Chapter 1791: End of Volume Remarks

This volume is titled "The First Sword Immortal."

Following a conventional plot, Xu Xiaoshou shouldn't have entered the Four Symbols Secret Realm. Instead, he should have first fought a multitude of minor opponents before facing Zhan Beibei, Liu Fuyu, and Guyu. After that, he would have re-challenged all the renowned ancient sword cultivators from various regions, ultimately confronting the supreme entity. While some would undoubtedly call it "filler," it would have been more satisfying to read. With the experience from the previous three volumes, I could have avoided most pitfalls, and it would have been simple to write.

However, this approach would have essentially been a high-level, ancient sword cultivator version of the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace power struggle. I decided not to stay within my comfort zone. After all, for a first book, I needed to try new things and experience more challenges. Consequently, I cut out most of it, choosing only a few significant ancient sword cultivators to fight. In fact, there were so many important ones that many who were next in line unfortunately never got their turn or experienced Xu Xiaoshou's "beatdown." It's a shame.

Apart from the main cast, more emphasis was placed on Dao Qiongcang. In the Void Island volume, he was described as "unfathomable, yet nothing special." After the night battle in Qingyuan Mountain, he was considered too overpowered. His reputation improved after paying "friendship fees" in the Divine Ruins, but then he reverted to his annoying true self at the end of the volume. This perfectly reflects why Dao Qiongcang was universally disliked after the War of the Ten Venerables, thus solidifying his character.

Personally, I'm very fond of Ai Cangsheng. Both his philosophy and his character embody the vision I had before starting the book: "a tiger in the heart, swift and decisive." Even as I wrote to the very end, that feeling remained – "a tiger in the heart, sniffing roses" – successfully establishing his character.

The other Ten Venerables have also largely found their footing. They are no longer rootless wanderers whose true intentions are unknown. Each possesses a distinct personality and individual obsessions. When they make their moves in the final volume, they can unleash their full power.

The Divine Ruins arc serves as a prelude to the final volume, introducing many elements and fleshing out numerous previously vague early settings, such as the lofty Ten Ancestors and the Ancestral Tree. Overall, however, it had a somewhat bleak tone. I've concluded this was due to the environment; the sky was perpetually grey, casting a somber mood over the entire arc.

Although the gloom eventually dissipated, only the latter half of this arc felt truly exhilarating. The early exposition felt drawn out, especially during the prolonged conflict with the Moon Fox. I noticed this while writing but couldn't quickly resolve it. I'll pay more attention next time. While it wasn't perfect, it at least established the concept of "Ancestral Gods." One could criticize it as drawn-out, or more positively, as a lengthy buildup. Consequently, even when the newly revived Evil Shadow faced numerous setbacks, it didn't appear weak. Instead, I found myself eagerly anticipating its eventual breakthrough, which was a valuable insight for me.

However, there should have been a better way to write it. The structure shouldn't have been so complex. It felt like an attempt to imitate Void Island that ended up missing the mark, like "drawing a tiger but ending up with a dog." I boxed myself in, which wasn't very friendly to either the author or the readers, especially those following along. Simplicity is key. If I start a new book, I'll need to ponder those words carefully to avoid this pitfall.

The "Moving to Jade Capital" and "Ascending Holy Mountain" arcs had simple structures and were purely satisfying. They represented an explosion after prolonged suppression. In fact, if not for needing to resolve previous plot points and lay groundwork for future ones, they could have been even more mindlessly exhilarating. A satisfying story is essential!

If "The First Sword Immortal" volume had been written conventionally, it should have followed this style throughout, providing constant exhilaration all the way to reaching the top. However, this book doesn't allow for that, and a purely satisfying style isn't suitable for it; it risks disrupting the pacing. So, I decided against it for now and will consider it for the next book.

The battle against Ai Cangsheng after emerging from the Dead Sea was satisfying in terms of combat, particularly the body-destroying and spirit-annihilating aspects. However, when it came to the underlying meaning, something felt missing. I've concluded two reasons: first, it didn't meet expectations; second, fighting a neutral character like Ai Cangsheng was far less gratifying than seeing Ai Cangsheng fight Dao Xuanji. It was mediocre and unremarkable, merely a struggle over principles, not a revenge killing. Fortunately, it ended smoothly rather than explosively. This experience has given me a sense of what works, so in the next book, I can adjust similar plots by adding or removing elements as appropriate. And with Ai Cangsheng gone, all subsequent opponents will be unequivocally hostile.

In the final volume, the killing can truly begin!

Let's talk about the results.

My goal at the end of the last volume was to surpass 7,000 average subscriptions from 6,000 by the end of this volume. Currently, it's at 7,300, so the goal has been achieved. At the end of the last volume, the read-through rate was over 4,000. For this volume, only the climactic parts reached over 4,000, while it fluctuated around 3,000 at other times. However, considering the book is over seven million characters long and I'm feeling the fatigue, the fact that you're still following along leaves me with nothing but immense gratitude.

I cannot be limited to this! Comfort leads to stagnation!

The next volume will be the final one. It won't be very long, and there's no need to hold back for future content, as there won't be any. Everything can explode. All the threads laid out until now are simply for ignition—a fuse and fireworks, it's that straightforward. After the main act concludes and the minor plots are resolved, I've tried all the writing styles I wanted to. Structurally, there's no need to experiment with complexity anymore. I want simplicity. Where it can be satisfying, I'll aim for maximum satisfaction. After being passive for so long, it's time to make a move!

I'll also set a small goal: 8,000 average subscriptions by completion. In reality, with a book of seven million characters reaching 7,000 average subscriptions, I'd consider it a success even if it ended here. After all, this is Apple's first book, and I've tried various writing styles, stepped on many landmines, and made numerous mistakes.

I cannot be limited to this! Comfort leads to stagnation!

People are naturally greedy. I want recognition too. Who doesn't? Who lacks ambition? My true desire, though it might just be a pipe dream, is to break 10,000 average subscriptions during serialization. However, a book of eight million characters with 10,000 subscriptions is incredibly difficult. If it truly happens, I'll become a legend myself. Just kidding, I'm not that ambitious. For a book that started with 700 initial subscriptions, maintaining 7,000 average subscriptions by the end would be quite good.

Final Volume: Deification and Ancestral Proclamation!