Three Challenges Upon Returning to the World

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Greetings, everyone. I am the author of Venomous Immortal.

Today, I bring you a new book, “Craft of the Immortal Artisans.”

I have thought about this thoroughly—writing this book, I will face at least three challenges!

The first challenge is venturing out from the mountains to write. From the very beginning, my motivation for writing online fiction has always been interest and passion. I have written so many books mainly out of love for the craft. That’s why, when I was working on “Venomous Immortal,” even though the subscription numbers were abysmal, I persisted for at least seven years. At that time, I was still young, my parents were not yet old, and I had no worries. If I ate my fill, the whole family would not go hungry.

So, when I wrote “Infinite Blood Core,” I was willing to revise the outline, even if it meant having no subscription income for months on end—I didn’t mind at all.

I’m not afraid to admit—awkwardness. When I was in the mountains, I couldn’t reach for the moon, and stumbled many times, battered and bruised. This time, stepping out into the world, my main goal is simply to fill my stomach.

Upon reflection, my “in the mountains” state was perhaps my personal comfort zone, where I found joy in my own small world. Maybe my previous artistic pursuits and so-called dreams were just self-indulgence, wishful thinking.

But “outside the mountains” is a world of heroes contending, a river where hundreds of boats race!

“Craft of the Immortal Artisans” is my first work written after leaving the mountains—the first time I’ve ever considered the rankings, reader engagement, consistent updates, pacing, and aligning with the reading habits of a broader audience.

I hope I can produce a work that fits the tastes of the majority, something everyone can enjoy.

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I am a rather clumsy person. The first attempt may not be perfect, but I will approach it with humility and strive to improve! Please don’t hesitate to criticize and correct me. And if you’re able to offer some encouragement, all the better!

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The second challenge is social interaction.

I am a homebody at heart. Apart from writing and reading, my greatest hobby is playing games.

I have social anxiety. While it has eased somewhat with age, I am still not good at interacting with people, especially communicating with readers.

This time, I will heed everyone’s suggestions and work hard to improve in this area—participating more on social platforms, hosting some live streams, and so on.

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The third challenge is within.

This is, without doubt, the greatest challenge.

Everyone has two lives—one worldly, one ideal. For those in the arts, the second life is their artistic spirit.

I wrote “Venomous Immortal” on and off for about ten years, with most of that time spent earning very little, yet I was content. For “Infinite Blood Core,” I revised and rewrote for months, locked away from the world, yet my enthusiasm never waned.

I love writing books; writing itself is the source of my motivation. All these experiences have nourished my artistic spirit.

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But writing after leaving the mountains may be different—perhaps, for me, it is depleting that artistic spirit.

How long can this second life of mine last? I’m not sure.

Since this is my first attempt, I do not know if I am suited to this new way of writing.

There are countless ways to kill the second life—it is both incredibly powerful and unspeakably fragile.

I can only remind myself: leaving the mountains is so I can return and chase the moon once more.

I will do my best to adjust my mindset, find a balance, and strive to transform—perhaps, in this way, I can also nourish my artistic spirit through this new writing method. Who can say?

I earnestly invite you all to bear witness.

With gratitude!

April 20, 2024