Although most members of the Feilong Shennong Squad were readers, many of them had once been authors themselves or had written before. Even if they no longer wrote, quite a few still had their own insights into writing. Of course, asking them to write a novel themselves might be difficult, but evaluating books was certainly not beyond them.
Now, after being fiercely attacked by a large number of Feilong authors who were even calling for their expulsion, the Shennong Squad erupted with unprecedented force and posted a long counter-review.
"Authors of Feilong, we apologize for casually labeling your works as poisonous grass in the past. However, those were only our personal opinions, and you didn't have to take them so seriously. Just like how you are now constantly cursing the Feilong Shennong Squad, we haven't really done anything to you either. But regarding 'Sword Breaks the Heavens', you call it poisonous grass, and we absolutely do not agree.
First, about the title. Who said 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' is low-tier? Sure, it's not mainstream, but that doesn't make it bad. Take the works of the 9-star top-tier author Kuang Mao, like 'Jian Ke' and 'Wu Lai'. Do you even know what those titles mean? Don't tell me that's just pretentious. If no one understands those titles either, then why should 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' be mocked?
Secondly, what does a novel's quality have to do with its title? You professional writers should know that better than anyone.
Now, let's talk about your so-called theory that the protagonist must appear within 500 words. I have no idea where you picked up this half-baked theory. Why must the protagonist appear within 500 words? Why not after 500 words, or even after an entire chapter? The Number One White Under Heaven's theories are not absolute either. Moreover, his theories are based on a premise: attracting readers. If the story can hook readers, then what does it matter if the protagonist doesn't appear in 500 words, or even 5.000?
The same goes for the so-called Golden Three Chapters. If they don't attract readers, then they're not golden chapters at all. No matter how good your techniques are or how refined your writing is, it's meaningless. I think you people don't truly understand noob-style writing, yet you act as if you've mastered it. What a joke.
Also, while White Boss defines web novels as feel-good stories, that doesn't mean the protagonist can't suffer at all. Why are so many novels nowadays so repetitive? Because you've misunderstood his words. You think the protagonist must never suffer, or readers will leave. But the more you avoid hardship, the less likely you are to create a truly great work.
Truly outstanding works always involve countless trials and tribulations. The protagonist endures hardships before reaching the peak. If everything goes smoothly from start to finish, with no pressure, no opponents, and nothing challenging the protagonist, then no matter how well it's written, it still won't surpass White Boss's 'The School Belle's Bodyguard'.
Finally, let's talk about the "broken engagement" trope, which is the most hotly debated point among you all. Can the protagonist be rejected in this way? Theoretically, of course. The reason no one wrote it before is that it hits both the protagonist and the readers too hard. But what if it's handled well?
For example, in 'Sword Breaks the Heavens', although the protagonist is rejected, his Dao heart remains firm. He is not shaken in the slightest. Instead, the experience drives him to work even harder. What do we see then? We see a protagonist who is fearless in the face of hardship, who does not fear danger. We see someone resilient, determined, and constantly striving forward.
Why can't we accept such a perfect protagonist?
Why shouldn't we look forward to such a compelling plot?
I refuse to believe all readers are so fragile that they drop a book the moment something displeases them.
Not to mention, beyond the broken engagement, there is also a deeply moving female character who supports the protagonist. When everyone doubts him, when no one believes in him, when everyone thinks he's worthless, her appearance becomes incredibly precious and captivating. She's like a flower blooming in a desolate valley, far surpassing those shallow, decorative characters.
A story filled with emotion, loyalty, resilience, struggle, and depth like this, how could it not be good?
And there's also the hidden trump card within the protagonist, the old sword master. Under immense pressure, don't we all look forward to the moment the protagonist explodes in power with this advantage?
As for 'Sword Breaks the Heavens', we'll make our stance clear here. To us, it is an immortal herb, absolutely not the poisonous grass you claim. If you disagree, come argue."
This counterattack from the Feilong Shennong Squad was undeniably powerful.
Many onlookers, after reading this long rebuttal, couldn't help but click into 'Sword Breaks the Heavens'.
That's right, how could they judge whether it was good or not without reading it first?
Even those who had previously attacked the novel felt compelled to take a look.
Otherwise, they wouldn't even have grounds to argue.
But once they started reading, they were immediately drawn in.
Just as the Shennong Squad had said, although it was a broken engagement plot, in 'Sword Breaks the Heavens', it ignited countless points of excitement. Because of the broken engagement, the future plot became something to look forward to. Because of it, readers believed even more that the protagonist would grow stronger. Because of it, the female character by his side became especially striking and memorable. And because of it, all the built-up conflict transformed into anticipation, anticipation for a miracle.
Would that miracle appear?
Of course. When the old sword master finally appeared, nearly all readers couldn't help but shout in excitement.
It was thrilling, unbelievably thrilling.
This kind of writing, this kind of satisfaction that comes from suppression followed by explosive release, was something ordinary works simply couldn't match.
At this point, many who had previously criticized 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' began to feel a bit embarrassed.
Regardless of whether the novel would become popular in the future, at least for now, after reading a few chapters, they were already hooked.
Soon, many shifted from casual readers to fans, leaving comments in support.
"666, this time I'm backing the Feilong Shennong Squad. This novel might really be an immortal herb."
"Not easy, the Shennong Squad actually got it right this time. 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' is really good."
"Seriously well written. Fellow authors, go check it out too."
For a time, the crowd that had been attacking the Shennong Squad and mocking the novel diminished by more than half.
However, there were still some who refused to concede. Even after reading the novel and being somewhat drawn in by the broken engagement plot, eager to see how the protagonist would respond, they still couldn't bring themselves to admit defeat. After all, this was about pride. And besides, they hadn't technically lost. So they reorganized their arguments.
"No matter what you say, 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' will never become popular, and it's definitely not an immortal herb."
"Exactly. It's not poisonous grass for now, but it's nowhere near immortal herb level."
"It might not flop, but at best it'll be mediocre. No way it can compare to the top-selling novels."
But just as they were busy justifying their earlier claims, Chapter 4 of 'Sword Breaks the Heavens' was released.
And within that chapter, a single line exploded across Feilong Jianghu and even the entire Lingdian platform:
"Thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west. Do not bully the poor youth."
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