This novel is a caricature of typical YY or Danmei novels. This in itself is not particularly unique. Instead of using an Isekai, System, or Rebirth plot point to foreshadow events or give the MC context into the plot, the novel uses a novel instead. It achieves the same purpose.

The part that makes this novel stand out is the fact that the characters are unusually competent. The MC of the story is the most powerful character in the novel, and the ML is probably the second most powerful. Usually, this... more>> means the ML is falling over all the time and needs to be rescued. I'm happy that the characters generally stayed in character the entire time and didn't have their IQ drop when the plot requires it. I also like the fact that the only romance is between the MC and ML with the other characters focused on their own ambitions instead of pairing everyone off.

The downside, as is with a lot of Chinese novels, is the single-hearted devotion the ML has towards the MC. I find that level of devotion a little offputting, especially if there's no reciprocation in 800 years and the guy is already dead. However, I'm willing to overlook it since the rest of the story is quite good.

PS. Read mourningcrow's translations. <<less

I just finished the novel and it was super good! The romance is kind of slow, but this novel is enjoyable nonetheless You'll definitely like it if you love those historical cultivating novels.

Yin Hanjiang is definitely my favorite character, he's so loyal to his venerable (╥_╥). The characters were very splendidly written!

Anyways, this novel is amazing and I definitely recommend it!

I love it so much. I like how the story flow into something that makes sense despite the craziness of the character in it. Everything resolved in particular manner, not too fast nor too slow. Everything has a reason behind it, even if we don't know it now.

Recommended 100%

Absolutely exceeded my expectations because I came in thinking this was a light read but came out very satisfied and truly amazed at how the author wrote everything perfectly.

In the first 10 chapters, I was already dreading the parts that will hurt because of how the characterization of everyone, even side characters, were detailed and were given importance as much as the plot. It's refreshing to see each character develop throughout the story as they let others help and encourage them.

I really, really love this novel even if it has... more>> brought me so much heaviness and eyes full of tears that won't fall. That just makes it a lot better.

I hope the best for the author, the translators, and the future success of this novel! [Pls I beg people shove this novel into peoples faces (/lh) because its so worth it ;u;] <<less

quite a refreshing novel, honestly. The plot, the world-building, the main couple, and the side characters. They're all well-written. Never would I have thought that I would like side characters this much. Everything just makes perfect sense. In the end, everything was explained. I couldn't find a plot hole, even if there is, then it must be not quite important to the story.

i love how the ML had a proper reason for his dedication and willingness to give up his life for the MC. For the MC, there was that... more>> one line in the novel that pretty much described how he fell in love. Im glad that the ML went from a mindless puppet who dedicates his entire life to his venerable to a dedicated ML who stands equal to his venerable. I love their kind of love.

the side characters are great. Really great. They are all well written and likable, except for that scum character of course. Nobody likes him, hah. Every side characters have their own important role in the progress of the story. I was confused with the names at first but by the end of the novel, I remember all their names since they're all significant.

anyways, I really can't say much about the plot. Since it's planned well and made sense, as I said earlier, one of the extra perfectly ended the plot. <<less

5/5 A funny, parody-like cultivation novel that occasionally makes fun of and destroys the harem plot of the aide characters while building on MC and ML's character and relationship. The righteous are not as righteous, and the evil, too, can have morals. Watching ML's secret devotion and obsession with MC slowly change to that of pure love and understanding was a beautiful process. MC going from an indifferent (but with strong morals) person to that of understanding and indulgence was equally nice and refreshing to read.

I love that the plot that could easily span hundreds of chapters was compacted into 80 without seeming rushed at all, tying everything together perfectly into a neat little bow. Shu Yanyan and the four altar masters of the Xuanyuan sect were so chaotic and endearing in their own way. And I absolutely adore the four-person group that wandered the world together for 30 years during the time skip and the readers' reaction to their antics. Everyone is just so charming I can't help loving them all. Overall a very... more>> satisfying read. <<less

Okay, this is quite a masterpiece. It's deeper in cultivation theory and have a lot of unique and interesting characters. The plot is also amazing.

But it's unfortunate that both MC and ML characters are not the type that I'll list as my fav, although they are indeed excellent human being with beautiful flaws that are written very well. Haha they are too excellent for me.

Also, (Don't read if you don't want to be annoyed by me) :

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Spoiler

I enjoyed most of this journey, if not for the original female protagonist and some side characters that annoy me to the end (just personal preference). The og female protagonist is just not too clever for her super important position, which result in all this mess. It's like giving a knife to a baby. And it's all according to the universe's will not the book author. Thinking like that, it's like the universe just want to self destruct itself. Huh, maybe that's why the book appeared in front of MC so he could safe everyone. But in the first place, why?? Despite it felt kinda st*pid to me, it's still a genius concept because it's whole with no plotholes, and the execution is amazing.

The og female protag is also made to be liked by the readers (?), but it's very hard to sympathize with her feeling of being controlled, maybe because she is too white lotus and play the necessary role of damsel in distress, either I'm right or I'm just jealous. *Shrug*

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I still enjoyed my time reading this, the comedy is very good. Like how the author or the MC made fun of dire situation randomly, etc. But overall, it's still hard to put this in my fav book of all time. <<less

The novel was such an amazing ride. The author did a fantastic job in creating such a beautiful story.

Loved this!! Pretty refreshing story, amazing world building, the characters are well fleshed out and the comedic undertone makes it even better. The side characters are hilarious and memorable as well. Author manages to bring all the loose ends together in the end.

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Spoiler

The only thing I'm tad bit disappointed is the development of of Wenren E and Yin Hanjiang's relationship. After the second soul communion thing, when we see Wenren E's past... things happened a bit fast. Sure they talked and Yin Hanjiang saw an important part of Wenren E's life (while exploring Wenren E's past) but even after that, the jump to relationship was a bit sudden to me. Maybe if both of them had a bit more conversation and stuff in the reality after the past thing, the flow would've been better.

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Spoiler

Lol and I was really hoping for a Shoujo ai subplot!!!!!

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Overall is novel is pretty great with amazing translation by mourning crow. <<less

A short nd to the point novel that had me so engaged and I loved it SO MUCH that I fell sick for 3 days when it ended lmao T_T pls, I went in to read this with zero expectations, as just a casual read nd the rest is history.

The main pair is ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS I'm telling u I can't stress this enough, they are just so perfect for me, even though both of them were from demonic sects and one had a twisted mind on the verge of... more>> madness while the other was a merciless ruler who is clueless when it came to the heart, there was never any deception nor manipulation between them, the relationship and character development was so natural nd never felt forced or out of the blue, they were so attentive to each other, they wholeheartedly cherished not just the other's feelings but also each others true selves T_T they might just be my most fav bl pairing ever (yes, even compared to the main pairings of all the big named ones out there ¬¬).

Literally ALL of the characters (except He wenzhao nd his lackeys, nd yet he was interesting too tbh) have my entire heart and soul, that 4 members little travelling ragtag bunch of misfits group in particular ;_; also I have never loved any female characters so wholeheartedly ever in my life okay? The 3 important female characters here all have such unique personalities and charm, u can't help but adore them. I love them so much that idk what to do with all these emotions.

I'll specifically talk about the MC coz main characters are almost never my most fav character in any series (I'm always gushing more over the side characters) but this one was a rare exception. He isn't a good guy in the conventional sense (Lord of devils, path of slaughter, merciless towards his enemies, gets what he wants no matter what, u get the gist) but he was incredible... his motivations, wisdom, world view, determination, straightforwardness, being capable of realising his faults and not hesitating in admitting his mistakes while working at it, and just being so goddamn sincere in everything he does omygod he's so cool and cute asf at the same time.

The plot is good enough, nothing stellar or absolutely 'out of this world' but the explanations are reasonable, goes deep into the world nd it's power levels, the comedy is amazing though (seriously, it's hilarious, it flows smoothly and naturally like water), the first extra chapter was super important coz it tied the entire thing together mind blowingly well, I was shook. The pacing was good too, mourningcrows translation was better. For a short novel, it's was ridiculously enjoyable nd I really miss it now that it's over T^T <<less

It's been a while since I enjoyed a book so much. I'd had this book on my to-read list but hadn't gotten round to it. I was checking which book to pick up and I liked the title so I dived into it and boooy....
I was so engrossed that I read it all in a sitting. Yep, one sitting. Author, u have my respect.

Positives;
1. Wenren is such a hottie. I loved how once he understood his feelings, he worked on it. Baby boy knew what he wanted and went for it. Do not get me started on Yin Hanjiang's duality cuz that was hawt. He was such a sucker for his lord but in a good way. The author made that balance well. He wasn't irritating or annoying with his feelings. The tension was *chef's kiss*.

2. The world building was terrific. I got a thorough understanding on how sh*t worked and the dynamics in that world.

3. Xuanyuan Sect. I love how they are evil and own it. There is no deceit or faking. It's even more hilarious when they try to turn what they did into something good. Or when Wenren asks questions and their answers are so far from what a normal person would say. How they would frontstab (cuz those mfs do it openly) each other including their lord if they have the chance. The relationships they had with the female protag and Zhongli Qian was kinda sweet.

Negatives;
1. I wanted to strangle female protag. I got so annoyed by her I don't even remember her name. I don't care if she was compelled, she's too s*upid to live. Half of the words out her mouth was Shixiong. A word has never pissed me off so bad. I was surprised my eyes were still in its sockets when I was done reading. I mean, the whole reason Wenren got involved with her and the book was cuz he wanted to know what made her so s*upid and idiotic.

2. Seriously author, you couldn't write one s*x scene.
Really? Just one teeny tiny itty bitty one? How could you do that to me? How could you let me leave my boys without that? I'm never forgiving you, author. NEVER.

All jokes aside, definitely recommend. Give it a try.

I have read thousands of books and very few can compare to this one in terms of characterisation. Every character in the book has a story and a justifiable rationale for everything that they do. There isn't a single one-dimensional cannon fodder villain or hero in this novel. This means that there aren't any frivolous characters who do things for the sake of doing them rather than driving a vital aspect of the plot.

Second, the story may be based on a common troupe, but the plot is very unique. There... more>> aren't any scenes of random face-slapping and vicious vengeance. Everything is well thought out and contributes in some way to the story's foundation.

Third, the romance in the book is very subtle but extraordinarily beautiful.

Spoiler

The MC & ML don't speak of their feelings for each other for the first three-quarters of the book,

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but their actions speak waaaaay louder than any words ever could. They treat each other with utmost sincerity and at any given point, they always choose each other even when their relationship is that of master and subordinate. The journey towards being together is realistic and heartwarming. I cannot emphasise enough how incredible their relationship is.

All in all, I have no complaints about this novel and I am sure that I will reread it many times in the future. <<less

Read Ontimestory ver.

This story is really unique n touches one heart quite easily.

The amount of personality growth in it wow chef's kiss. Every character here is unforgettable.

High top shelf quality novel.
Disclaimer that this will be mostly focused on the plot though, so it lacks in that aspect if you came looking for cuddly fluffy moments (it definitely has them but, y'know, sparse).
Even though this is mainly focused on the plot, what it had to offer contained so much sweetness, my teeth are still aching. The sense that it lacks in romance completely goes away towards the end too.

This is one of those novels that make you realize, you don't hate the genre or stereotype, it's just terribly and awfully written until you lay your eyes upon something prim and proper.

The side characters are so so important and are the pillars to the story, they're not merging with the background characters and give significant growth and stumbles to the main characters.

The OG storyline and the general idea of this novel-'ception/-'verse' is thoroughly thought out. The development of characters both mentally and physically are present.

One of the Gong/Top/Seme POV novels but it's purely shounen ai.

Yandere's are not my cup of tea because they're focused on obsessions not love (almost like a overly spoilt fat child throwing tantrums for what they're addicted to, like candy or fast food). This ML however respects the boundaries the MC sets and wouldn't dare to cross them, neither would he ever dare to ask too much of MC, which also backfires and overshadows his perception of both himself and MC. Basically the complete opposite of 'The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System', which's grounded on MC pacifying people just to save himself and ML wanting to posses MC like he's an object.

Cultivation style novels are tedious, repetitive, cliché and boring and thankfully NOT the same case here.
Crucial moral lessons are being taught like 'live and let live'. The 'level-up' is a mere formality, but the ways of road to cultivation becomes critical instead.
It's the journey that shapes you, not the power itself. I can gain a new appreciation for the genre if more stallion novels are written this way.

smol rant:

The journey of freeing themselves from the shackles of the novel is amusing and high props to give the author so much attention to female side characters that have so much character and emotional qualities, you have to admit you do NOT see it often at all in shounen ai/BL/Yaoi genres.

I liked the characters, the way they were fleshed out.

Also, reading this happened to be during a certain time in my life where I needed clarification. It's silly how a web novel managed to reaffirm and clarify my world views, but it did.

One of the best novels I read ❤️ Love the characters (except for that cheating scum) and the plot! Definitely worth reading this ❤️ If only the extras about the MC and ML would be longer, that would be great !

I really like the 1st part when xiao Yin.

Guarded wen renhe at the entrance of his study room when other disciples thought he was cultivating, in truth he was reading a love story.

Venerable. I want to be your disciple. You are a respected man.

Rating: 4.8

Solid story and characters.

I love how MC/ML are both relatively evil; it's great. The MC is unapologetically apathetic and logical but blunt manner of speaking the truth is endearing. The MC is the top, which is never explicitly shown but you can tell by the way the author describes the 'after' scenes, although there is a chance they could be a switch couple. There is no smut besides kissing. The story didn't need it. The ML is likable as well. He's the loyal will-kill-for-you kind of guy who is... more>> very protective and respectful of MC.

The plot is well thought out and ties up perfectly at the end, with a length of 80 chapters that lets you enjoy the story without becoming overly convoluted. No annoyingly long flashbacks, just enough to get an idea how the MC and ML grew up. Rare BL story with two complex characters that stayed green flag romance-wise all the way.

There is also enjoyment in the side characters. It was somehow cathartic to see how the female lead chose to live her life at the end. The other female characters in this story were legit too. One kept a harem of men and was power hunger while one was a brainless skeleton. I actually wish they got more attention and agreed with the 'comment section' of the novels within the story on them. Like if the story was 20 chapters longer just to give them tiny character arcs I would've read that sh*t in an instant.

A couple minor quips:

Yes the entire premise is that the MC has the books and can see what happened and I like how it's explained as alternate worlds, but sometimes I felt like the story focused too much on explaining what happened before and how the female lead reacted, what the male did etc. I wanted a tad more focus on what the MC and ML were doing. You know, 'show not tell'. This is why I can easily get bored with transmigration/second chance after dying stories, they usually rely too heavily on summarizing what already happened and what will happen, nevertheless this is probably one of the best I've read. MC was certainly a great mastermind for it all, but he also felt a little untouchable. I didn't feel that he was in any real danger with all the knowledge he possessed except once or twice in the story.

Second quip is the relationship progression. I loved them both overall, but I felt like the final confession/they are a real couple now scene was a little too fast. It felt like once the ML got over a major hurdle of accepting the MC's feelings, the story was kind of done and they got together instantly without any last difficulties or trials. Throughout the story ML got way more attention on how he was feeling and was way more emotionally vulnerable than the MC. I would have liked to see a bit more drama in the last part with the MC's feelings. The ML has been head over heels for the MC for countless chapters but I didn't feel like the MC had an iota of issues with his own feelings. He got kissed by the ML and was like 'Oh. Yep. I'm 100% on board with this.' Which DOES fit his personality, he's a very rational guy, but I wished he acted a bit more I don't know... uncertain or at least flustered about it since he'd never been in love before and hated the idea of falling for someone early on in the novel. Still---it's just a minor complaint.

I hadn't read a BL novel in a long while and I made a good choice binging this one.

Damn, this is not something I usually say with light novels but I think this one could've been extended 20 chapters or so just to flesh out the side characters a bit more and to give a bit time with MC and ML as official partners. It was that good. <<less

Both sweet and hilarious. I love the MC to death, and the ML is also pretty amazing. The entire demonic sect is amazing, tbh, and I love how everything that seemed nonsensical brainrot at first ended up having a logical explanation.