Women were losing their minds over this image. It exuded a completely different kind of beauty than the muscular, rugged men they were used to. There was an innate instinct to cherish and possess such delicate beauty, and they fully embraced it.
Forget the doubts—they were completely irrelevant now! They couldn’t wait to see this beautiful youth in 3D on the big screen, gazing at them through their 3D glasses with those pure, captivating eyes. It was simply breathtaking!
Even male viewers became much more accepting of Luo Ding.
To many men who idolized muscular physiques and bronzed skin, this was just an unthreatening boy! Why be so harsh on a kid? Especially one so aesthetically pleasing—he perfectly fit their standards of beauty. Every movie needed a visually stunning character!
The video of the launch ceremony was quickly circulated in China, causing a huge stir.
Any lingering doubts about Luo Ding’s casting were promptly laid to rest. Those who had speculated that he would be replaced before filming began or that he was merely taking a walk-on role were silenced by Clovis’s confirmation of his “major supporting role.” Luo Ding’s calm and composed demeanor at the press conference made his fans immensely proud.
“My idol really stands out! Even on the big stage, he remains cool and unshaken!”
Fans were quick to highlight his appealing points. Beyond his flawless face, physique, and cool dance moves, Luo Ding’s language skills and poised performance also won over many fans. The official character photos shared from abroad became a hot topic in China, with major portals reposting them and comments flooding in. The praise from foreign media also earned Luo Ding the admiration of a group of patriotic Chinese fans who normally didn’t follow celebrities.
With all the buzz and excitement, filming for *Blade Warrior III* finally began.
The movie is set in a distant alternate world. The continent is divided into four parts—East, West, North, and South—separated by the Stormy Sea and the Barrier. These divisions kept the people of the four continents isolated within their respective territories. Crossing the Barrier and the Stormy Sea without the aid of dragons, the only creatures capable of such feats, would be a dangerous and nearly impossible endeavor.
Among the four continents, the people of the Eastern Continent were labeled heretics due to their differing beliefs. The church’s missionary army rode dragons to the East, slaughtering the Eastern Continent’s royal bloodline through treachery, and turned the land into a colony, assimilating it with Northern culture.
The church’s influence grew, and the people of the East gradually forgot the bloody nightmare of their past. However, unknown to all, a royal baby with pure Eastern blood survived and was secretly taken to the North.
The story of the first movie focused on conflicts between two other continents, with only a brief mention of the East. The baby, who later became the protagonist of the second film, Austin, was introduced in the sequel.
This is where the story begins.
Austin grew up in the church. Though his pure Eastern blood made him physically different from the people of the North, his vines, which only appeared when he was emotionally agitated or in danger, kept him from standing out too much from the Northern immigrants with diluted Eastern blood. Thus, he didn’t attract suspicion within the church.
But there are always people who dislike you. Austin was set up and forced to join the expeditionary army tasked with wiping out the Blade Warriors of the West. However, things didn’t go as planned, and he was saved by the very Blade Warriors he was supposed to destroy. Through a series of misunderstandings, he formed a deep bond with the Blade Warriors. By the time the expeditionary army discovered this, he could no longer bring himself to turn against them. After a fierce battle with the villains, the Blade Warriors, seeking both to protect themselves and help Austin, pledged their loyalty to him and returned with him to the North.
The film ended on a happy note, with the Pope pleased by the Blade Warriors’ surrender, even granting Austin a noble title, elevating him to a higher status and crushing his rivals.
However, during the course of the film, Austin learned more about his pure Eastern bloodline and much of his true heritage. The blood feud between his people and the church left him with no sense of allegiance to their teachings. The tension between Austin and the church was bound to erupt sooner or later.
This plotline had many on the edge of their seats. The church’s influence was growing across the continents, and people of mixed Eastern blood had long been relegated to the bottom rungs of society, accustomed to oppression and abuse. Austin’s journey toward a noble title was fraught with difficulty, and apart from the Blade Warriors by his side, he had little support.
The plot of the third film revolves around Austin’s growing conflict with the church. Now a noble, Austin became a target, and every step forward was fraught with peril. His greatest adversary was Morin Greeley, one of the bishops responsible for the Eastern Continent massacre.
Austin’s bloodline was accidentally revealed, and he and the Blade Warriors embarked on a journey to escape their pursuers, seeking the aid of the Elves, once allies of the Eastern Continent. However, the Elves refused to help. Morin Greeley dispatched nearly all available forces, and one by one, Austin’s friends perished along the way, culminating in the death of his dearest companion, Alfred.
Devastated by Alfred’s death, Austin’s deep grief triggered the awakening of his magical abilities, inherited from his Eastern bloodline. He drove off his pursuers, and the Elves, recognizing his newfound power, changed their stance, rallying all non-human races of the North to join Austin in fighting back against the church. The long-oppressed people of mixed Eastern blood also flocked to his cause, leading to the church’s eventual surrender.
Victory was theirs.
That’s the essence of the film.
As for how Alfred survived the Eastern Continent massacre, well, that’s not really important.
The plot seems simple enough, but the film is packed with fight scenes and special effects. Dragons, the Elven Forest, magic, crossing the Stormy Sea—it’s all there. Except for the main character, most of the other characters die. It’s emotional yet ends with a happy resolution.
In the first few days of filming, they shot some simple scenes.
Luo Ding lay on a bed, feeling the tickle of the paintbrush on his back. Despite the sensation, he only twitched his muscles slightly, refraining from moving too much.
The painter chuckled, adding another vibrant stroke of green. “Hang in there a bit longer. Just a few more vines on your shoulder, and you’ll be done.”
Clovis had chosen the scene where Austin discovers Alfred’s bloodline as the opening shot for the film.
The Eastern Continent’s royal bloodline carried magical abilities, signified by the vibrant, vine-like markings that appeared on pureblood royals in various parts of their bodies. These markings, akin to tattoos, only surfaced when the individual was emotionally charged or in danger. Austin’s foster father, determined to keep him hidden, forced him to drink holy water from the church’s plaza fountain every day. Alfred’s foster parents, however, had kicked him out of their home the moment they discovered his abnormality, though they kept his secret to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves.
Alfred’s exceptional archery skills were what earned him a place among the Blade Warriors. His distinctly Eastern features made Austin feel a sense of kinship with him. Through their interactions, Austin accidentally discovered the hidden markings behind Alfred’s ear during a sparring match. Later, when Alfred was bathing, Austin burst in, wielding a sword and threatening to kill him, forcing Alfred to reveal the full extent of the markings on his back. That’s when they recognized each other as kin.
It was a bizarre scenario, but Luo Ding didn’t mind that his first scene involved being half-naked. As a professional, he was used to such trivialities.
Once the paint was finished, a layer of waterproof spray was applied to ensure the body art would stay intact during filming. Wu Fangyuan, worried Luo Ding might catch a cold, quickly handed him a bathrobe. For the best results, it was important not to let anything smudge the markings.
Wearing low-rise jeans, a bathrobe draped over his shoulders, and his bare back exposed, Luo Ding casually left the makeup room.
The crew was busy preparing. The bath they had set up had been cleaned and was ready for use. The weather had cooled, but there was no steam rising from the water, and with just one glance, Luo Ding could tell it was cold water.
He walked to the edge of the pool, kicked off his shoes, and dipped his toe in. It wasn’t too bad—the water was lukewarm. Clovis wasn’t completely heartless.
For the sake of the shoot, hot water wasn’t an option, and the steam could be simulated using carbon dioxide.
“You’re here,” Clovis said sternly when he saw Luo Ding. “Turn around. Let me see.”
Luo Ding obligingly turned his back to the crowd, causing a small stir.
“Very nice,” Clovis’s eyes lit up. Luo Ding’s body was much more toned than he had anticipated. Though lean, his muscles were finely sculpted, contradicting Clovis’s initial expectation that Luo Ding would have a somewhat unimpressive build.
The intricate green vines contrasted sharply against Luo Ding’s pale, delicate skin, making the patterns stand out brilliantly.
“Hey, Clovis, where’s the props master? My sword sheath…,” Duan Xiubo, dressed in Austin’s lavish robe, dragged his sword along the ground, frowning at the missing gemstone on the sheath. Distracted, he walked toward the camera, but when he noticed everyone’s attention was elsewhere, he followed their gaze.
And then he froze.
His eyes were glued to Luo Ding’s back. Setting aside the drunken incident, this was the second time he’d seen Luo Ding’s body so clearly in daylight since their *Vogue* photo shoot. In just a few months, Luo Ding’s waistline had become even more slender and defined. His shoulder blades stood out from his thin frame, creating an incredibly beautiful curve. His long, fake hair was pulled over his chest, leaving his entire back exposed. The smooth, unbroken lines of his back extended downward, ending at the low-rise jeans hugging his hips.
But it was the vine-like patterns on his skin that captivated Duan Xiubo the most.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. It wasn’t until Clovis spoke that he snapped back to reality.
Clovis excitedly grabbed Duan Xiubo’s wrist, pulling him toward Luo Ding and pointing at the vines on Luo Ding’s back. “Remember your movements later. You’ll start by fiercely slashing at him with your sword. Make sure the action is intense. We’ll shoot the transformation of the vines in the next shot. Once you discover his secret, you need to be shocked. Flip him over and press him against the edge of the pool. And remember—gently, softly trace your fingers over these markings. Be gentle! Show your emotions, but don’t rub too hard. The paint is waterproof, but if you scrub, it’ll come off.”
Duan Xiubo’s mouth went dry. Gently trace his fingers?
His gaze reluctantly left Luo Ding’s back and shifted to his face. Luo Ding was craning his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of his own back. The effort caused the veins in his neck to bulge, pulling the lines of his neck and face taut, giving him an air of fragility that seemed meticulously crafted.
Unable to resist, Duan Xiubo reached out and gently placed his hand on Luo Ding’s back.
“Like this?”
The sensation of his fingertips brushing against Luo Ding’s skin brought to mind thoughts that were entirely inappropriate. For a moment, Clovis was stunned, but upon closer inspection, he realized the motion and pressure were exactly what he wanted. He nodded in approval.
Luo Ding was speechless after hearing Clovis’s instructions. He recalled Duan Xiubo’s intense, predatory gazes in the past and thought to himself, *Of course, I was afraid this would happen.*
But how could he have known Duan Xiubo would be so bold? In front of everyone, he just reached out and touched him!
Luo Ding was so startled he nearly jumped, barely managing to hold back. His muscles twitched uncontrollably under Duan Xiubo’s touch. Who knows how much willpower it took for him to stay still?
Clovis returned to the camera equipment to prepare. Duan Xiubo’s hand lingered, his fingers tracing the vines on Luo Ding’s back with the same level of concentration one might use to study something intricate. Feeling the tension in Luo Ding’s muscles, he leaned in, so close his breath brushed against Luo Ding’s ear.
“Ticklish?” he whispered.
Luo Ding forced a smile. “Yeah, of course. Aren’t you afraid of pain?”
“Yes.”
Still smiling, Luo Ding turned and grabbed Duan Xiubo’s wrist, all while maintaining a friendly facade. Then, with a quick twist, he pinched Duan Xiubo’s arm hard.
“Does that hurt?”
“…,” Duan Xiubo realized that Luo Ding was upset. His bravado quickly deflated as he nodded, looking pitiful. “Yeah, it hurts.”
***
After changing into a different pair of pants, Luo Ding stepped barefoot into the bath and carefully slid to the edge, positioning himself as instructed.
The water, once slightly warm, had turned cold, the chill seeping into his pores. But he didn’t shiver, maintaining a calm expression.
The cameras and crew were in position, and Clovis, stationed in a tent off set, monitored everything through the display, giving instructions remotely.
“Ready—”
Luo Ding adjusted his posture slightly, his expression shifting subtly before he settled into position.
“Okay! 3, 2, 1, action!”
There was a loud crash.
Almost as soon as the words left Clovis’ mouth, the bathhouse door was kicked open.
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