chair, withdrawing all her mental tendrils.

“To have thought of using Journey to the West—truly worthy of Autumn Whisper…” Wordweaver Star Anchor sighed with regret. “What a pity…”

On the desk, the pages of Journey to the West fluttered in the wind, stopping at the part where Sun Wukong was trapped beneath the Five Elements Mountain.