Chapter 82: A New Book Arrives (Requesting Monthly Votes)

That night, the BaiDu Literature app featured a headline announcing that the Grandmaster was about to release a new novel.

After a final discussion, the editorial department decided that Liu Da would continue to oversee the Grandmaster, while the new novel would be co-managed by the Fantasy and Immortal Cultivation divisions.

There was no other option but to collaborate; the Fantasy division refused to let go, and the Immortal Cultivation division attempted to seize control by force. The chief editors of both nearly came to blows over the matter.

As soon as the news broke, the readers of Battle Through the Heavens were in turmoil.

They were still waiting for more side stories—whether Xiao Yan ended up with Little Doctor Fairy and the Cloud Sect Master had never been addressed in the novel.

Yet now, without a word, the Grandmaster was already planning a new book, making the wait for those side stories seem even more indefinite.

Although Battle Through the Heavens hadn’t been serialized for long—counting the free period, it was less than four months in total—the book’s popularity was unstoppable, accumulating more readers than others did in three or four works combined.

These readers had been following the novel closely and were naturally keeping a keen eye on the Grandmaster’s next move.

With Battle Through the Heavens concluded, readers once again found themselves in a void, their appetites, once satisfied daily by the Grandmaster’s prolific updates, now left wanting. Going back to authors who updated only four or five thousand words a day no longer held any appeal.

So when the news of the Grandmaster’s new book arrived, they were both thrilled and anxious.

Thrilled because they would once again have over twenty thousand words to read each day; anxious because the Grandmaster had a reputation for tormenting his readers.

“New book coming too fast—like a tornado.”

It had only been three days since Battle Through the Heavens ended. Most authors, after finishing a major work, would rest two or three months, sometimes even half a year or more, before starting another.

But the Grandmaster—while the previous book was still warm—was already racing ahead with a new one.

[76976]: “I haven’t even pulled my pants up and here we go again—this is way too fast!”

[439464]: “I thought the days of being stuffed with content were over, but only three days later, it’s all coming back.”

[76499]: “Oh no, I wanted to reread Battle Through the Heavens, but now the new book is out—I’m conflicted...”

[Grandmaster Ah Ah]: “The Grandmaster is the founding father of the ‘loser-to-hero’ genre. I fell in love with Battle Through the Heavens because of the massive updates. I tried reading similar novels from the charts, but none of them quite matched up to the Grandmaster’s style.”

[46496]: “The Grandmaster has an unrivaled grasp of this genre’s appeal—no other author compares.”

[46946]: “I’m a bit afraid to read the new book. The ending of Battle Through the Heavens really left a bad taste in my mouth.”

[123648]: “I’m not planning to read the new one. Based on the Grandmaster’s track record, there’s bound to be characters or plots that will drive readers crazy.”

[764964]: “Me neither, though the Grandmaster’s writing is brilliant, some of his choices are baffling—almost like he takes pride in upsetting his readers.”

[66464]: “By the way, is the new book still in the loser-to-hero style?”

[34946]: “The real question is, will the Grandmaster still torment the main character in this one?”

[734964]: “I don’t think so. After the Battle Through the Heavens finale, the Grandmaster should’ve learned his lesson.”

[464646]: “As long as we don’t indulge him from the start, the protagonist should be safe.”

Despite how, when the first version of the Battle Through the Heavens ending was released, readers swore they’d never read another of the Grandmaster’s books, the moment the app announced his new novel, even the most vocal critics couldn’t help but admit their anticipation.

There was simply no comparison; other authors updated far too little.

The Grandmaster had ushered in a new era of competition among authors.

Most of Battle Through the Heavens’ readers were ready and waiting for the Grandmaster’s new release.

It’s worth noting that everyone assumed the new book would be another loser-to-hero fantasy—after all, the Grandmaster had pioneered the genre and built its audience.

There was no way the founding father would abandon his hard-won domain at the peak of its popularity and switch to another genre. The Grandmaster wasn’t foolish.

Moreover, the readers attracted by Battle Through the Heavens were all fans of this style, and the Grandmaster’s name had become synonymous with it.

Mention the genre and the Grandmaster’s shadow looms large; mention the Grandmaster, and it’s impossible not to think of the genre.

Not only did readers think this way, but so did other authors.

As long as the Grandmaster kept writing loser-to-hero stories, even if the quality wasn’t as dazzling, his works would remain hot topics.

Besides, the genre was developing rapidly. In time, it would rival the dominant power-fantasy stories.

Many authors were uneasy upon hearing the Grandmaster was returning with a new book.

They’d hoped to poach his readers during the gap after Battle Through the Heavens ended, gradually turning them into their own fans.

But the news of the Grandmaster’s new novel caught them off guard.

Who releases new books this quickly? Are you insane?

Don’t you need a break?

It was one thing to be a fast writer, but now, even launching a new book happened at breakneck speed.

Are you trying to leave the rest of us with no way to survive?

Everyone was watching.

At 8 p.m., the Grandmaster’s new novel was officially released.

In an instant, countless readers flooded BaiDu, swarming onto the Grandmaster’s new book page.

—

PS. The new book is out! Click on the author’s profile to see it.

The new book is just a seedling—please recommend and add it to your favorites.

The new book is already signed, so you can invest with confidence.

New book synopsis:

Chen Zi’ang, having crossed into a parallel world, has parents, a younger sister, and a home. With a fresh master’s degree in hand, all he wants is to lead a leisurely life as a stay-at-home adult, living off his family—until...

“Ding!”

“Welcome to the Fully Automated Smart Entertainment System.”

“Your entertainment life is severely lacking. The system will now select suitable activities for you. Detecting entertainment competitions with open enrollment. Please wait...”

“You have been successfully registered. Please continue enjoying yourself...”

“Attention: During system management, you will lose control of your body.”

After obtaining the Fully Automated Smart Entertainment System, Chen Zi’ang’s life veered sharply away from his intentions.

Facing reporters, Chen Zi’ang bitterly complained:

“I’m really not a superstar!”

“My fame is nothing but pure accident!”

“My dream is to face the sea, bask in spring’s warmth and blooming flowers...”

Look—Chen Zi’ang is trending again.

Alternate titles: “This System Wants to Be Famous Too Much,” “I’m Really Not a Star,” “I Only Want a Quiet, Laid-Back Life.”