Possessed No More: The True Star Returns to Claim Her Throne

Chapter 183: The Challenge Course

When the song ended, everyone, both on and off stage, applauded. People in the audience even started shouting for an encore.

Quentin Quinlan laughed. "An encore? What are you all thinking? You’re already lucky to hear one song from Best Actor Hughes live. Don’t get greedy, everyone!"

Next, the two hosts began interviewing the guests. "Director Miles, did anything interesting happen while we were filming the movie?"

As soon as he was asked, Director Miles had plenty to say. "Oh, there was definitely something fun!" he said, pulling Riley Perry closer. "I’m not sure if the audience here has seen Riley’s sword dance?"

The audience below roared, "We’ve seen it! At least twenty times!"

"So you’ve all seen it? You were all pretty shocked, weren’t you?"

"Yes!"

"What you all might not know is that Riley joined the cast of *Immortal Demon Movement* as a last-minute replacement. I picked her on sight just because she had the right look. We signed the contract without even an audition.

But her performance truly exceeded my expectations. She worked overtime every day to catch up on all the scenes she had missed. I thought she was just good at the dramatic parts, but I never expected her action scenes to be even more brilliant.

The thing is, this girl is too modest. She was holding back at first. She just did whatever the Martial Arts Director told her to do. Then, there was a scene where a group of heroes had to surround and attack her.

It’s a xianxia drama, so of course, we wanted it to be as fantastical as possible, but after a few takes, it just wasn’t working. We were stuck.

Then, Riley said, ’Director, have them attack me for real. No acting. Let’s just see how it looks.’ At the time, I thought to myself, ’Are you kidding me? There are seventy or eighty extras here! To make it look good, a dozen of them have real martial arts training. Forget one against seventy, she couldn’t even handle one against two.’

But she kept assuring me she could do it, that they wouldn’t even be able to get close to her.

I was skeptical, so I had the Martial Arts Director test her out.

The result? One move! It only took one move, and the Martial Arts Director was completely convinced!"

The audience immediately burst out laughing. "He must’ve gotten his butt kicked."

Director Miles looked at the audience. "Don’t say that. The Martial Arts Director has his pride, you know!"

His words drew another wave of laughter.

"So, the crew filmed it just like Riley said. In the end, all seventy-eight of them were sent flying by her. The effect was way better than any special effects! It was just a bit rough on the extras!"

The crowd roared with laughter again. "Anyone who got sent flying wouldn’t dare come back for a second round!"

"And her? Not a single hair was out of place. I was so shocked my jaw hit the floor."

Felix Sherman laughed and chimed in, "It wasn’t just you. The entire crew was stunned! Myself included!"

Director Miles added, "That’s right. From that day on, whenever that sweet little girl came to set, everyone kept a wide berth, terrified of getting beaten up!"

Riley Perry: ... ’It wasn’t that exaggerated. Only the extras were really scared of me, afraid of getting hit.’

This prompted another round of laughter from the audience.

Quentin Quinlan then interviewed the male and female leads, keeping the show’s atmosphere light and relaxed.

About ten minutes later, the hosts randomly selected six audience members to play a game with the guests.

They called it a random selection, but everyone knew the deal. Riley could tell at a glance that four of them had been chosen in advance; they were all exceptionally beautiful.

The twelve participants drew lots and were split into three teams. Riley, Samuel Hughes, and two of the audience members all drew red lots, forming one team. Director Miles and Wendy Carr were on another, and Felix Sherman and Miles Ford formed the third.

If she hadn’t drawn the lot herself, Riley would have suspected the production team had arranged it all in advance.

"See this obstacle course we’ve set up? The first challenge is to make a basket. Once you do, you can move on to the second.

The second challenge is a balance beam. If you fall off midway, you have to go back and start over.

The third challenge is an acupressure mat. You have to cross it in pairs, holding a balloon that can’t touch the ground.

The final challenge is a giant swinging pendulum. If you get knocked off, you fail the challenge and have to start over from the very beginning.

So, are the three teams ready?"

"Ready!"

There was only one basketball hoop on the course, but there were three separate balance beams. The acupressure mat was wide enough for all three teams to cross at once, but only one team could attempt the giant pendulum at a time.

So speed was crucial.

Director Miles’s team got stuck on the very first challenge. For the game, the teams of four were supposed to split into pairs. They divided up just fine, but then all four of them took turns shooting from behind the three-meter line, and none of them could sink a basket. It got funnier with every miss. It was as if the basketball had a personal grudge against them; a shot that looked like it was definitely going in would manage to hit another team’s ball and bounce right out.

In contrast, the two audience members on Riley’s team were efficient. They sank their basket on the fourth try and hurried off to the second challenge.

Director Miles wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Even the basketball is bullying me. I give up. You young folks take over."

Leaving the basketball shooting to the others, he went off to the side to study the balance beam.

The moment he walked away, his two teammates sank their shots one after the other.

He immediately ducked to the side, not wanting to jinx his teammates.

Felix Sherman’s team had already reached the acupressure mat. Felix and a male audience member were tackling it together, with the man carrying her on his back. The audience member howled as he walked, his face contorted in pain.

Just then, Director Miles’s team caught up. All three teams met at the acupressure mat, and the competition became fierce.

Riley stood on the sidelines, cheering for Felix Sherman. Felix’s team was the first to reach the fourth challenge. And then... then everyone watched as Best Actress Sherman was knocked down by the giant pendulum.

The woman who had crossed the balance beam with ease was taken out by the pendulum. When Felix Sherman climbed out of the pile of balloons below, even she couldn’t stop laughing at herself.

Miles Ford and the other amateur on their team, a woman, quickly started over with the basketball relay. From first place to the back of the line... what a tragic turn of events.

Luckily for them, the other two teams also ended up getting knocked off.

After Miles Ford’s turn, Riley picked up a basketball, shot from behind the three-meter line, and sank it on her first try.

Samuel Hughes, who had changed into a sweatsuit, quickly caught the ball, leaped up from a distance to shoot, and also made the basket. One after the other, they got on the balance beam. Riley flew across it, with none of the wobbling and unsteadiness the others had shown. Her balance was perfect. She then waited for Samuel just before the third challenge.

The audience shrieked as they watched their idol, who, despite wobbling a bit, managed to make it safely across the balance beam without falling.

When he reached the third challenge, Samuel Hughes finally spoke his first words to Riley since they’d met. "I’ll carry you."

’His awkwardness makes me feel like I’m some heartless player who just dumped him.’

Riley thought he was being too indecisive. ’He wants to carry me but won’t even take off his shoes.’ She decided she might as well do it herself!

She rubbed her feet together, kicking off her shoes. Then she grabbed a nearby balloon, shoved it into Samuel Hughes’s arms, and warned, "Hold on tight. If you dare drop this, you’ll have me to answer to!"

With that, she scooped him up in her arms and started running.

Samuel Hughes subconsciously wrapped one arm around Riley’s neck and clutched the balloon to his chest with the other.

A deafening roar erupted through the recording studio. Everyone stared at the pair, their eyes wide with disbelief.