The filming of the triathlon scene in Chapter 551 didn't wrap up until evening.

With such a large and diverse cast of extras, it was impossible to film everything in one take. However, the "Heavenly Emperor" production team, having honed their skills during their time in Beijing, is now quite mature. Even before filming began, the assistant directors and foremen of each group had held separate meetings with the extras and rehearsed several times. Coupled with precise camera positioning and seamless layered shooting, although they worked all day, they didn't waste much time.

Shang Yechu's professionalism and superb acting skills were actually only felt by a small group of people. Apart from director Shao Guangji and his assistant director team, and the lead actors such as Nina and Lu Hongyi, only a few experienced extras could directly perceive the difference.

There were so many people in this scene. The assistant director and the extras led their respective groups, the action choreographer kept a close eye on things, the script supervisor marked the lines, the production assistants maintained order, and long-range, close-up, and tracking cameras were all running simultaneously. It was chaotic yet orderly, a massive scene. Most people were simply following their team leaders, rehearsing their positions. As for who Shang Yechu was, what did that have to do with anyone else?

Large ensemble scenes, after years of working on film sets across various regions, have been a common experience for many. For most film crews, large ensemble scenes can only be described in three words: running through wild boar!

The extras were just randomly selected, and rehearsals were held urgently before filming officially began. Fights had to be real, and pushing and shoving had to be real. The director, holding a megaphone and yelling, maintained order entirely through shouting. After filming for half a day, only a few takes were usable, so everyone had to work overtime.

Even if the director's ancestors' graves were to emit smoke from the sky, and the extras performed exceptionally well, transforming from running wild boars into model sheep, the ordeal wouldn't be over. The overall quality of actors in the Chinese entertainment industry is declining; many lead actors can't remember their lines, and it's common for them to laugh on set, lose focus, or have expressionless faces. If it's a large ensemble piece, then everyone is in for a lot of trouble.

In many movie and TV series behind-the-scenes clips, there are often scenes where actors forget their lines, burst into laughter, or even deliberately cause trouble, leading to laughter from the entire set. However, in reality, probably only the actors themselves and their fans find this behavior endearing. Most of the staff present, when faced with such a situation, would only think one thing: "Idiot."

For extras and the vast majority of staff, any actor's persona is meaningless. Time is life, and there's no reason why so many people should waste their lives with you.

On a film set, the two most valuable qualities of an actor are dedication and professionalism; the two most endearing things are taking every take seriously and not wasting anyone's time; and the greatest respect for others is to minimize the number of takes required for you. All other methods, whether it's winning people over with meals or using a friendly, smiling marketing approach, are ultimately inferior.

Shang Yechu is clearly a top-notch actor.

The smooth filming of "The Heavenly Emperor" was not only due to the coordination of Shao Guangji's team, but Ye Chu himself also deserves much credit.

This scene required meticulous positioning, varying distances and lengths, and was filmed dozens of times. Ye Chu walked back and forth more than twenty times, posing alongside more than ten groups of extras and lead actors. However, throughout the entire process, Ye Chu never showed a sullen expression for a single second, never made a single unnecessary small movement, and never showed even a hint of fatigue!

Throughout the entire day of filming, the number of takes requiring retakes due to Ye Chu's own issues was extremely small. Any extra who has worked on a large production can clearly appreciate the benefits of this professionalism.

Only true actors—the top-tier, most experienced, and most ethical actors—can maintain this level of performance. And such actors are extremely rare in the global entertainment industry.

Some people were even bewildered by this. Ye Chu was practically not a mortal, but a precise machine; if they hadn't seen her eating a boxed lunch at lunchtime, they would have suspected that she was secretly adding engine oil to her food behind the crew's back!

Shao Guangji frowned throughout, but didn't utter any harsh words. To be precise, aside from providing acting guidance, he completely avoided direct communication with Ye Chu, as if he were dodging something. Ye Chu was also quite tactful, never causing Shao Guangji any trouble except for topics related to filming and the script.

The director and lead actor had a bad relationship; anyone with eyes could see that. No one seemed surprised by it.

At lunchtime, several extras ate their boxed lunches while whispering among themselves, "We're really lucky this time! The director and the lead actor are both in their right minds!"

"Isn't Ye Chu tired? A little girl like her, running so many times."

"It must be tiring, but I dare not say it. The director always has a long face."

"Old Chen, thank you so much this time. It's all thanks to you for bringing me into this group. I'll treat you to drinks after get off work!"

"In my previous group, I worked with Lian Haiting and Gao Zhe. They made us laugh five or six times while filming a kissing scene! The whole group just stared at them hugging and kissing all morning..."

"Comparison is the thief of joy. Otherwise, how could they be able to star in such a big-budget production?"

After a full day of filming, Shang Yechu was exhausted.

After Shao Guangji shouted "That's a wrap!", Shang Yechu felt all her energy drain away in an instant. Forgetting all about appearances, she rushed to the prop chair and sprawled out, sprawling out in a disheveled position.

Even at this point, Shang Yechu wasn't worried about anyone on set secretly taking unflattering photos of her. Being photographed in an unflattering way was better than being exhausted; let them take the pictures, Yeya had seen even uglier ones anyway.

This scene drew the attention of many extras, who suddenly realized: even the lead actress gets tired. She runs around all day without making a sound, and they thought she was made of iron.

Shang Yechu felt utterly exhausted. Performing is a highly mentally demanding activity, and maintaining that level of performance for an entire day is no easy feat. If it weren't for the burning anger within her, she would have collapsed long ago.

This grand spectacle cannot be summarized by the word "talent." In fact, Shang Yechu had practiced meticulously for a long time. Not only in this life, but also in the previous one.