All-rounder Artist
Chapter 1353 - 1128: Part 2 Even More Popular

The rankings were overtaken by Chu Kuang.

Ye Cong taking action was expected by the public.

Chu Kuang releasing the second book in the Harry Potter series was also anticipated since this story hadn't been completed yet.

But the netizens didn't expect:

These two would act so quickly!

So quickly that their new book release schedules bumped into each other!

However, their goals must be the same!

With the tides turning.

Chu Kuang aims to defend his writer ranking.

While Ye Cong seeks to reclaim his writer ranking.

Their competition isn't about themes, nor personal grudges—it's all about rankings.

The smell of war begins to pervade.

The media stirs the pot with sensational coverage:

"Chu Kuang vs. Ye Cong in a head-to-head showdown!"

"Ye Cong's new book seeks revenge on Chu Kuang!"

"Can Harry Potter replicate the brilliance of its first installment?"

"Zhong Continent netizens worry that Chu Kuang's fast updates might affect his novel's quality."

"A sales war between top global authors!"

"Facing the counterattack, can Chu Kuang defend his rank?"

The battle for rank is filled with suspense.

Eyes from both within and outside the industry are drawn to this showdown.

Some even speculate:

That Chu Kuang releasing his second installment so soon might be just to stabilize his ranking.

This is a misunderstanding.

Lin Yuan isn't releasing the second Harry Potter book hastily because of Ye Cong's new book.

Lin Yuan simply writes at incredible speed.

The second book is already done—why wait until New Year's to release it?

As for Ye Cong?

Lin Yuan is actually quite familiar with him.

You have to know that over the years, Lin Yuan has read many books, especially those from Blue Star's top authors, including Ye Cong's science fiction works.

This man is best known for science fiction.

He's hailed as one of the "Big Three of Blue Star Sci-fi."

A true master of science fiction whose every novel is magnificent.

After Chu Kuang's many years in the industry, Ye Cong unquestionably stands out as the strongest rival he has ever encountered in the world of novels.

However.

Though the opponent is formidable, Lin Yuan has great confidence in the sales of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." The future of the Harry Potter series is destined to keep gaining momentum—no matter how strong the rival, a direct clash is inevitable.

So.

Upon learning that Ye Cong plans to reclaim the rankings, Lin Yuan didn't feel overly nervous.

If they want to take away my twelfth ranking, there's only one possibility—that Chu Kuang climbs to an even higher rank!

Until then.

Chu Kuang will firmly occupy the position beneath me and won't let anyone touch it!

Indeed.

Because "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was such a massive hit, many companies have already seen the potential of this work and are aggressively pursuing the movie rights, constantly raising the asking price.

But Lin Yuan isn't planning to hand over those rights.

Starlight has already begun preparations for the movie adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Right now, they are selecting suitable directors and actors.

Shooting will start soon!

Regarding this series' rights, even the chairman called Lin Yuan personally to discuss it.

This is a golden vault, after all!

The outside companies can see its potential, and Li Songhua sees it too.

Under such circumstances, Lin Yuan will certainly give Harry Potter's movie rights to Starlight for internal processing.

As for what's next?

Lin Yuan has already begun writing the third book in the Harry Potter series.

...

A few days later.

Ye Cong's new book, "Above The Moon," was released before Harry Potter's second installment!

That very day!

Sales skyrocketed across all continents!

And by the evening.

As the first batch of readers started diving in, the reputation of "Above The Moon" exploded rapidly!

"So satisfying!"

"Ye Cong's sci-fi never disappoints!"

"The pacing is perfect, and I'm already completely mesmerized. I'll be pulling an all-nighter reading this!"

"Hard sci-fi is just so damn good!"

"Since humanity couldn't colonize the moon on a large scale, Blue Star's authorities sent robots to settle and develop the moon, only to encounter an alien spaceship. The two sides used the moon as a battleground and started a war. Though the alien design is a bit cliché, the author's sheer talent pushes the limits of imagination in technology. The depiction of tech warfare is simply electrifying!"

"Non-stop adrenaline!"

"Looks like Ye Cong will reclaim his ranking!"

"At this level of quality, he'll definitely retake his position, especially since Chu Kuang only recently overtook the rank, showing the gap between them isn't wide!"

"I'm not so sure."

"Chu Kuang's new book hasn't been released yet."

"Look at the sales of Harry Potter's first book. As long as Chu Kuang doesn't sabotage himself, the second book will undoubtedly perform well—unless the story collapses entirely."

The top writers unleash their strengths.

From any perspective, "Above The Moon" starts off as an annual blockbuster-level masterpiece.

But then again.

Harry Potter is also a blockbuster, isn't it?

The netizens remain rational, knowing that with similarly strong results for the two writers' works, whether Ye Cong can reclaim his second place will depend entirely on the performance of Harry Potter's second installment.

In the following days, however.

As Ye Cong's "Above The Moon" continued to dominate, uncertainty intensified surrounding the outcome of this ranking battle.

Fortunately.

When February 10th rolled around.

Chu Kuang's "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" finally released, and the suspense surrounding Blue Star's author rankings was about to be resolved.

...

In the morning.

Lines once again formed outside major bookstores.

Countless readers came to purchase "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"!

And by evening.

The reviews were in.

"Who we become doesn't depend on our abilities, but on our choices. I felt fond of Dumbledore since the first book, but when he said this line in the second book, it turned me into a full-blown fan!"

"The second book didn't flop!"

"Even in the magical world, class disparities and bloodline discrimination are everywhere. But as children's literature, the emotional undertone conveyed remains positive. The trio of protagonists is just as charming as ever."

"Reading both books together doubles the joy!"

"I was worried that releasing the second book so quickly would make it feel rushed, but after reading it, I realized my worries were totally unnecessary. The story is just as captivating, and the funniest moment was when Dumbledore announced the cancellation of exams—causing all the students to cheer, except Hermione, who said a single, mournful word: 'No!'"

"Hermione: Keep grinding, damn it!"

"Hahaha, after reading the two books, I find Hermione is incredibly dependable. They should rename the series 'Hermione and Her Two Useless Men.'"

"I thought the second book would introduce a new villain, but it's still Voldemort. Young Voldemort—he's kinda handsome, don't you think?"

"Turns out the magical world has prisons, like Azkaban!"

"The concept of Unforgivable Curses is fascinating—it feels like Chu Kuang is gradually fleshing out the magical world step by step."

"Unforgivable Curses—Avada Paranora, anyone (cry-laugh)?"

"Harry Potter's owl is named Hedwig—it oddly sounds like a female protagonist's name."

"Sorry, the female lead is Hermione!"

"I want more romantic scenes between Harry and Hermione, but then I remembered—they're still kids, no early love allowed!"

"I'm already eagerly anticipating the third installment!"

The reviews didn't flop!

The sales didn't, either!

On the contrary:

Because the Harry Potter series continued into the second book, the series is now even more popular!

Many readers eager to dive into the second installment are also going back to buy the first book.

This is the massive advantage of serialized novels!

At this moment.

The entire industry knew:

Ye Cong reclaiming his rank with "Above The Moon" was virtually impossible.

Not because "Above The Moon" was insufficient.

But simply because "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was too outstanding.

The fierce momentum Ye Cong had shown was directly blocked by "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

At this moment.

Ye Cong accepted his fate.

His counterattack fizzled into nothingness.

Meanwhile, the author ranked eleventh on Blue Star's rankings suddenly got nervous—feeling an inexplicable itch in the butthole.

Interestingly:

This author ranked eleventh, just like Chu Kuang, is from Qin Continent.

The current number-one author of Qin Continent!

————————

PS: Making up for last night's missed update; this chapter doesn't count as today's update. Two more chapters to follow.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.