I am well aware that the parts involving the Western Continent will likely conflict with the original work in the future. However, I also find the idea of incorporating Western Continent plotlines quite interesting. After much deliberation, I've decided to give it a try in this book.
I can't say I'm confident about handling this part well; I can only promise to do my best. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. As longtime readers probably know, when it comes to secondary settings, I enjoy 'borrowing from the comment section'... ahem, I often draw inspiration from readers' ingenious ideas.
Regarding this point, I mentioned it in my previous book as well. Initially, I felt a bit embarrassed about it, but later I realized some readers' ideas were truly brilliant... even more interesting than my own settings. At that point, the choice wasn't hard to make.
Moreover, my own capacity is limited after all. Some research might not be comprehensive, so I welcome everyone's additions and corrections.
Getting back on topic, the most difficult part about the Western Continent sections is that much of the information I've gathered contains contradictions.
For example, since The Celestial Worthy's devout followers are mostly in the Western Continent guarding the Sefirot, 'Mount Penglai' should hold a dominant position. Yet figures like the Celestial Master, the Holy Monk, and the Underworld Daoist all seem quite active.
Such aspects require integration. For instance, one could hypothesize that the Western Continent was indeed dominated by Penglai initially. Later, as The Celestial Worthy's power gradually waned and other Sefirot began to activate, other forces emerged.
I also saw a very interesting idea on the forums: the appearance of figures like the Celestial Master might have been intentional on The Celestial Worthy's part. Once the Sefirot activated, the difficulty for deities to become Ancient Ones increased.
I also thought of a plausible explanation: The 'Mother Goddess of Depravity' first influenced the 'Brood Hive', leading to the rise of the Luo Sect. Subsequently, under the influence of this Outer Deity's authority, other Sefirot also showed signs of activation, giving rise to the first wave of cultivators.
This is actually the most fascinating part. Precisely because there is so little information about the Western Continent, the possibilities are endless.
How should I put it? The reason for writing this author's note is, truthfully, because I lack certainty in my own mind.
There's another issue, or rather a risk, with the Western Continent sections: they might break readers' immersion.
After all, the speech of Northern Continent characters inherently carries Western Victorian style, while for Western Continent characters, I feel a touch of wuxia or xianxia flavor would work best.
Regarding this risk, I think I'll just start writing and see. If future feedback suggests it breaks immersion too much, I'll reduce the Western Continent scenes. If readers find it acceptable, I'll proceed as originally planned.
In truth, your comments are my greatest source of confidence. The biggest advantage of web novels is the direct communication platform between author and readers. Only after writing, reading your comments, and observing readership and subscription data can I truly gauge how things are going.
Finally, I thank both new and returning readers for your attention. Thank you, longtime readers, for your continuous support, and thank you, new readers, for giving this story a chance.
This is already my third LOTM fan fiction. The previous two performed reasonably well, so please feel free to dive in without worry...