Chapter 15: The Reborn Master Author 7

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Above the Stars: "@Shenmu (Asking Heaven), could you recommend this manga studio to me? I wonder if they would be interested in my work."
Suddenly being tagged, Mu Yin paused for a moment before replying: "I commissioned someone to draw this; it isn’t a studio, so I’m afraid that won't be possible." She wasn't a manga studio, though, come to think of it, she could certainly start one. Her thoughts began to drift away before she realized it.
Above the Stars asked again: "Oh, doesn't the person you hired count as a manga studio?"
Mu Yin: "I have plans for that, but it hasn't been established yet. If I do set one up, I’ll let you all know."
DeepDeepDeep: "Count me in too, remember to notify me."
Then, a large group of people chimed in, and the conversation quickly veered off-topic. They began complaining about various manga studios—either their art style was poor, or their scripts were terrible. The female authors, in particular, were filled with dissatisfaction, venting their frustrations about various manga adaptations.
Mu Yin smiled as she watched, then closed the chat. She clicked on her own page, where the link to her manga was already displayed. The cover featured the protagonist in his adulthood—handsome, heroic, and exuding an aura of upright righteousness. Who would have guessed that after falling into the demonic path, this same man would be shrouded in an aura of malevolent charm?
Besides the protagonist, a faint figure was hidden behind him on the cover. It wasn't the heroine, but rather the protagonist’s demonic manifestation. Since that part of the plot hadn't been reached yet, it naturally had to be kept under wraps.
Her story wouldn't be very long—roughly two million words—which was relatively rare for male-oriented fantasy novels. She didn't pad the story with extra training arcs or mysterious realms for Cang Yun; she followed Liao Changyun’s life trajectory exactly, without a single modification.
This included her own presence, which served as the heroine. Mu Yin had no intention of hiding herself; after all, that was a lifetime ago, and if she were to obscure her role, everything else would need to be overhauled—far too much trouble.
After finishing the day's update and drawing a few chapters of the manga using software, she prepared to rest. She clicked on the previously hidden notification and saw someone trying to chat with her privately. Upon checking, it was the heroine. She wondered what she could possibly want.
Yi Zhen: Hello, are you there?
Shenmu: I am. What is it?
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Yi Zhen: It’s like this—I was wondering if you could introduce me to the person who draws your manga. I’d like to talk to them.
Shenmu: I mentioned before that she isn't currently joined to any manga studio.
Yi Zhen: I think her current work is quite good, and I’d like to have a chat with her.
Shenmu: Sorry, she has no intention of taking outside commissions at the moment, as she still has my work to finish.
Shenmu: [Questioning.jpg] You haven't even asked her; how can you make decisions for her?
Shenmu: My meaning is her meaning.
Yi Zhen: [Annoyed.jpg] Even if you are her boyfriend, you have no right to decide for her. I will find her myself!
Shenmu: ...
Mu Yin found the other person utterly inexplicable. She was simply trying to keep her identity as a female author under wraps for the time being—what on earth was the woman imagining? Should she say it was typical of an author to have such an overactive imagination?
Ignoring the message, she closed her computer and lay down to rest. The next day, she performed a set of body cultivation exercises. She had started practicing them after her injuries healed—not because she wanted to achieve anything specific, but simply to strengthen her body, as she would be the one inhabiting it from now on.
She opened her door and ate breakfast with her family, watching the morning news while she was at it. Mu Yin usually didn't have the habit of watching the news when she was alone. She noticed this wasn't the national news, but some "Discovery Channel"—did this channel even carry news?
Curious, she paid closer attention. The host was saying: "According to the Falcon Exploration Team's survey of the deep forest, a large number of unknown species and a peculiar form of energy have been discovered. Currently, there is no known method for utilizing this new energy source..."
In short, the exploration teams had found many new species and energy sources while surveying unknown regions. This struck Mu Yin as strange. The history of this world was quite long—web literature alone had been developing for thirty years, to say nothing of world history. While there weren't many countries, the oldest had histories spanning four or five thousand years. How could there still be so many unexplored regions?
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Her previous understanding of this came from the original host, who hadn't paid much attention to it, only knowing that 60% of the planet remained untrodden by humans. Now that she thought about it, it was highly irregular. Why had no one explored these areas in over five thousand years? Or perhaps, there was something she had overlooked.
After eating, she returned to her room to investigate the state of the world. She discovered that this world had likely just emerged from a "Dharma-Ending Age" period of spiritual recovery, approximately 100 years ago, when it had experienced a catastrophe that nearly wiped out humanity.
Back then, massive plant die-offs and dried-up water sources left humans and animals on the brink of starvation and dehydration. People had nowhere to turn, as the depletion of spiritual energy meant that ability-users could not awaken, leading to heavy casualties.
However, humans were resilient. Although freshwater sources had vanished, the planet—while not like Earth with its 70% water coverage—was still largely covered by water. Humans used desalination technology and relied on seaweed and fish to survive for twenty years, saving most of the population and many animals as well.
Then, spiritual energy recovered. It began with earth-shattering tremors, followed by a sudden, torrential rain. The next day, the once-sandy wasteland was covered in tall, dense forests. Everything outside of their cities was reclaimed by vegetation.
Because their technological civilization remained intact, they had spent the last 100 years developing into what they were today. While 40% of the planet had been explored—an area equivalent to the pre-catastrophe landmass—people discovered that there were still countless unexplored regions.
New satellite data showed that the planet had inexplicably grown ten times in size, and even the gravity had shifted. Because they had been on the planet the entire time, they hadn't noticed the change—or perhaps, they had evolved, though the changes were subtle.
Explorers were born from these circumstances. They could be considered the greatest profession in this world, though not everyone was cut out for it. After 40% of the new world was developed, life stabilized, and people began to focus on other things, such as the entertainment industry.
It was said that the entertainment industry initially developed to help explorers cope with the high mental stress brought on by danger, but as time passed, it had gradually evolved into what it was today.
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