Chapter 130: The New Book Rankings Have Updated (Requesting Monthly Votes)

In truth, it wasn't just the editors at Baidu Literature who were keeping a close watch on the real-time data and reader feedback for *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.

Industry peers—chief editors and editorial staff from various other platforms—had gathered together after work without needing any prompting, anxiously awaiting the numbers.

In reality, the nervousness felt by the editors in Baidu Literature’s Fantasy and Wuxia departments stemmed from their fear that readers might not embrace *The Return of the Condor Heroes*. While they personally held the work in high regard, that didn't guarantee the audience would feel the same. It was far from unprecedented for an editor to love a piece of writing only for it to fail miserably in the market.

Unlike the fears of the Baidu editors, the competitors were worried about a different prospect: Could this "Big Shot" actually write Wuxia? Could they really be that talented?

It was a bizarrely ironic situation: the editors at Baidu were sweating over whether the book would flop, while the editors at rival platforms were sweating over whether it would explode, terrified that this "Big Shot" might actually be too good at writing the genre.

Generally speaking, authors who attempt to cross over into new genres usually meet a sorry end, with their sales figures crashing and burning. But with the precedent of the "Great God" and their work *Zhu Xian* fresh in everyone's minds, the rivals were rattled. They didn't fear the Big Shot failing; they feared the Big Shot becoming the next Great God.

The wait was long, yet no one felt exhausted or impatient. The moment the data was released, the expressions of the executives at the various platforms turned grim.

The approval rating from reader feedback for *The Return of the Condor Heroes* had reached an astonishing 90%. The negative review rate was a mere 10%. Considering that a portion of those negative reviews were malicious attacks planted by rival "washed-up" Wuxia authors who had paid for "click farms" to sabotage the book, that 90% approval was even more staggering.

"Damn it!" one platform executive cursed, nearly having a mental breakdown. "What is going on with Baidu? First they had a Great God, and now this Big Shot pops up? Is there no end to it?"

The previous situation with the Great God was bad enough, but this time, the Big Shot’s new book was in the Wuxia genre, just as the upcoming Wuxia Championship contest was approaching. If *The Return of the Condor Heroes* truly went viral, it meant the crown of this year’s championship would likely be snatched away by Baidu Literature.

That was unacceptable.

They could tolerate being dominated on the charts—there was no help for it, as the official subscription charts were based on real, paid readership, and one couldn't exactly dump real money into fake subscriptions without the cost far outweighing the gains. While some authors had tried it in the past, the return on investment was so poor that the practice had largely died out.

Now, a singular thought gripped everyone: Could this Big Shot be poached?

Damn it! It was just too tempting.

Suppressing the book was impossible—Baidu Literature wasn't some pushover, and as one of the industry leaders, they were not to be trifled with. It was a maddening situation. Not only had the Great God successfully transitioned, but the Big Shot had done so as well, and both had produced smash hits.

"It feels like traditional Wuxia, yet it's unlike anything currently on the market," some noted. "Within the framework of traditional Wuxia, they’ve carved out a new branch—a whole new style of writing."

"It’s terrifying. After so many legendary authors have already mined the Wuxia genre, how could they possibly write something that feels like a brand-new sub-genre?"

"New Traditional Wuxia" was the label people gave to *The Return of the Condor Heroes*. If one were to break it down further, considering its structure and content, it was truly a unique breed.

"I think I can already see what the new book charts will look like in a month."

"It’s coming. 'New Traditional Wuxia' is going to become a new trend, just like the 'Good-for-Nothing' trope or the recent 'New Xianxia' craze."

For a sub-genre to be recognized, it first had to ignite a craze and spark a wave of imitators. And it was clear to everyone that while perfectly replicating the genius of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* was impossible, imitating its style was certainly doable.

Some quick-witted editors immediately messaged their authors the moment the data came out. They told any author planning a new book to study *The Return of the Condor Heroes* and get on the bandwagon as soon as possible. Don't just stand there—go study and imitate!

Even without editorial prodding, many struggling Wuxia authors had been waiting for the Big Shot’s new book. The moment it went live, they began dissecting it without even waiting for the data. Fifty thousand words might not be enough to reveal everything, but it was plenty to study the framework and the narrative approach. If they rode the coattails of this new trend, they could at least get some scraps while the Big Shot feasted. They had missed the boat on the "Good-for-Nothing" and "New Xianxia" trends, so they were determined not to miss this one.

In fact, smaller authors were often much more sensitive to these shifts than the established ones. Some even went as far as to abandon their ongoing books just to focus on studying *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.

"I'm done, I'm quitting. I'm going to study *The Return of the Condor Heroes*. The Big Shot is just too good—if you're mad, don't blame me, go blame the Big Shot!"

This immediately enraged a group of readers who swarmed the review section of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* to vent their frustration. Some readers, skeptical and refusing to believe it could be that good, went in to hate-read—and then... they were hooked.

Industry authors couldn't help but sigh: "The Big Shot really doesn't play by the rules. Crossing genres and succeeding so brilliantly? This person is a monster."

"The Great God and the Big Shot—they truly live up to their names."

"Baidu Literature is just obscenely lucky to have two such unreasonable talents."

"I never imagined Wuxia could be written with such a fresh perspective. Having authors like the Great God and the Big Shot in the market is a blessing for us, but colliding with their books is a tragedy."

"The author that [Platform Name] was pinning all their hopes on is in trouble. They were counting on him to take the Wuxia championship and secure a 'Wuxia Great God' contract!"

"You mean the Alliance Leader? I read his last book, it was decent, but I haven't checked his new one yet."

"The Big Shot didn't disappoint his predecessor, the Great God. Let's just say, if you don't have the brains of the Great God or the Big Shot, you'd better stay in your lane and avoid this 'genre-crossing' nonsense."

"That’s why the Great God is the Great God, and the Big Shot is the Big Shot."

That night, discussion groups for *The Return of the Condor Heroes* began popping up on forums and message boards across the web. Terms like "Beggar Sect" and "Dog-Beating Staff Technique" began to spread like wildfire. Within just a few hours of its release, the review section for *The Return of the Condor Heroes* on Baidu Literature had already surpassed eight thousand posts.

The intensity of the discussion alone was enough to prove that the book’s popularity would be immense, even without looking at the raw data. But there were always those who refused to believe the hype, claiming the reviews were likely faked.

The true verdict would have to wait for the official New Book Chart the following morning. After a long night of anticipation, at 8:00 AM, the official literature charts were updated.