Chapter 81: New Book Plot

Is the second volume going to be published?

Cao Sheng's attention landed on the second piece of news in Wang Jing's email.

Because if the second volume of *I Want to Become an Immortal* is released, his online serialization speed can slightly increase, becoming one chapter per day.

Thus, he can quickly accumulate more fans, and publish as many works as possible before web literature truly explodes, securing his position as the number one web novelist.

Even if he might not hold that throne for many years, one year is still one year.

Fame must come early.

First-mover advantage is crucial.

If he can secure the title of number one web novelist at the very beginning of web literature's development, there will surely be benefits later.

For example, in the original timeline, the universally recognized first web novel, *First Intimate Contact*, was not only published but also adapted into TV dramas, movies, and even video games.

Imagine: if it weren't universally recognized as the first web novel, how likely would this pure romance novel be adapted into a game?

Cao Sheng has already seized the title of the father of web literature.

But he is still not satisfied.

He still wants to be the number one web novelist for a few more years.

If this goal is achieved, he estimates that the copyright sales of his future works will sell better than those of other big masters.

In his memory, around 2010, there were a few years when web novel adaptation rights for film/TV and video games sold particularly well.

Prices kept rising higher and higher.

Selling an adaptation right for one or two million was common; for big masters like San Shao, Chendong, and Xihongshi, adaptation rights often reached tens of millions.

What stuck in his mind was when Xihongshi's new book, still unnamed and unwritten, had its video game adaptation right sold for fifty million.

The question arises—was that really the video game adaptation right being sold?

Cao Sheng believes it was Xihongshi's fame being sold.

It was the market performance of the web novel master's divine status.

Web literature is an industry where the winner takes all.

At present, the title of number one web novelist seems to hold little value, at most increasing the chance of publication.

But…

The good days are still ahead!

…

Cao Sheng created a new document, copied in his 150,000-word draft, labeled it *I Want to Become an Immortal: Volume Two*, and sent it to Wang Jing.

That night, he wrote until late into the night.

After finishing today's final chapter, it was already past midnight.

He turned off his computer, went downstairs to shower, yet still couldn't sleep.

Suddenly, he wanted to go out for a walk.

As a writer who spent years typing, before his rebirth, he was actually a night owl—his energy during the day was usually poor, but at night, it was when he was in his best state, his mind especially clear.

Many things, he figured out only in the deep quiet of night.

He put on sneakers, wore beach shorts and a floral shirt, stepped out the gate, hands in his pockets, walking calmly along the riverside sidewalk.

To his left was the quiet flow of the Xinanjiang River under the night, to his right was the riverside road, above him swayed branches of weeping willows in the wind.

It was deep night; few cars could be seen on the road, and not a single pedestrian within hundreds of meters.

He loved nights like this.

The cool night breeze against his skin made his mind exceptionally clear.

The question he'd been pondering these past two days seemed to slowly find its answer.

He reached a viewing platform, gripped the brick-and-stone railing before him, stared silently at the dark river under the night, and smiled as he decided his next book would further lower its reading barrier.

Before his rebirth, he always wanted to improve his writing style and deepen his works to elevate their reputation.

But this approach, as he wrote on, increasingly earned him the label of "literary youth."

Literary youth…

It was short for "literary youth," once a term of praise.

But in web literature, "literary youth" was often derogatory.

Authors labeled "literary youth" found it hard not to flop.

Works tagged as "literary youth," even with decent reputation, struggled to make money.

The phrase "praised but not popular" mainly described such works.

Now, he decided to write his new book, *Divine Tomb*, more plainly, even plainer.

Why did the original timeline's "Five Whites" achieve such success and earn so much?

The reason had already been analyzed.

—The works were written plainly enough, and the reader base was large enough, was one major reason.

It was said San Shao had many elementary school fans.

Why?

Cao Sheng believed it was because San Shao's works were understandable even to elementary school students.

Only if they could understand could they become fans.

And this time, Cao Sheng planned to write *Divine Tomb* at the reading comprehension level of a seventh-grade student, lowering the barrier to the point a seventh-grader could understand.

This decision was not easy.

Because he knew lowering the reading barrier would lower his work's reputation.

To many readers familiar with his style, it would seem his skill had regressed, and they would be deeply disappointed.

would think he has exhausted his talent.

would think his writing is dragging and wordy.

would think his works lack depth.

But now, in the early days of online literature, he felt he should consider expanding the readership of online novels as soon as possible.

Yes! The vast majority of current middle school students do not go online and have no chance to see his works on the internet.

But they will buy books and rent books.

Even if they rent pirated books, it won't earn him any money.

But surely a portion of middle school students with enough pocket money will buy the legitimate versions to support him.

Anyway, these students will spend their pocket money eventually; rather than letting them spend it on games, snacks, and girls, it's better to spend it on my books. Reading is surely better than playing games, eating snacks, and falling in love early, right?

Actually, there was another reason for his decision: improving writing skills is very difficult to achieve significantly in a short time. But lowering one's writing level is much simpler.

Sometimes, to expand one's readership, improving the quality of the work is not the only path available.

Operating in reverse, lowering quality and lowering the reading threshold can also expand the readership, and the effect might even be better.

He had seen similar phenomena far too many times during the years he wrote online novels.

Haven't you seen that many "novice novels" are more popular and earn more than high-quality works with good reputations?

On the viewing platform by the river.

Cao Sheng quietly watched the river water under the night sky.

His heart was actually somewhat complex.

As a writer who makes a living by typing characters, he naturally wanted to create works of better quality, and he had worked hard to do so before.

But reason told him: the group with a junior high school education will always be the largest; to embrace the market, one must cater to this group.

Perhaps, lowering the reading threshold is also a kind of progress.

It is just that the direction of progress is different.

In the following days, he began trying to write the main text of "Divine Tomb," wanting to write a few chapters first to find his rhythm.

He had already completed the outline for this book.

He had also completed the detailed outline for the first hundred thousand words of the plot.

But when he actually started writing the main text of this book, he discovered that changing his writing style was not easy; lowering the reading threshold and writing according to the standards of a novice novel was not easy to do.

Because the characteristics of a novice novel are not merely "simple."

"Simple" is just the basic requirement.

The key point is: gratification!

Plot more gratifying than those so-called "quality works," faster plot progression speed; it is either being gratifying or on the way to being gratifying.

For Cao Sheng, who was used to his previous writing style, this was actually a huge challenge.

But at the same time, it made him realize that if he could write this kind of novel well, few of the middle school students in the school would be able to resist the attraction of such works.

Because it is gratifying enough!

Yan Jie is the niece of the general manager of Yangtze Literature and Art Publishing House.

She had just graduated from university and was preparing for postgraduate entrance exams.

She, who studied Chinese Language and Literature, came to Yangtze Literature and Art today to visit her uncle, but her timing was a bit unfortunate; her uncle was holding a meeting in the conference room.

She could only pass the time by herself in her uncle's office for the moment.

Someone had just brewed a cup of tea for her, but she was not thirsty now and did not want to drink it, so she walked around her uncle's office with her hands behind her back.

As she walked and walked, she arrived in front of the bookshelf behind the desk and curiously looked at the books on the shelf.

Among them were many Published work from Yangtze Literature and Art over the years.

As she looked and looked, she saw a familiar book title: "I Desire to Become an Immortal."

Her friends had mentioned this book several times recently, saying it was a new novel genre that appeared this year and was very exciting.

But she had no interest in becoming an immortal or anything like that, so she had not read it.

But at this moment, she was bored, hesitated slightly, and then pulled this book from the bookshelf, thinking to pass the time.