Yan Qianlie's breakthrough was due to seizing the sliver of space disrupted by Qiu Wuji's ascension and the Heavenly Dao's attempt to correct itself, grasping the existence node of another realm. In this independent event, it was an accident.
But in a sense, it was also inevitable.
When the elites of this realm began to realize the existence of the "Heavenly Dao" and started to wholeheartedly explore in this direction, then this day would inevitably come.
Qiu Wuji would emerge, and others would too, not now, but in the not-too-distant future.
Especially when… they become more and more real.
Chu Ge himself didn't realize how rich the sense of existence of the world had become.
Writers who frequented Qidian.com often overlooked one problem… distribution channels.
Qidian.com, on the surface, is considered the king of online novels, but in reality, its daily active users rank very low among various apps, unable to support such a grand proposition as "the sense of existence of the world"... There are all sorts of other channels outside, paid, free, WeChat, browsers… and so on. (Note: This does not refer to piracy!) Many works that perform well on the main website (likely referring to a Chinese online literature platform) don't make much of a splash on other platforms. This is called "only relying on the main site's popularity, not on other channels," a typical example being some serious historical works.
Conversely, some works that perform only moderately on the main website can become huge hits on other channels, selling for several times more than on the main site. This is called "relying on other platforms for popularity," and there are countless precedents for this.
Chu Ge is a veteran of online literature, but he doesn't really understand these concepts. After all, he used to rely almost entirely on the main site's popularity, with no impact from other channels. Every time he checked his backend, he saw a few hundred yuan from the group's channels and a few tens or even a few yuan from third-party channels, which was negligible. No overseas translations, never any adaptations…
In reality, relying solely on the main site—what kind of common understanding is that? What kind of "world presence" is that? Forget about being in the top ten; even being in the top three might not count. To expand one's world presence, one must be able to gain traction on other channels, even starting to adapt into anime and film. Only then will the number of people who know and acknowledge that world grow exponentially.
When Chu Ge received the bank transfer notification via text message and saw the unbelievable number, he frantically checked the backend to confirm his monthly royalties, only to suddenly realize that his perspective had been somewhat narrow.
This month's channel fees were more than double those of the main site.
Chu Ge stared at the terrifying number, momentarily dazed, feeling it was all unreal.
The last wave of "going viral" hadn't just brought him a higher ranking on the bestseller list; the real impact was here… something you wouldn't normally notice.
When will it be adapted? How will the world change?
"What's wrong?" Qiu Wuji hugged him from behind, speaking softly, "You just finished healing, and instead of resting, you suddenly jumped up to check the computer backend… backend… backend… are these numbers fake?"
Qiu Wuji was stunned, her voice trembling towards the end.
She used to think robbing 10,000 was a lot… and last month's income was just considered unexpected gains, not worth mentioning. What is this?
No wonder Chu Ge neglected his healing and jumped up after seeing a text message.
Chu Ge said sorrowfully, "Do you know what it means to be in the top ten bestsellers for a month, plus double the channel revenue? I won't give you the exact amount, lest readers go after those beasts in the top ten." Qiu Wuji: "...Is that really you?"
"I'm not pretending, Qiu Qiu, I really haven't considered this. Seeing these numbers made me gasp for breath, and afterwards, what I thought about most was the existence of our world." Chu Ge said, "I even wondered if it's because it's more real that you were able to find that celestial realm... Theoretically, I haven't even written it yet, so it doesn't exist. No one who wants to ascend can find it. You previously tried..." "Ascension, and it linked to me, but I can't find any celestial realm, right? But it truly exists, and it's becoming increasingly apparent, so..."
"Perhaps..." Qiu Wuji whispered, "Won't you blame me for ascending without consulting you? What if something goes wrong..."
"Although I'm a little unhappy... but actually, this is the right thing to do." Chu Ge patted her hand on his shoulder and smiled, "If you consulted me and I let you do it, was it the Heavenly Dao that made you do it, or you breaking free from the Heavenly Dao? Don't think about these things, just do what you want to do." Qiu Wuji thought for a moment and shook her head. She had thought the same way before, but now she felt that there was something wrong with the logic.
If I were an independent individual, wouldn't it be normal to discuss things with my boyfriend? Why is it that it's only considered acceptable if I don't consult him?
The bloodstains on Chu Ge's lips were too poignant, making Qiu Wuji feel uneasy.
What is illusion, what is reality...? Can one truly see clearly what is truly oneself?
"Forget it, these things are really hard to judge. If we keep getting stuck in this dead end, life will be difficult. Having to constantly consider whether something is in accordance with the will of Heaven, or whether it's a matter of self-liberation... how can we live like that?"
Both were open-minded people, so they stopped dwelling on it. Chu Ge smiled and said, "This experience wasn't without its benefits. I feel more secure in my control."
Qiu Wuji was very interested: "How so?"
"Although I can't quite feel the same ownership as with my personal space, I feel like my permissions are much clearer... or, the interaction is much stronger?" Chu Ge smiled slightly: "Look."
Qiu Wuji watched as a blade of grass appeared in his hand.
"Moonlight Grass!" Qiu Wuji was both surprised and delighted: "Did I pick this from the back mountain?"
"Yes, from the pavilion outside your secluded cultivation chamber, I just picked it casually." Chu Ge blinked: "I can take things out of there now, Qiu Qiu."
Because of stronger control?
Or because the world feels more real?
The two struggled to pinpoint the exact reason; perhaps a combination of factors played a role…
But the sheer joy of this moment was enough to make them forget about analyzing the reasons. Chu Ge could now take things from the Immortal World! What did this mean?
"Can I only take grass? Can't I take something else?" Qiu Wuji asked, his voice brimming with excitement. "My Sunset Cloud Brocade Autumn Water Rainbow Robe, my Autumn Water Azure Sword…"
Chu Ge: "…No." Damn it, I just realized how long the names of the magical treasures I added for you to pad the word count were.
Qiu Wuji: "Waaah…"
Chu Ge comforted him, "Right now we can only take some very lightweight things. We can filter out the most cost-effective ones, like alchemy or something. That's much more meaningful than relying on this little bit of pearl spiritual energy before, and it's also very effective for your clone's cultivation, isn't it? When my cultivation is higher and the world is more stable, maybe I can even move Cloud Peak out…"
Qiu Wuji's eyes gleamed.
No need to move Cloud Peak out, just move my true body out… Consciousness is boundless, it can travel, but the physical body is limited; it truly can't come out. Unless the primordial spirit leaves the body, leaving only an empty shell... it seems unnecessary.
It's a pity about constantly splitting his soul and going back and forth like this. If only he could freely enter and exit one day.
Even now, he could indeed select suitable materials for alchemy, or make some magical robes... Look at how tattered his clothes are every time he fights...
Once the two worlds are truly linked, there are so many things that Qiu Wuji can't even begin to count the benefits.
This is a terrifying leap, definitely symbolizing the beginning of Chu Ge's great strides in cultivation.
Chu Ge, however, stared intently at the Moonlit Grass for a while, then murmured, "I've also realized something... the connection between the two worlds is becoming increasingly close. Since you were able to come out, it's possible other powerful figures could slip out as well. I need to reinforce it, just in case..."
He opened the document and added a sentence to the patch he had previously used for Qiu Wuji's travel: "Although Qiu Wuji hasn't ascended, he has made multiple attempts and has sensed the existence of the myriad worlds, thus making travel possible. Others who haven't attempted tribulation have become even more isolated due to the spatial disturbances caused by Qiu Wuji. Even those who previously vaguely sensed the Gate of Myriad Worlds have now lost their perception."
Qiu Wuji looked on strangely, thinking this Father God was truly despicable.
He didn't know if it was concern about others causing damage to this peaceful world, or if it was a possessiveness at play—"This world is mine, don't even think about messing with it."
Yet, despite this possessiveness, he was still willing to break free.
Qiu Wuji looked at Chu Ge's profile, unsure how to interpret this contradiction… Perhaps people are all complex. Had Chu Ge not harbored thoughts of wantonly modifying and possessing her, but ultimately given up?
She sighed and whispered, "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Rest first. We can discuss any problems tomorrow."
Atop a certain building, a small flame sat on the edge, hands tucked into its sleeves, utterly bewildered by this unfamiliar world.
What is all this?
It doesn't recognize anything, it doesn't understand anything… everything seems inexplicable.
And that's not all; even the spiritual energy is different from what it had imagined… It had thought this was the celestial realm, with abundant spiritual energy that would make healing and recovery easy. But what was this? Spiritual energy so thin it was less potent than a fart? Everywhere was reinforced concrete, even the grass was a rare treasure polluted by exhaust fumes?
Recovering to its peak would take forever; the little flame was about to extinguish!
Was I too hasty in coming out, unprepared...? Now that I've come out once, I can always come out again. Should I go back and heal my injuries first?
Yan Qianlie sighed, attempting to return. Sharpening the axe before chopping wood is essential; coming out in such a rush was truly unnecessary.
But the moment he made that thought, he realized he couldn't go back.
He could clearly sense the existence of his original world before, but now he suddenly couldn't, like a door that had been painstakingly pried open only to be slammed shut again by its owner.
The little flame stood there dumbfounded.
Heaven, are you playing me?