Chapter 482: Chatting with Everyone (Jiufang Tea Party - 1)

The manuscript has now reached 1.3 million words.

Today, I've set aside all miscellaneous tasks to have a heart-to-heart chat with you, like a tea party.

I want to discuss the recent frequent feedback regarding the proportion and transitions of the Panlong City storyline.

The overall design of *The Immortal* is far more complex than any of my previous novels. It requires extensive explanation of the intricate relationships between individuals, people and nations, people and gods, and people and immortals, as well as their mutual interactions.

My intention, as the author, is to use a profound historical backdrop, a series of pivotal events, and one epic battle after another, not only to ensure a compelling narrative but also to serve as the fundamental basis for the protagonist's understanding of the world and their personal growth.

Human growth, be it in martial prowess or cognitive understanding, necessitates accumulation and logical progression.

Especially within such a complex world, whether one aims to establish a personal understanding of reality or build a complete ideological framework, both require repeated refinement and polishing.

When it comes to accumulating life experience, no one is a genius.

True knowledge comes from practice, and rich experience is the ultimate touchstone.

The Panlong storyline enriches the novel's background and depth, shapes characters' personalities and beliefs, and acts as the driving force for plot progression.

One could say that the main reality is the light, and the Panlong story is the shadow. Light and shadow are interdependent and inseparable.

However, there are always two sides to a coin. With the Panlong and main reality storylines running in parallel, some daily readers have reported difficulties following along, finding their immersion broken, especially when their anticipation is high.

For this, I sincerely apologize. With so much content to convey and write, I sometimes overlook the fluidity of transitions between storylines.

Going forward, I will focus on improving the technique of switching between the two narrative threads to enhance the story's flow and improve the overall reading experience.

Frankly, novels with dual main storylines are challenging to write and often not widely popular. Since the beginning of *The Immortal*, the data across all metrics has consistently presented challenges.

Due to unsatisfactory data, we haven't secured favorable recommendation slots since the initial release, leading to a vicious cycle and an ever-widening gap compared to other popular hits. After its official listing, recommendations have been intermittent and scarce. I'm immensely grateful to several influential supporters who helped *The Immortal* climb the category rankings, allowing it to reach a wider audience. I also deeply appreciate the patience and understanding shown by subsequent readers regarding its shortcomings.

This book admittedly has a certain reading threshold. It doesn't quite fit neatly into the Xianxia genre, nor is it Wuxia, traditional Xuanhuan (with its typical leveling and map progression), 'brain-hole' Xuanhuan (lacking a system panel), history, or even domestic drama. It seems to defy easy categorization.

Difficulty in categorization makes it harder to reach readers looking for specific genres.

On Qidian, aside from special treatment for certain authors, recommendation slots and resource placement are determined by big data, specifically by metrics such as favorites/collections, subscriptions, daily follow-reads, and comment counts. As a result, I've faced an unusual number of disadvantages.

I am grateful for the serendipity that has brought us together, as our meeting truly wasn't straightforward.

If you continue to find the real-time reading experience less than ideal, I encourage you to accumulate chapters and read them in bulk. I, the author, guarantee — on the metaphorical head of He Chunhua, a character from the story — that *The Immortal* will not be left unfinished or rushed due to performance issues. (I have three completed novels: *The Demon King's Pampering Guide*, *Defending the Grand Tutor*, and *Ning Xiaoxian's Imperial God Record*, totaling 12 million words, so there's absolutely no risk of an unfinished story.)

Thank you all for accompanying me on this journey of progress; the growth of *The Immortal* truly depends on your support.

And for those who have invested in this journey, I'd like to report that *The Immortal*'s performance has seen a slight improvement recently. Yes, just a slight one~

Let's keep pushing forward together.