Chapter 529: End of Volume 34

[End of Volume, Chapters 3 and 4]

[End of Volume, Chapters 3 and 4]

1. Summary

Volume Two, “Elegy of the Frozen Winter,” has ended.

This volume is longer and contains more content, primarily expanding the maps of the Northern Frontier and the Jin Quehua Dynasty, granting the identities of “King of the Northern Frontier” and “Sea Sentinel Mage.”

Of course, due to Gao De’s low personal strength, he could not explore high-difficulty areas, so only a tiny fraction of both maps was covered, and both identities are just beginning.

2. On Prophecy

It was not because of the prophecy that he became King of the Northern Frontier; it was because he became King of the Northern Frontier that the prophecy arose.

3. Performance

Despite my lazy updates, the performance has steadily improved, rising from 500+ initial subscriptions to a current average of 4,300+. Thank you all, my brothers, for your genuine financial support—I wish you all great wealth!

My previous novel, the Sword Cultivator, started at 50+ initial subscriptions and ended with an average of 5,000+. This Mage’s opening is much stronger, and its growth is much faster—I’ll strive to catch up soon, keep pushing!

4. Gratitude

I’m a person with strong boundaries (lazy).

So, aside from taking leave and volume summaries, I rarely speak up or seek meaningless attention.

I quietly write, and you, my brothers, enjoy reading in peace.

To me, subscriptions are already the greatest support—you are top-tier brothers.

But there are always many readers who not only subscribe, but also tip, vote, help catch errors, and even offer support in the comment section.

These readers, though they may seem few, are actually the majority; I call them brothers out of habit, but in my heart, they should be called angels.

So, no matter how lazy I am, I must sincerely thank you all for your support.

Bowing, bowing, and bowing again.

Also, thank you, Brother Jian Shan Gen, for granting two Grand Patrons during Volume Two!!

5. The Protagonist’s Level-Up Pace Is Too Slow

One perspective: accumulating wealth is hardest from 0 to 1 million; from 1 million to 10 million, the amount increases more, but the difficulty is actually less than the first stage.

6. This Novel Is a Traditional Level-Up Story

By now, Qidian has very few pure level-up novels; creativity has become increasingly important, but this book has almost no creativity—it’s extremely traditional, even old-fashioned.

The point of saying this is that I have always acknowledged this is a deeply “old-fashioned” story.

7. Fighting Above One’s Level

A key appeal of level-up novels is fighting above one’s level.

But if fighting above one’s level is too easy, it becomes boring, so I’ve set the combat power gap between levels extremely large.

The gap is large, yet fighting above one’s level must still be the protagonist’s essential ability.

How to make it plausible? That’s the hexagonal warrior.

To shape these six traits requires vast amounts of space, so the level-up pace appears slow.

But the pace is slow, not the growth.

Gao De’s strength has been steadily rising with the plot.

Quantitative change leads to qualitative change.

8. Updates

Shame, thoughts, struggle, inner reflection, low point, guilt, self-examination, regret, end, analysis, shame, dilemma, endless, facing mistakes, condemnation, turning point, torment, bottom line, remorse, illusion, truth, eventual release, calm, breaking free, self-blame, cognition, abyss, past, farewell, guilt, imprisonment, heartbreak, regret, flaw, error, awakening, reflection, shame, focus, calm, flaw, escaping self-blame, bottom line, admitting fault, remorse, breaking free, calm, seeing clearly, turning, what is redemption, breaking self-blame, bearing condemnation, falling into error, darkness, eventual awakening, indulgence, torment, despair, inferiority, admitting fault, illusion, promise, end, low point, answer, regret, responsibility, maintaining hope, analyzing lingering guilt, about thoughts, dependence, reclaiming pain, regret, shattered emotions, change, honesty, bottom line, fate, pain, flaw, reflection, letting go, entanglement, tears, loss, absolute guilt, redemption, abandoning self-blame, fact, emotion, eventual release, sincerity, phantom pain, sinking, defeating cold emotion, awakening, trajectory, regret, apology, serious self-examination, thoughts, dilemma, inner reflection, low point, guilt, self-examination

(I really can’t write fast—I really am this ashamed)

Also, my own update attitude is a bit Schrödinger’s:

If I’m lazy, there was that time I stayed up all night with insomnia, then ran a 20-kilometer off-road race the next morning, came home, took a nap, and still wrote that day’s update—glorious deeds;

Or when my workplace sent me for training elsewhere, I drove home at night just to write, then woke up early the next morning to drive back to training—fighting moments;

Even when infected with norovirus, I still managed to write that day’s chapter—unyielding determination.

If I’m diligent, there was the time I missed an update because I played games too long and just skipped it;

Or when I chatted too long on WeChat and missed the update and just skipped it;

Or simply because I craved food and went downtown for hotpot, and just skipped it.

These random, unjustifiable skips have happened quite a few times. (Embarrassed face)

Consider this sufficient, though not necessary, proof that I’m human, not AI…

9. Structure

How to put it? Some books, some authors, simply aren’t suited to writing fast; write fast, it’s fun for a while, but it will definitely collapse later.

Many precedents exist—I won’t list them, but older readers can name several offhand.

For me, writing long and finishing well matters more than writing fast and exploding (though honestly, even if I tried, I couldn’t write fast or explode, haha).

If I had to choose between a one-million-word novel with ten-thousand subscriptions and a three-million-word masterpiece, the former might earn more and be easier, the latter seems inefficient—but I still choose the latter.

That’s all.

This novel and this author both belong to the type unsuited to writing fast.

In plot, I write with extreme restraint; sometimes I prefer a flatter pace to avoid forcing conflict that would damage the long-term structure and cause a collapse later.

—You should be able to tell, this Mage will be a long epic, right? (Please, who’d read a traditional level-up novel that isn’t long?!)

10. Trigger Warnings

Everyone’s trigger points differ; some seem utterly bizarre to others—for example, I avoid any novel where the protagonist smokes, absolutely won’t read them (though there are exceptions, like Xu Le).

A long novel, millions of words, will inevitably hit some readers’ personal trigger points; some can tolerate, others can’t and quit—you’re not wrong, I’m not wrong either.

Breakups vary: some part ways politely, others end in bitter fights—many situations exist.

But as long as it’s not a moral failing, if you once found joy, that’s enough—just like love, isn’t it?

11. Casual Chat

Among online novel readers, Qidian’s paying readers—you—are, in my view, far ahead of readers on other sites in professionalism, tolerance, personal quality, and understanding of web literature.

This isn’t flattery—it’s simply true.

As a Qidian author, respecting you is both sufficient and necessary.

So since my Sword Cultivator, I’ve said:

Any comment from a paying reader, even if sharp or biased, as long as it doesn’t involve personal attacks, I will never delete or ban—even if I disagree.

Even if I write slowly or skip updates, I will absolutely finish this novel to the best of my ability—I will never abandon or ruin it out of personal whim.

So please read with peace of mind, comment freely: slow updates are real, occasional skips are real, but finishing this story well is also real.

12. Volume Three Title: “Twin Flowers”

13. Taking one or two days off—to slack off a bit and organize the main plot for the next volume.

14. I’ve said everything, but I still want to list one more thing.

(End of Chapter)