Chapter 27: Disturbing Their State of Mind

The top few comments were posted a few days ago, back when "Battle Through the Heavens" had just claimed the number one spot on the Newcomer Rankings. For the readers who had followed the story from the beginning, there was a sense of collective glory—success for one was success for all. After all, the book’s achievements were owed entirely to the readers; no matter how good the writing, without reader support, it would be doomed. On the day "Battle Through the Heavens" topped the Newcomer Rankings, the entire review section was in an uproar.

[Xiao Yan Himself]: “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never look down on a young man’s poverty.”
[Little Harmony]: “A decade as a seasoned web novel reader—this book is truly to my taste. It’s bound to explode in popularity.”
[Kate Mango]: “Is that all? Winning Best Newcomer is too easy. I haven’t even hit my stride yet.”
[I Am Handsome]: “When does it go on paid release? I’m ready to spend!”
[Hehe Da]: “Congratulations to the grandmaster for topping the Newcomer Rankings. The monthly Best Newcomer is in the bag.”

Zeng Ying glanced over these comments without much interest—these were from several days ago, and one of them was even hers. She swiped right to the latest comments section.

Whoosh! A stream of freshly-baked comments appeared. There weren’t many replies yet; those up front were the ones with the most likes.

[I Am Handsome]: “Damn, I regret it. When Xiao Yixian and Xiao Yan were so electric in that little valley, I got so worked up I threw out a golden reward. Who could’ve guessed the damn author would pull that stunt right after? Damn.”
[I’m the Handsomest]: “You weren’t the only excited one. My hand slipped too, and I tossed out a gold as well.”
[Xiao Yixian Is the Most Beautiful]: “I seriously suspect the shameless grandmaster of doing this on purpose.”
[Xiao Yixian Is My Wife]: “Grandmaster, you scoundrel—if anything happens to my wife, I won’t let you off.”
[Xiao Yixian My Wife]: “Who are you upstairs? The fairy is my wife.”
[Xiao Xun’er Is the Most Beautiful]: “You can have Xiao Yixian, but I’m taking Xiao Xun’er.”
[San Shao Yincheng]: “It’s over. I’m not sleeping tonight. I just climbed out of He Luoluo’s pit, and now I’ve fallen into the grandmaster’s, damn it.”
[Tears of the Big Whale]: “Let’s wait for tomorrow. The grandmaster’s update volume is still impressive.”
[EIU]: “I’m about to lose it. Is the grandmaster sent by my homeroom teacher to torture me? I have an exam tomorrow!”

Zeng Ying was completely absorbed in the comments—they were more entertaining than the novel itself. The latest comments fell into two camps: praising the grandmaster for the generous updates and congratulating the book’s launch, or venting their frustration. The praise usually came right after the book went on sale, before people had actually read the new chapters; otherwise, they wouldn’t have left such comments. But after reading the paid chapters, everyone was on edge.

People had seen cliffhangers before, but never like this—this was pure sabotage of the readers’ nerves. Zeng Ying finished twenty chapters in no time, but spent over an hour reading the comments. It was just too satisfying. Seeing so many people venting made her mood instantly better.

At least I’m not suffering alone… Pleased, Zeng Ying went off to shower.

The launch of "Battle Through the Heavens" attracted plenty of attention, including that of several editors from web novel platforms. The book’s pre-launch momentum had been overwhelming, amassing a huge reader base. Once it went live, a burst of activity was all it needed for a strong debut. And the grandmaster didn’t disappoint—twenty chapters released in one go on launch day. This wasn’t just an update; it was an explosion.

In a certain neighborhood in Shanghai, Wang Ke, having just left work at Baidu Literature, ordered some takeout and headed straight home. He arrived right at six o’clock.

It’s not that I think it’s good—I’m just doing research, Wang Ke muttered darkly as he topped up his Baidu coins and opened the paid chapters of "Battle Through the Heavens." The moment it went live, he couldn’t wait to dive in.

“Twenty chapters!” Wang Ke exclaimed. Although the grandmaster had been updating at twice the rate of other authors since launch, this release was overkill. Wang Ke was thoroughly impressed—no wonder this author had clinched Best Newcomer. As for the rookie he had poached, Baidu Literature had postponed "Invincible Emperor" for three days to avoid clashing with "Battle Through the Heavens." Otherwise, simultaneous launches would have been suicide.

Wang Ke’s real rivalry was with Liu Da, not the grandmaster. Relishing each chapter, Wang Ke read on with delight. Half an hour later, he put down his phone, utterly bewildered.

What just happened? He was still processing.

“Is this setting up for Xiao Yixian to be killed off?” Wang Ke wasn’t sure, but it felt that way. Then he exploded.

What’s wrong with this grandmaster? Xiao Yixian is great—so popular, obviously a main heroine candidate. What kind of author dares kill off such a beloved character, especially one at the height of her popularity? Wang Ke was convinced Xiao Yixian was one of the female leads.

After venting, Wang Ke calmed down. “This must be the grandmaster’s trick to hook readers so they have to subscribe tomorrow. I have to admit, it’s very effective.” He paused, then added, “Also, it’s really infuriating.”

Wang Ke wasn’t alone in his thinking. Many editors and authors thought the same—who in their right mind would provoke readers by killing off such a popular character? It had to be a ploy.

As a result, quite a few authors started analyzing the grandmaster’s move and began to imitate it. The outcome was disastrous. Subscription numbers plummeted and reputations took a nosedive.

[YSKSBJ]: “Are you out of your mind? The Empress, invincible in the world, choked to death on a glass of water—what’s wrong with your brain, you damn author?”
[467546]: “I only followed this book for the Empress, and you just killed her off?”

By the time these authors realized the problem, it was too late to undo the damage. They had tried to imitate without the necessary skill, and ended up driving their readers away.

“Grandmaster, I hate you,” wailed a certain level three author in the middle of the night, cursing the grandmaster for lacking all sense of decency. He was on the verge of tears! Why, when Xiao Yixian was in danger, did "Battle Through the Heavens" subscriptions soar, but when he killed off the Empress, his numbers nearly tanked?

An industry friend explained, “Because Xiao Yixian isn’t the only popular character in ‘Battle Through the Heavens.’ And the grandmaster never explicitly said Xiao Yixian would die—it’s just her Calamity Poison Body is erupting. Who knows what’ll happen? The spike in subscriptions is because readers want to know if she’ll survive. Whether she lives or dies, the grandmaster wins.”

Having realized this, a certain author wiped away his tears and resolved to idolize the grandmaster—he would start a new novel in tribute to "Battle Through the Heavens."

You’re just trying to ride the trend… his friend scoffed, while also secretly launching a new book under a pseudonym titled "War Through the Heavens."

Some authors scrambled to jump on the bandwagon, starting new books with alternate accounts. The May Newcomer Rankings were out of reach, but June wasn’t far off.

The chief editor of the Fantasy Team at Yidian Novel listened to his editors’ report and sighed, “On June’s Newcomer Rankings, all the protagonists are going to be underdogs.”

Meanwhile, the readers of "Battle Through the Heavens" were not amused.

(First draft, to be revised.)