This humble Taoist priest is going to be a movie star!

"Hello everyone, you're about to be trained by me. I'm very strict, so don't get exhausted and cry."

Cheng Xiaodong is a well-known martial arts instructor in the industry.

"We're all professional actors, how could we cry, right, right, right?" Guo Quan'an chuckled.

The atmosphere on set was instantly lifted.

Yes, everyone here is a real actor; there are no clueless green-screen actors... probably none.

"Let me first explain the general filming process to you. It's divided into three storylines, one for each of the three main characters. Each storyline has its own fixed supporting characters at the end. In the early stages, apart from the female lead connecting the three main characters, there isn't much connection between them," Deng Cheng said. "In the end, the three storylines converge, and then converge on the villain Iron-Blooded Marquis's storyline."

The male lead is the protagonist of each of their respective storylines.

The female lead is the one everyone calls the female lead.

Hmm? That sounds a bit strange?

Hmm... probably.

The other two male protagonists, namely the male lead Duan Tianya and the second male lead Cheng Shifei, are quite at odds.

The fact that there are three male leads implies that whoever is less capable will be embarrassed.

Watch the character portrayal, watch the acting skills.

Duan Tianya and Cheng Shifei.

One is a well-known young actor from the mainland, and the other is a veteran TV star who has won numerous awards in Hong Kong.

Lia Peng is handsome, a top-tier heartthrob.

Although Guo Quan'an is not particularly handsome, he has a distinctive appearance and excellent acting skills. He has a wide range of roles and can play almost anything except handsome men.

These two characters are quite likable; one is a lighthearted comedic character, and the other is a beautiful, strong, and tragic figure.

Basically, everyone thinks this is the best in the world; in the end, who can truly become the most outstanding male lead will be decided between these two.

Guo Quan'an and Li Yapeng's idea was simple: in this drama, the salary was important, but not that important; what was important was using this drama to increase their own value.

As for Mr. Guihai Yidao, there's not much to say. He's a new actor with an average character, and he seems to have been parachuted in.

The people in this group all seemed uninterested.

Only Ye Xuan'er was alright. She glanced at Li Qing and realized that, according to the script, her final fate was to return to the sea with a knife. It was a dramatic scene with the most scenes with her co-star.

Ye Xuan'er didn't care. She was confident that as long as the other party wasn't stupid, she could lead him in the act.

Anyway, she's good-looking...

Ye Xuan'er is just that genuine.

"Next, my three assistant directors will lead you to film separately in groups. I'll be running between the three groups, and I'll be overseeing the important plot points," Deng Cheng continued. "I hope everyone can give it their all. There aren't many scripts that are collaborations between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan."

Everyone is well aware of the significance of this drama.

Then, the main villain, Iron-Blooded Marquis Ma Songren, also came out with a smile to cheer everyone on. He is a true veteran actor.

The kind that gets more handsome with age.

In the drama, this is the hypocrite, the smiling tiger, who is also the key character connecting the three storylines.

He's a veteran Hong Kong star.

He even came to Li Qing's side to encourage her: "Everyone starts as a newcomer, so don't be too nervous. I heard you even played Yin Zhiping?"

"Yes, senior."

"I've also acted in Jin Yong dramas, playing Zhang Cuishan," Ma Songren said with a smile. "But it's a bit surprising that a real Taoist like you would play Yin Zhiping."

Ma Songren's kindness towards Li Qing also stemmed from his identity as a true Taoist priest.

He is a follower of the faith.

Even setting aside all likes, dislikes, and prejudices, he still found it...somewhat unbelievable.

"People's prejudices are all based on not distinguishing between fiction and reality, and they take fiction as reality." Li Qing paused and said, "Just as everyone knows that since Zhou Yu was born, why was Zhuge Liang born? But they don't know that in history, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang never really interacted. And Lü Bu was not a stupid or reckless man."

"If people take fictionalized accounts as fact, then it would be excellent if I were to portray a more faithful adaptation of Yin Zhiping in this new Condor Heroes."

Life is like a play, and people recognize the play's interpretation.

Then I'll give a good performance, which will also be considered as vindicating the founder.

"Oh... the script has been drastically altered."

Ma Songren was a smart man, and he immediately realized what was going on.

I never expected Zhang Dahuzi to have the guts to drastically change the character and plot.

"That's really good."

.......

Deng Cheng made some arrangements.

For example, crash courses for musical instruments or etiquette teachers.

A handsome young man like Duan Tianya must have won the hearts of the Japanese Yagyu sisters with his song "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate".

In this drama, Duan Tianya is responsible for being melancholic, beautiful, strong, and tragic, and is the visual standout.

The two-week intensive training was designed to help the actors master these basic skills, with the main focus being on martial arts movements.

Martial arts films all require this: intensive training to familiarize themselves with the movements.

While the investment in "The Best in the World" is strong, special effects are irreplaceable when it comes to martial arts.

Absolutely not.

"Come on, let me test everyone's skills first," Cheng Xiaodong said with a smile.

"Haha, I can't wait! I've been working out a lot lately." Guo Quan'an laughed, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his well-defined muscles: "I've been practicing my martial arts moves really hard."

Having acted in urban comedies for many years, this was his first time taking on a role in a martial arts drama. He prepared well in advance and endured a lot of hardship for it.

Cheng Xiaodong pinched Guo Quan'an's muscles and exclaimed, "Not bad, solid muscles."

"Muscles are secondary; martial arts moves are the essence." Guo Quan'an immediately tried to demonstrate a couple of sets of wild, unorthodox punches.

"Hmm..." Cheng Xiaodong pondered, "You're practicing the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, huh? Your original task this time was to train your muscles, but now that you've done it ahead of time, I can rest easy."

"Indestructible? Why does he look like a big, dumb oaf?"

Cheng Xiaodong said.

"Actually... I'm not that stupid."

It's just covered in gold paint!

Upon hearing this, Guo Quan'an's martial arts dream shattered.

Where is the chivalrous hero in my heart?!

The implication is that the people being tested were, of course, the other two main characters.

Duan Tianya also has Guihai Yidao.

Guihai Yidao used a horizontal sword in the style of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Duan Tianya uses a purely Japanese-style katana, since in the story his swordsmanship is based on the illusion sword of Kou Island, and he is a disciple of the Yagyu family.

"Pick up your weapons and show them off. I'll be able to gauge your fighting skills by doing so."

Those with good action skills can have more action scenes set up.

If the animation skills are lacking, keep the animations simple and add more sword aura effects to cover up the flaws.

Tailoring instruction to individual needs and tailoring approaches to each person is one of the reasons why Cheng Xiaodong has a good reputation in the industry; he doesn't force actors to do actions they can't do.

Cheng Xiaodong had no particular preference or expectations for either Li Qing or Li Yapeng.

Of course, deep down he still hoped his action skills would be better... that way, the special effects would be much more effective.

"Let's begin."