Dinghai Fusheng Records

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Immortal arts, magic weapons, magical powers, and the boundless spiritual qi between heaven and earth vanished into obscurity overnight, and all exorcists turned to mere mortals.

Three hundred years later, the Five Hus traversed the pass, it was a prelude to an era of great turmoil in China. They heralded the end of the world, where thousands of drought fiends stalked the night —— the collapse of the Divine Land is imminent.

Fortunately, within this long, dark night where silence had fallen on all magic, a lone star still glistened brightly on the horizon.

The Heart Lamp appeared, illuminating the vast expanse around it. A sixteen-year-old young man, who will end his life on his twentieth birthday, embarked on a journey to reclaim the spiritual qi of heaven and earth that had been sealed away —— only four years remain.

The road ahead was filled with countless thistles and thorns, and it seemed improbable for him to succeed.

————

Chen Xing: “The important thing is that I’m the last exorcist in this world, yet the only magic I am capable of is emitting light. What can I do?”

Wait patiently then. When the Dinghai Pearl reappears on earth, the uncertain trajectory of everyone’s fates will be completely disrupted before converging once more.

Chen Xing: “Could I be partnered with a more normal Protector Martial God?”

Isn’t your Protector really skilled in fighting?

Chen Xing: “He is good at fighting, but when he loses it he’ll hit even me……”

There’s nothing that can be done about that, you can only blame yourself for losing yourself to lust.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Dinghai Fusheng Lu
Epic of Divinity Light [ Donghua ]
Định Hải Phù Sinh Lục
บันทึกติ้งไห่ฝูเซิง ลำนำเทพนักรบสยบมารฟ้า
定海浮生录
定海浮生錄
정해부생록
Related Series
Tianbao Fuyao Lu (Sequel)
Post Training Notice: National First-Class Registered Exorcist (Sequel)
Record of All Things (Sequel)
Recommendations
Tianbao Fuyao Lu (5)
To Rule in a Turbulent World (4)
Sha Po Lang (4)
Seizing Dreams (3)
Joyful Reunion (3)
Post Training Notice: National First-Class Registered Exorcist (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Read it
  2. All BL Novels I've Read Part (1)
  3. Quero ler
  4. Liz's Collection : BL { Historical [cultivation / ...
  5. Waiting to Read

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34 Reviews sorted by


LH_12
New LH_12 rated it
March 18, 2024
Status: Completed
This is really good work. The plot is amazing, the characters are interesting, the writing is beautiful, and the peace of storytelling is perfect. It is pretty long and has many characters, but even though I always have problems remembering every detail or character name in this novel, I remember everything. It was so gripping that it was impossible to forget anything. There were so many events and plot twists that I felt a bit dizzy, but this is exactly what makes this novel so good.

It is labelled as a... more>> comedy. I wouldn't say that this is a comedy. There are many funny scenes, but there are also many sad moments. The author swiftly switches from sad to funny and then to philosophical scenes. This novel is full of many different human stories that arouse different emotions. Sometimes the story was too sad and melancholic, and sometimes it was so funny that I couldn't stop laughing. It is like real life—sometimes happy and sometimes sad. It was very well written; it is a bit angsty, but not to the point where the reader goes crazy because of the worry. So I wouldn't say that this is a comedy or light reading.
Characters are really interesting. MC is a clever young individual, but sometimes he gets sidetracked. I swear he has ADHD. He gets distracted really easily and often misses important details, but he is clever when it counts. I love that one moment he acts silly and the other moment he opens his mouth and says something so wise and poetic that he amazes you. The synopsis also stated that MC is lustful; this is a baseless accusation (not really). He just loves to think about how beautiful his family protector is; his protector is amazing; his protector is clever; even in the middle of the battle, he won't forget to point out how amazing his protector is. He just likes his protector too much. I love ML too. He is wild, too smart, and aggressive. The description says that he often beats up MC, which is not true; most of the time, he is just threatening MC that he will beat him up. Which is slightly better. But he cares too much about MC and isn't willing to make MC suffer. In general, ML has an aggressive character and is easily irritated; he himself knows about it but can't control himself, yet he is more patient and gentle with MC.
This novel is too plot-oriented. This is one of those novels you can't surmise or explain. Its plot is complicated. There were too many events. It is well-written too, so it was a true joy to read it. Characters step by step investigate different events and are getting closer to their goal. To simplify the plot,
Spoiler

for unknown reasons, one day, 300 years ago, all magic disappeared, so MC, who is the last great exorcist and has only magical artifact that don't require mana to work, is trying to bring magic back and restore the previous world order. Apart from that evil good who was defeated a thousand years ago but wasn't annihilated completely, he is trying to be resurrected. On top of all of that, MC is going to die when he turns 20; he is already 16 years old, so he has little time left. In only four years, he must bring magic back and kill the evil god.

[collapse]
So the novel is action-packed. Because of that, romance seems to be scarce, but I think there was a perfect amount of MC and ML interactions.

The romance is sweet and lovely, but only towards the end. It is slow and a bit frustrating. But at the same time, it was very nice to read about. The MC and ML relationship is complicated. They have tacit understanding when they are on the battlefield or scheming, but in terms of feelings, they are too clueless. Most of the time, they can't tell what the other one is feeling or thinking, which is frustrating for them and for readers as well. It sounds awful, but the author wrote it very well, so it is still enjoyable to read. You can tell that both of them like each other, but still, most of the time, they argue, ML threatens MC to beat him up, and MC gets upset, so they have a cold war and ignore each other. At first, it was hard to understand why they liked each other, but later, the author slowly explained their feelings, and you finally understood why they fell in love and why they were perfect for each other. It's just that MC knows that he's going to die; he can't start a relationship at this time; it would be too selfish, but still, he likes ML. He has all these pent-up emotions that he can't express properly and has nowhere to vent, so instead he just enjoys annoying ML. On the other hand, ML feels a bit rejected because of one small incident, which gave ML the idea that MC would reject his feelings
Spoiler

MC rejected another suitor; ML overheard it. I thought it was perfect; there would be no misunderstanding, but I was wrong. The reason MC used it for rejecting was too close to ML, and he thought that he himself would also be rejected. We readers and MC too find out about it too late

[collapse]
and MC's actions, when he disregards his well-being and strives all the time to sacrifice himself, drive ML crazy. So both of them are frustrated and argue all the time, but don't be afraid; they will get together; they will be very sweet but also keep arguing; they can't help it.
Side characters are amazing too; no one, not even a single one of them, is normal, but they are lovable. At worst, you will have mixed feelings about them. I guess this is one of the reasons why this novel is so good. It has an interesting plot and characters who have crazy interactions, which make the story even more fascinating.

To be honest, sometimes I was too worried about MC and ML. I knew that the novel had a happy ending, but sometimes I was too engrossed in the moment and became nervous because the writing was too good. The novel is too good.
For readers who love good adventures and supernatural stories, this is for you. It is long, but worth every minute spent reading it. It never becomes boring. The flow is perfect. <<less
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SirhcSidhe
New SirhcSidhe rated it
March 5, 2024
Status: Completed
An interesting, well written novel, with an excellent pacing. The main characters' personalities and interactions are a pleasure to observe. The author managed to show a gradual, believable and comfortable progression from enemies-strangers to aquintances to friends to something beyond, without using any overdone tropes such as extreme possessiveness, jealousy towards anything breathing, obsession, unwelcome body contact at every turn, etc. The mystery of the plot unfolds step by step, without overwhelming with action or information, yet everything that happens is meaningful and serves to progress the plot or develop... more>> the characters. <<less
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Elestrea
Elestrea rated it
July 15, 2019
Status: Completed
10/02/2020 - Edited Completed Review: Characters Section

SUMMARY

Dinghai is about a journey of a 16-year-old exorcist named Chen Xing whose fate was connected to this rare star. This star brought fortune upon MC, hence why he seemed to be so lucky. Sadly, in four years, it would be gone and since MC's life was connected to it, his life would also be gone along with it.

MC decided to make the most of his life, and following his teacher's advice, began his journey of searching for the whereabouts of his so-called 'Protector'... more>> to help him find the reason why the 'mana' in the world, the source of all magic, disappeared.

But turned out, life was not smooth even for the luckiest human. After trying so hard to find his 'Protector', the said person refused to cooperate with him and left him alone. But, fate really brought them together and they ended up going on a journey to save the world AND falling in love with one another too.

---

REVIEW Chapter 20 - 15 July 2019

General:
Dinghai Fusheng Records is set in the same universe as Fei Tian's two other novels, 明王幻世录 (Mingwang Huanshi Lu) and 天宝伏妖录 (Tianbao Fuyao Lu) though this is the newest of the three, it is set in the oldest times, so don't worry if you're afraid of missing anything. They're connected by the word 'exorcism', and there are some characters who will reappear in the other novels as well.

Dinghai has a lot of historical and Buddhism references, like A LOT LOT, so prepare yourself for some googling. It is set during the Five Barbarians' Uprising in China around 300AD. Many of the people mentioned were historical figures and the terms mentioned were mostly real (so far I only found one that was completely made up). There are many underlying mysteries that you might've overlooked the first time you read it and a thing that's actually important might've been hidden in just one sentence.

But! No need to be afraid, because while the summary seemed a bit dark and the references seemed to be enormous, Dinghai is a comedy at its core. Even when a chapter ends in a very serious atmosphere, the opening of the next chapter will make you laugh. There's basically no chapter without comedy. The language Fei Tian used is not hard to follow and he actually explained most of the terms himself. I actually find it easier imagining Dinghai as an RPG game because I feel so many RPG vibes from it, the interactions with some characters sometimes remind me of all those quest-giver NPCs. Did I mention they actually make a squad and go on a journey together?

Characters:
MC is a very naive person, in a way. No, he's not your overly dense protagonist, btw. He believes people so easily and he seems to have accepted his fate of dying soon, which is very sad in my opinion. He's not a s*upid person, by all means, he has learned many things and is actually quite knowledgable, sadly that doesn't include common sense. He has a quite dark past, but I have yet to read until that part so I can't quite say in detail. He's also a VERY funny guy who tends to focus on just the wrong side of things. MC's antics have always made me laugh, especially his interactions with ML. ML's so done with MC.

As for ML, so far he seems to be the 'word-is-gold' and serious type of person. He tends to ignore MC because he thinks MC's so annoying. He's an upright person at his core though! He helps MC most of the time (even though MC is rarely aware) and he has to clean up the mess MC made 'unconsciously'. I think he makes a very great dynamic with MC.

Also, MC and ML bickered a lot, their saltiness level is so high they get back to each other for every small grievance.

Conclusion:
It's a very good novel and I'd totally recommend you guys to read this for its comedy AND plot.

---

REVIEW Completed - 15 November 2019

General:
I CRIED SO HARD IN THE MIDDLE OF READING THIS. While the comedy stayed until the end of the story, starting from Chapter 39, the plot started to escalate. Hammer drop. Everything was a mess and things were NOT looking good for everyone. I was confused, sad, and mad at the same time, to the point I thought the Happy End tag was a lie because it seemed to be impossible at this point. But at the same time, I was deeply attached to it, I couldn't stop reading it at all. I fangirled so hard I literally screamed over it, and I finished reading through everything in less than 3 days. I regret nothing. Actually, I regret ever finishing it. WHY DID IT END SO QUICKLY?

The story itself was amazing! The build-up and the plot were super good and trilling. At first, the objective might seem direct but NO, the plot twist nearly killed me and I truly appreciate the hints that were scattered in many different passages. The actions were superb and I like how Fei Tian described them down to the tiny bits. As some of you may notice, the conclusion to the story sometimes ended up with a lot of plotholes or an unsatisfying final boss. Dinghai has (as far as I can think) none of those. Fei Tian liked to reference a passage that appeared like 20 chapters before, so if you see something and was like "Huh, why is it like this?", keep your eyes open because 20 or so chapters later, you might get an explanation.

Characters:
My impressions of the characters changed a lot from the start of the novel. MC wasn't naive at all, he just lacked common sense. He was a very deep character; he was very lonely and just needed somebody to accompany him. He thought that by finding his Protector, he would be able to have someone to get rid of his loneliness and stay with him until his time was up, which wasn't long, mind you. He was a 100% scholar and very good at debating LOL

For ML, I... I admit I didn't really like him at first. I thought: MC is already pitiful, why do you keep ignoring him? I'VE NEVER BEEN FACE-SLAPPED SO HARD. As the story unfolded, you would find that ML truly cared a lot for MC, right up from the beginning. He only wanted to find someone who at least had asked him what he truly wanted before shoving some responsibility to him. The reason he had his tempers flared up every so and then was also explained later on, and he also had it rough throughout the entire story... I'M SORRY FOR EVER DOUBTING YOU XIANG SHU I LOVE YOU

Anyway, their developments! They were slow, but progressing steadily. ML cared about MC in a lot of ways, and he was actually a very very very jealous type. His vinegar could drown you. And MC also cared about ML. The problem actually lies in how they expressed it. They always seemed to misunderstand each other's intentions. MC was dead-set on fulfilling his destiny and put the world before him, and ML, more than once, tried to make MC care more about himself than the others. It was maddening to see how they cared so much for each other yet they couldn't be selfish at all. The fact that they never voiced out their intentions with each other out loud (due to very understandable reasons) also contributed to it. When everything was finally out in the open, it was already too late.

To be honest, everything would make so much sense after around Chapter 100, and you would get to know so much more after that. Some hints were actually dropped here and there by Fei Tian, and there was this one big reveal that made me squeal so hard. Before that though, prepare your tissues because things were bad. Like, super bad. There was no angst for the sake of angst, it was just them trying to understand each other but failed hard at doing so at first. Later, they learned to understand each other's gestures and you would actually learn that both of them were just some h**ny teenagers.

Other than MC and ML, there are lots of supporting characters with fleshed-out characters, each doing things according to their own beliefs and motivation, which is very logical. Some got their happy endings, while some made you cry rivers. Some were hateful, but you wouldn't be able to truly hate them because they were... somehow pitiful.

For those based on historical figures, worry not because some of them didn't end up the same, but some did have the same fate as their historical counterparts, so... best of luck figuring it out.

Conclusion:
All in all, Dinghai taught us that all things have consequences, but one bad choice didn't mean the end of the world and could actually lead to a much better ending. This novel is my all-time favorite now, and I don't think it'll change in a long term. Lastly, Xiang Shu is a full-grown lemon tree and nothing can change my mind. Ever. <<less
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namio
namio rated it
August 25, 2019
Status: c120
It's really hard for me to really describe what Dinghai Fusheng Records was to me while reading it.

It's a comedy, definitely. It's rife with situational humor and just occasional absolute absurdity, and our good MC is gifted with a... brain hole. It's a historical fantasy, with details that I'm still eagerly Wikipedia-ing through. It's a hero's adventure, about a steadily growing group on a journey to essentially save the world.

But it's also... more.

One thing that struck out to me the most was the very realistic depiction of how ethnic groups... more>> interact in an era where they still actively fight, dominate and interbreed with each other. Fei Tian Ye Xiang does not shy away from casual racism, family and group us-vs-them mindsets, the messy truth of "coexistence". But they doesn't imply any group is in the black-or-white right or wrong either. There is respect for the ethnic minorities and their culture, in both overall text and the characters; it's such an incredibly refreshing take and I'm absolutely just. Down for it.

But that's just one thing. This novel is still an adventure and a fantasy, with a side dash of idiots falling for each other-- that's still the story we get.

Our intrepid MC, Chen Xing, is the last and thus the Great Exorcist of his generation. He's going to die in 4 years at the ripe old age of 20, so he's going on his first and last journey: find where all the qi of the heavens and earth had gone, and restore it. But every Great Exorcist needs a Protector, and here comes the Heart Lamp to help with that. Here, your Protector is this man.

The man proceeds to rob our MC and run away.

Fate is fate, though. They reunite on a journey to Chang'an, where it turns out the Hot and Strong Death Row Prisoner is the Da Chanyu-- the nomadic supreme ruler over the Wu Hu-- and our hero is the only survivor of a former high ranking and powerful family. After an incident involving a mirror, a dead dog and a dead princess, they go back to the lands beyond the Great Wall, where after several months Chen Xing decides that Xiang Shu has responsibilities beyond being his Protector, and it doesn't look like he wants to be one anyway.

Xiang Shu angrily chases after him. And the plot unfolds from there.

Chen Xing at first appears as a bit of a silly teenager. All that gets dispelled and cleared up, though-- he's a teenager, yes, and silly, yes, but he has a big heart and a clear mind and a loneliness borne of a life isolated with a sick shifu and the seemingly-apparent future of dying young and alone in a strange land. He's constantly thrust into situations in which he is an outsider: a warzone, the homeland plains of peoples whose languages and cultures differ from his, the high rungs of society he never belonged in. But he remains a bright sunshine, working steadily to better himself and maybe save the world for the loved ones who will outlive him.

Xiang Shu is angry, intimidating, powerful-- and hot, Chen Xing would like to add-- but he's also upset that he is constantly thrust into positions of great responsibility without a thought to his own wishes. He does them, though-- makes decisions for his peoples, saves Chen Xing. But along the way, talking and being with Chen Xing, we finally get to see more of Xiang Shu beyond what others see him as, and more of his wishes and thoughts as Xiang Shu. Their romance is slow despite its reciprocal nature; two men with understandable hesitations, two men who in the end put the world beyond themselves.

But don't worry. It's a happy ending :)

I don't know. Fei Tian Ye Xiang is my new favorite author. All this gremlin can do is write overly long reviews and lie down ah o (-- ( <<less
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YellowNoodle
YellowNoodle rated it
March 3, 2020
Status: c44
I. am. speechless.

All characters just...astonish me.

I'm an avid reader of xuanhuan novels but this one is just superb in the shounen ai/yaoi genre.

... more>> The people downstairs explained both Chen Xing and Xiao Xingshu's personalities well but I just can't help but reinforce it.

Our protagonist Chen Xing is blessed by the star Lupiter and has been divided that at the age of 20, he will die. Does our protagonist fret over such a thing? No. He decides to use his last years to go on a journey to find out why all magic/Qi has been silenced as well as explore the world in the process. He's a bright little sun and a bit silly but he's so endearing. And when you compare it to the fact that he, himself knows his time is limited, it is heartbreaking. It makes me want to cry. But never fear, Chen Xing's journey isn't angsty. In fact, it's so hilarious that you don't know whether to laugh or cry at his predicament or his lightheartedness.

Why is it hilarious? Well, that's because our handsome martial lord protector bickers with him like a tsundere in a shoujo manga! I also can't count how many times he wanted to cough up blood when the MC tells him to run away from a fight lmao. This intimidating man who's face radiates the "don't come near me" aura is the famous Da Changyu. Backed by tribes outside the Great Wall and the strength of "one man against 100, 000 men" its no wonder Xing'er is smitten (abeilt probably by his face at first). I would be swept off my feet too! His character is so dynamic and the author does a wonderful contrast that despite how strong Xiao Xingshu is, he is mortal. A human. Meaning he can't pacify and protect everyone.

Spoiler

And trust me people die. Especially when things seem fine and dandy BOOM! Hundred thousands dead and have risen as an undead army. I'm still upset about the doggy.

[collapse]

The world building is also superb. The Hu's and Hans are at odds resulting in thousands of refugees. The various ethnic groups waving their own set of beliefs, hoping to trample over each other before setting their sights on the central plains. And dont forget the blood fueds forced to rear it's head away because the bigger picture is more important. But when crap hits the fan, chaos ensues in the blame game.

Plus the Yao! Oh goodness! The dead rises and the Dark Lord is waiting to step onto the divine land once more and ultimately grant eternal life in death.

As you can see, you have a lot of undercurrents going on.

But fate seems to play a big role in this, to which, the author writes out well. As the mystery unravels and the actions of one result in a consequence of another, the stars slowly align and everything falls into place. It's like little cogs in a wheel of a clock. A clock that will definitely signal the end.

As fancy as I tried to make it sound, the best highlights is the nicknames or silly fanarts that the translators post.

Spoiler

Ai, even the dead gang can't be swayed back to reincarnate by the fusheng duckhai melody

[collapse]

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk, now go read it!

Speechless/5

Adieu and enjoi! I'm off to read the raws! <<less
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
April 11, 2020
Status: c62
Current rating: 5/5

"We are but mere lodgers while alive; we only return to our true home in death." Chen Xing murmured, "What you buried was just a layer of skin that was being exploited by someone else. His yin and yang souls had returned to the heavens the moment he died."
"Look, the stars are eternal." Chen Xing looked up. The dark prison transformed into an endless night sky. "Every single one of us is a creature within this river."

Out of all Feitian's books, this one stuck the... more>> most for the sheer complexity of characters and extremely well done story that is balanced with enough humor and angst.

This book is first in line of Exorcist series so far, and the next one is Tianbao Fuyao Lu, that is set centuries after, and the last one is not yet translated.

Story is easy to follow, and translators are doing their best with all the references and historical events. Before this book I knew nothing of Mongols or their tribes, but at least now I have some insight.

This is a story of the last exorcist in the world, Chen Xing, who has only one heart lamp left, that will help him save the world from Mara - the last evil. He is protected by the planet of Iuppiter, which gives him some extreme good luck in life in order to reach his goal. But he is very well aware that his planet will disappear when he's 20, meaning he has only 4 years left to find his Protector and save the world.

His feelings will hit you all over the place, sometimes you will expect them, sometimes he'll just randomly smack you in the face with the brick.

His Heart lamp chose the protector. That protector is a person Chen Xing got out of prison - Xiang Shu - and is the only one that can help him. But Xiang Shu has more responsibilities and duties to take care of than follow a crazy story about end of the world and demons/yao and abnormal creatures.

Until he sees for himself and finds even more similarities with the death of his father from his past. And so, Xiang Shu is split in two.

All in all, this is only temporary review since I have not finished it yet, but when I do, i'll do this book a justice and write on properly.

It deserves only the best.

As some who has been spoiled almost to the end of the book, I have to say that I love what i've heard.

OVERALL:

✭ Characters: 5 - very detailed, well developed, have wonderful amount of personality traits

✭ Side characters: 4.5 - detailed, you get attached even to those who appear for a while

✭ Story: 5 - logical, easy to follow, uses history as background but easily read, especially with all the notes from translators

✭ emotional impact: 5 - if you don't cry reading this, I have no words

✭ humor: 5 - it has some extreme good humor as I fall down laughing every time. <<less
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Catzun rated it
October 19, 2019
Status: c22
I am honestly in raptures over how great this novel is, especially with the quality translation. &Lt;3

I am in complete adoration over this sweetly angsty plot. I would sincerely recommend 10/10 this novel to everyone; to those who want to read a well-written and well thought-out plot with great tl.

Seriously, I'm crying! I love the translator to bits, and that fan MV she translated - I am absolutely gutted in the best way!
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Severe
Severe rated it
December 1, 2020
Status: Completed
First of all, it is a mystery why there is just a couple of reviews on such a good novel.

To be honest, being the person who reads every bl novel out there, I didn't expect much from it. But. But. But! It really was included onto "worth reading" bookshelf. I even wanted to place it on "masterpiece" level, but didn't like the ending - it was too abrupt, not in a mood with overall novel pace.

The whole writing and translation style is awesome. I mean it.

The characters are well developed... more>> and it is interesting to follow the quest lines.

Mild spoilers below.

At the beginning I thought the novel was a bit too brutal (like killing too many characters), but then it turned over and... I don't know... Kill at least someone? Too much of a good happy ending with noone is being hurt in the process.

......

Anyway, the novel is great. I totally recommend it to everyone. <<less
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Ppkk85
Ppkk85 rated it
October 26, 2021
Status: c111
Okay this book frustrates me to the point where I had to create a login just to write this review! It’s a two start because there are parts of the story that I thought was sweet and funny. But that’s where it ends!

You guys remember Dragon Ball Z, where ever fight is like the end of the world flight! Most EPIC fight! “Ahhhh! I’m maximizing out my strength!!” Then boom! Next fight is exactly the same “Ahhh!! End of the world fight!!” Yea that’s exactly how it is. It gets... more>> old!

Romance between the ML and MC is soooo annoying! Pretty much lots of hugging, holding hands, and slept in the same bed multiple times (even NAKED hugging each other) “but nawww? He doesn’t like me, right?” Come on! Not once but multiple times in the book, where I’m like ok this is it he’s gonna confess!!! But NOPE! It got old very fast and annoying. 111 chapter, I really have it a chance, I really did. So I’m dropping the book! <<less
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ifhecatchesme_i
ifhecatchesme_i rated it
April 1, 2023
Status: c138
I was delibrating whether to give this novel 2 or 3 stars, but out of appreciation for the great translation I decided to round it up.

what I liked:

    • the first 70 or so chapters were pretty great. The story was well written and engrossing and so were the characters. The main plot (traveling around a fantasy version of 4th century China, including visiting various groups and cultures inhabiting it) was really exciting and interesting. The relationship between the main couple and the conflict between them was also interesting and heartwrenching, and I was excited to know how it will be resolved.
    • the ML (xiang shu) was for the most part a great character throughout the story, and his deadpan attitude was very entertaining to read about. Even when the story itself became pretty lackluster, he still had some great moments.
    • some of the side characters managed to be great throughout and have their stories brought to good conclusions. I especially liked Murong Chong, Che Luofeng and Wen Che.
what I didn't like

    • first and foremost, somewhere around the middle of the story, and exacerbated by the
      Spoiler

      time travel back to the beginning

      [collapse]
      in chapter 89 or so, all the dramatic tension the story worked so hard to build up was pretty much wiped away. From then on reading the story became really boring, since it was pretty clear our protagonists were going to win and how. They were always a few steps ahead of the villain, so everything was pretty much assured even when the author tried to throw in a few weak curveballs.
    • related to this and it might just be a personal preference of mine or a cultural difference, but I feel like the author relied way too much on supernatural explanations, especially in later chapters. The morality of the story also became more and more black and white, and flattened a lot of the stuff I found interesting in earlier chapters. Also the
      Spoiler

      contrast between the first timeline, where most of the secondary characters died and the second one, where basically none did was too great

      [collapse]
      and so the happy ending felt a bit flat and unrealistic.
    • nothing in the story was affected by these changes more than the main couple. They went from two interesting characters with a great dynamic to
      Spoiler

      everything about them basically being explained by supernatural fate. The reason they met? They were fated! The reason they fell in love? They couldn't help it, they were fated! I get that this is a very common romantic plot, but there's "these two are fated for eachother" as a figure of speech and then there's the ML's jealousy being explained as an instinctive response to the fact that if he didn't exist, the second ML would've been the MC's fated person. Yes, even the pettiest of emotions was somehow because of
      supernatural fate

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      . Again, this just might be a personal preference, but it was still really disappointing, especially since they were solidly written for most of the story so it wasn't even needed as an explanation for why they would like eachother.
all in all this isn't the worst novel in the world, it reads like a straightforward action historical fantasy so if you like those stories you might enjoy it. And like I said, the first half was pretty good, I just wish the author didn't fumble the bag when it came to the dramatic tension and the heart of the story. 5/10 from me.
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ScarlettOhara
ScarlettOhara rated it
May 23, 2022
Status: --
Spoiler

I believe that a slow burn mustn’t be stretched to a point where the characters begin to look s*upid. In Dinghai Fusheng Lu, the slow burn is stretched to 100 chapters, and just when the characters are beginning to realize their feelings, the writer pulls a time travel amnesia trope and brings us, and the characters to square one.

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Spoiler

Arguably, the writer handled it well, but it’s very frustrating, as a reader to go over the timeline, not twice, but thrice in the span of a single book.

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Now, coming to the plot. The plot is circuitous and confusing. There are a shit-tonne of characters that don’t always further the plot. Parts of the plot are smart but a majority of it felt long-winding and unnecessarily stretched. The action/fighting scenes felt repetitive. The same thing was happening over and over with the same result. Very often I simply skipped those parts.

What I liked?

The fact that, for once, a writer hasn’t demonized people ‘beyond the wall’ as barbarians.
Spoiler

Given that Shulu Kong is half Han and half Hu, he makes an interesting character.

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I also liked the descriptions of the scenery beyond the wall and I liked the way jealousy has been used. I liked some of the support characters but a majority of them felt wooden. Finally, the translation by chicken Gege is amazing.
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matcha_latte
matcha_latte
January 26, 2022
Status: c122
Actually a 4.5/5

I've really enjoyed reading this novel, and although it isn't exactly a 'light' read, you can't consider it something 'heavy' either making it quite balanced. With this being said, let's review some of the general aspects of the novel shall we.

Characters:

    • Chen Xing (MC) : This boy is a walking chaos but that's what makes him so likable as a character (at least for me). Since he's destined to die young and has luck that defies all sense of logic, he's quite naive to the world and too trusting, besides, it also comes from the fact that he's young and has lived in seclusion for most of his life. He makes a lot of witty remarks and it's very smart despite sometimes taking decisions that are... let's leave it at not that good lmao. Quite the likable MC if you don't mind these traits.
    • Xiang Shu (ML) : The extremely handsome, extremely strong and extremely irritable love interest of Dinghai! Xiang Shu comes off as an introvert that, contrary to CX, doesn't really trust the people around him and it's very skeptical of things due to his past. He's also very smart but he's the type of 'think don't say' regarding his feelings about the different events. Also, to leave this review mostly spoiler free, he might seem a bit too 'perfect' but that's also later explained in the novel. Overall, a nice ML that has more to him than great looks.
Relationships

    • MC-ML: I loved how they were always bickering and being salty with each other considering how different their personalities and circumstances were when they met, it's a nice touch to not have them get along well in the beginning. Also, it was great for the MC to mature before starting with the romance part of the novel (yes, it's a slow burn), even more so considering how the ML is four years older. Although some people don't like how they start being more 'soft' with one another after realizing their feelings, I believe that considering their circumstances and ages, it was a sweet touch to see them go from fighting every five minutes to enjoying each other's company (it's good development if you ask me).
    • Between other characters: I've got to admit that I really like how this novel explored the different kinds of relationships that can exist, from childhood friends, rivals in love, misunderstandings between people, unrequited love, found friendships, fated meetings, etc. It does contain a nice array which helps build up the plot other than just having romance between the MC-ML.
Writing style: The overall writing (and translation) it's really good and captures the essence of the story perfectly. My only complaint is that sometimes the MC spends a little too much on how beautiful the ML is.

Story itself: The plot is complex and very interesting since its full of small details and foreshadowing, but because it is like this, it does contain some plot holes and repetitiveness for the sake of building up drama
Spoiler

(for example when Chen Xing keeps being kidnapped by Shi Hai's underlings and ending up saved by Xiang Shu or luppiter)

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. Also please stop reading if you haven't read anything beyond chapter 100

Spoiler

I mostly disliked how such a dramatic and tension-filled story ended up being an 'all have a happy ending' rainbows and unicorns with the whole time rewind thing. And although I do enjoy happy endings, I believe that the build-up for this story wasn't the ideal for pulling off something like this, if the author wanted for it to end well, I believe it would have been better to find a way to do so on the original plotline. Although I still liked the chapters of the time rewind, it's something that does need to be said.

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Overall~

It's a good story with a nice plot and well-done characters. I do recommend reading the reviews since it isn't a novel for everyone, but if you can get past that, it's a definite must read!
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elsololobo
elsololobo rated it
December 9, 2021
Status: --
This novel will always be one of my favorites. It just takes you on an immersive trip that makes you feel like you're living in the story itself. The plot and world building is solid top tier good shit. And the characters, I love all them clowns lmao just hilarious. Never a dull moment with them.

As for the romance, greatest slow burn romance of all time. It's the type of realistic slow burn not like other slow burns where they just force the CP together for the sake of it.... more>> Their relationship was slowly well built development. 100+ chapters of yearning totally worth it looool

Would recommend 12/10 <<less
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DayDanii
DayDanii rated it
October 29, 2021
Status: c114
This is a great novel. Once I began reading it I simply couldn't put it down and was up reading all night, something that had not happened to me in a loooong time.

Chen Xing and Xiang Shu are great protagonists, really fleshed out. Their romance broke my heart several times.

The supporting characters are also incredible.

The story itself was well thought-out and super interesting.

c
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kai0.1
kai0.1 rated it
October 28, 2021
Status: Completed
I could finally finish this novel after a big readers block. This novel was fantastic.

In this novel our protagonist is Chen Xing, an exorcist looking for his protector, with him he has a special weapon that only he can use, the heart lamp. I was moved by how Chen Xing witnessed the world around him as well as his only task in his life. I've never read such an interesting character!

The other secondary characters are extraordinary and I fell in love with them very much!

(I edited this review on... more>> Oct 30, 2022, technically it's the novel that took me the longest to read 😅, most of the time it only takes me a week to read any novel but I wanted to read this one with a good translation and with more patience + the readers block delayed it 😂) <<less
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ssissi
ssissi rated it
April 9, 2021
Status: c98
I absolutely adore Dinghai Fusheng! The romance is a subtle but organic development. I love both the ML and MC, together or apart. The storyline is grand but understandable with minimal tangents to the storyline which is great. Conclusion: This novel is sort of magical with two loving MC and ML.
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BoriCats
BoriCats rated it
December 6, 2023
Status: c58
3.8 ⭐/5

It's fine but from vol 3 I started losing some interest to the story. For a story which heavily relied on the plot, the plot was not giving or at least giving consistently. I've read similar books before that solely focused on the plot itself without the romance and let's say this book was kinda slightly in the average range. It's okay but nothing amazing.

It's okay from the start as there was the shroud of mystery. But as we go over the story and the mysteries started to unravel,... more>> I started to got disappointed by how amateurish things were apparently made. The enemies were kind of pathetic and unprofessional. You can't take them seriously when you know what they are doing. The big enemy was not scary at all. What made it not scary was the fact that this was a typical good vs evil story and the enemy is the typical mystical leader of evil. Which always has been defeated in almost hundred of stories similar to this. Which lead to me being 'meh' to the story because it's predectible what will happen eventually. What made me even uninterested was the amount of chapters before that happen and the possibility that it will happen in the last volume. What made it worst was the execution of the scenes and how cartoon s*upid the enemy was.

It's really fine from the first and second volume. But from third volume, it's started to get dumb. Enemies trying to kill them but failing always, and the reasons were not that convincing. It's looking plot convenience just to made them alive but it's not selling to me. It could have been fine if the plot was actually evolved from arc to arc but from vol 1 to 3 we are still in the same main arc, they just change locations. There's no big changes. They're facing the same enemies without conclusion. I felt like this needs to be more. At least bigger enemies, cooler schemes and bigger bets of life and sacrifices. But nothing actually changes from the vol 1, and I'm weary from my expectations that reaching vol 5 was just to end a big linear plotline from vol 1. I'm still at vol 3 though so I hope this story elevates itself as I'm started to get bored at it.

Now let's go to it's comedic side, which was a big fail to me. Let's just say the author and me didn't share the same molecular structure of our funny bone. It fails to made me laugh and most of the time I didn't even know that the scenes were supposed to be funny. It just feels forced to me. Especially if it was done during important and serious scenes. I know this works out for some books and movies but comedies are expertise of comedians and if you are not one like me, you'd realize how many times that the jokes you gave might not be funny at all. I gave up being comedic a long time ago. There are scenes that doesn't need the touch of comedy because the comedy itself made it more funny (but not in laughing way). It seriously ruins the pacing and ambiance to me.

The romance were good but they're made slow but not in what slow romance should be. From vol 2 it's apparent that they both have feelings with each other, and not of a small amount at that, and I felt that the non-confession arcs were a bit long for my liking. Their romance was clearly out of the bounds of slow romance, the author should have elevated it already to the next stage. Why is he milking this part so much evades me as I've read other books of him and he was good at creating romantic scenes of two people IN RELATIONSHIP. There's so much to explore but I felt that they'll elevate their romance stage in a much later chapter. I don't like that thought at all.

I'm still at vol 3 though and just taking a break from the story so I made this mid story review. I hope afterwards the story elevates in everything, plot, characters and romance.

I also get that the author has the habit of exploring different genres in his works but this juncture of comedy might not be a strong field for him, I hope he either drops this genre if he can't grow from it but It's not like he can't explore and develops it into a skill. He also explored slow romance here and let's just say it was not done well. I know that this author's other books, or the books I've read, has made stories where the romance was easily conceive early on the plot and I like those. It just felt that prolonging the confession with these two are unnecessary and not substantial to the plot at all. I really hope I won't be disappointed with this. <<less
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Christine947
Christine947 rated it
December 30, 2021
Status: c122
The fist half of the novel wasn't too bad. I actually liked the MC and ML. For me, the story started going down hill when the MC started liking the ML. The MC and ML turned all sappy and insipid. The MC was 16 when he found the ML so I understood the "slow burn romance". The author wanted to wait until the MC was older and more mature before they papa'd so she should have stayed on that path with the novel. The MC and ML bathed, physically cared... more>> for each other, and slept naked together but they were never tempted to steal any kisses, touch, nor fool around. Their teenage characters were too pure and pristine, very monk-like, making them un-relatable and unrealistic. I have 3 BIG complaints:

Spoiler

.


1. The novel said Chi Luofeng could barely speak the Han language when the MC first met and treated his injuries. The MC couldn't speak the multiple tribal languages and they couldn't speak Han that's why the ML was interpreting for him when he was playing divine doctor. However, before Chi Luofeng died and transitioned into a drought fiend, he had a full on, deep conversation with the MC about his hatred for the MC, his regrets, and his great love for his Anda. 😳
2. Before Lu Ying died, he gave the phoenix ash encased pendant/artifact to the MC, which the MC later gave it to Xiao Shan because Xiao Shan was still sad and grieving for Lu Ying. However, when the MC and ML were dying, the raging inferno created by the release of the dinghai pearl, melted the phoenix ash pendant "at the MC's waist", which released the phoenix, causing it to be reborn and thus, took the whole crew back in time and resurrected all the characters in the book. The MC was supposedly wearing the pendant as a decoration around his waist???? It was never mentioned that Xiao Shan gave it back to the MC.

3. It became really boring after everyone resurrected. It was like reading the same story with two different endings to pacify all the readers. If you were in a bad/depressed mood and wanted to cry your heart out and continue grieving for the characters then stop reading the book when they all "die". If you're in a good mood and want a happy ending then continue reading on because EVERYONE finds love and has a happy ending, including the drought fiends. Best of all, there were no longer any language barriers. Everybody understood ALL the languages spoken by ALL the different tribes. That part was absolutely amazing. Of course the two bad guys MUST die. And that's all folks. The End. 🤦‍♀️

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<<less
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iruka92
iruka92 rated it
October 19, 2021
Status: c113
I absolutely enjoyed reading it. This novel certainly hits all the fun, angst and comedy. Can't describe my joy at their characterisation, the fight scenes, angst, romance (IT FRUSTRATES ME TO NO END BUT THE SLOW BURN IS WORTH IT, I PROMISE YOU) and details in between. It's absolutely lovely! I went on a Dinghai blackhole and spent a week reading it up and losing sleep. Xiang Shu, Chen Xing and basically everyone in the series are clowns. I love them and their idiocy. Hilarious and thoroughly written. I thank... more>> the translators for all their hardwork and I dearly wish it would be published in English as well just like MXTX series. <<less
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Lazydinosaur
Lazydinosaur rated it
July 31, 2021
Status: c105
Excellent Storyline! with good slow burn!!!!!! Sweet fluffy parts makes me scream into my pillow at 1am. Bickering couple troupe which is awesome and funny at the same time. XS is such a tsundere & CX is just a dumb (but also smart) ball of light. The comic relief scenes are the best not only that....... the plot is well written with in complex/ depth side characters! THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO CHANGE THE FATE OF THE STARS! [There is a DongHua of this PLZ CHECK IT OUT] WORTH... more>> READING plz read it <<less
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Moon1111
Moon1111 rated it
July 4, 2021
Status: c103
wow this was a nice surprise. I remember at the time of reading this I was in a bit of a hole and this novel managed to breath some light back into my soul. Fei Tian really knows a thing or two about life and you come away from reading this feeling a little bit better about yourself and the world. Thank you to Chen Xing, Xiang Shu, Feng Qianjun, Xiao Shan, Xie An, Tuoba Yan and the great translation team for this journey.

I am bit of a sucker for... more>> fantasy sacrifice for love novels and this is one of the better BL ones in how the story and characters were fleshed out. <<less
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Lovelywuju17
Lovelywuju17 rated it
May 20, 2021
Status: c99
I have a feeling the author really clowning every mary sue character lmao. And I can't help it that I'm not a big fan of wuxia/magic/tao or what kind of stuff. But, this is an exception. The characters, plot, world-building, romance, angst, comedy were just GOLDEN. I'm in love with this novel. I can't put it in words, it's just a 5 star for all. But all I can advise for a new reader is everything is connected. I just love this novel so much.
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