Major spoiler. But what actually I find horrendous is the fact that instead of getting rid off MC psychological shadow, he somehow feels fine, until he meets ML in RL, For some reason ML proposes to live together to figure out "feelings". But when MC says - still no (reasonable, I mean their time was like a textbook noncon), ML blackmails MC, sends some kid and a hooker to ruin MC's reputation in parent's eyes... It should make MC want to come back... I can't. And MC eventually just gave up. I can't x 2.

I like CPs with strong love but for these two, love didn't exist. Even the ML admitted that he didn't love MC at the end. He didn't care if MC hated him or loved him. It feels to me like he wasn't even sexually attracted to the MC. He was simply obsessed with the idea of being around the MC and the MC just got used to the ML. I think they call it Stockholm Syndrome?

last chapters where they enter the modern world is the ending to the story, with the part where he re-enters the book again being a what if side story, based on the title alone. Personally, I think it should have ended with the MC and ML both dying and the MC unable to return to the modern world.

Man. I'm one of those weirdos who wish this had a BE. It would make it all the more tragic and fitting, especially given how the MC and ML were headed towards a fallout after a long buildup. Stories like erha can get a HE because the relationship progresses positively. Stories like this however, in my pov, should end in tragedy to make it realistic - unhappy stockholm, death, etc.

The worst part of this novel was when the MC and ML went back to reality. The MC was very confused from what had happened in the novel and he eventually comes across the ML. Fine, but then the ML gets a little weird in his pursuit of the MC. This is the biggest thing that ticked me off. So the ML adopts a kid in order to pressure the MC into dating him. I really didn't like how a kid got dragged in. In the end of the story, no one is happy. The ML got over his affection for the MC and is only really with him to have s*x. The MC was pressured into their relationship where he has no say in anything and basically exists to make food and have s*x. He doesn't really like the ML either, its more of an emotional reliance I'd say. And the kid has to deal with some neglect and the BS from the MC and ML. Also nothing in the book world really gets resolved. (but this may have been an issue with the MTL, not really sure, but it still won't change my mind on why I hate this novel)

both the MC and ML died

Both MC & ML didn't love each other. ML also stated that he was more obsessed than like, but it's debatable depend on your worldview.

The MC didn't bend til the end, he only yield to the ML in order to save his friend. This friendship is one of the MC's development. It's great that the MC isn't like other MCs that abruptly fall in love with yandere villain and delude themselves that their relationship is not unhealthy

Then, if you don't care about all that psychological stuff, you might still like it if you just love yandere gong, and a story about shou who was forced into relationship with the gong and the relationship turned out to be quite okayish (no abuse, no forcing, normal at surface-level, as long as the shou is just staying by his side). And a plus for not romanticizing this kind of relationship.

This is like those tragic villain-side of love story, because of the evil methods, either the villain died or the shou died, leaving the villain in eternal regret. Except in this one, the villain succeeded.

So, if you often feel sorry for that kind of villains to the point you want to look or make a fanfiction where the shou finally yield, then you would like how this book pairing end.

For example people mistakes their relationship to be mutual and healthy if not the shou is just a bit cold, but in fact there are more stories behind it. *Evil laugh*

MC thinks he can escape but he really can't, I felt so bad for him, I'm rooting so hard for MC even now but I read through an mtl version of the end and the extras. He does not escape. He tries, and the ML pulls out some shady moves to force MC back to him. The ending is slightly bitter sweet as it has you believe ML is slightly different in personality that MC can live with but the extras shatter that. As ML acknowledges, this is not love. It is a twisted obsession, he does not "love" MC but he can't live without MC... Just oh dear the manipulation and the unhealthy dependence going on here... heck even I need a therapist after this one

I just... I loved reading this, especially the spiral down for MC towards the second half, it's so much more realistic than what you usually see about MC reactions to ML actions. I am constantly rooting for MC and every bad thing that happens to him at this point just makes me sad

He become obsessed because of

1. His heart demon

2. Our mc!!, yes it is our MC fault, why? Imagine a person who trying to kill you again and again also the person who save you again and again, no wonder Shen Fei Xiao become mad. I mean "if you kill me just kill me why do save me?"

3. MC's very indecisive, decisive nature. He cant bear to hurt Shen Fei Xiao but in the end he still do it to go back home, in the end he become mask man to relieve his guilt

4. MC careless remark, because of some careless promises he made, which Shen Fei Xiao think it is real promise, "I wont leave you" but in the end he leave.

5. Another careless word, he keep saying if he become strong no one can defy him, which amplify his heart demon and improvement again and again.

6. MC keep come and go whenever he please which trigger his obsession to make MC never leave!

It is very 'reasonable' right?

Not glossed, not sugarcoated, not romanticized, but raw and terrible, it is painful, terrifying and traumatic.

MC isnt fell in love with SFX, he is scared, he felt it hurt, it doesn't feel good, he want to run away.

Unlike other novel, the MC in end succumb and enjoy it, or glossed over, and somehow liking it.

MC dislike it, hated it.

He keep fighting.

Because of MC indecisiveness, SFX become like this hating and loving MC, obsessed about him.

Because SFX obsessiveness, torture, r*pe. MC become depressed, crazy, emotional breakdown

isn't HE, it is BE, this is remind me of Togainu no Chi bad ending and Harada vibe very much.

Bad ending is bad and sad.

Yes, this novel isn't happy go lucky, full of fluff. It is a heavy, tragedy, 'emotionally scaring', but it doesn't make it a bad writing, I appreciate the author bravely making this novel.

It is horror, tragedy, and psychological, a dark one. Even I feel scared when reading this. Because it 'might occured in real life'.

Too many novel labelled as psychological, but I rarely feel this heavy or scared. Many of novel are light / nonsense / not realistic / dumb 1D low iq and eq character who tried to get killed / face slapped by MC.

Good work author! Now I must read fluff to cleanse the heavyness haha.

I will read and wait for author's next work. I want more of this kind of 'heavy' 'horror' theme.

In these chapters, the ML somehow manages to make a deal with the system at some point around the time he dies. In exchange for “fixing” the plot, the system will forcefully transmigrate the MC back into the novel world for the ML. This doesn’t make sense for two reasons. First, if the system wanted the plot “fixed” it wouldn’t have given the MC return value and told him he was successfully completing his tasks. Instead, it would have failed him for not completing the tasks as originally written. Second, how could the ML make a deal with the system? How does he even know the system exists? His understanding of the novel and the concept of the real world came from Tang Shayun who we are expressly told did not have a system. So, the ML shouldn’t know anything about there being a system and therefore shouldn’t be able to make a deal with it. Now, you could argue that he could have called out to “god” and the system answered because he’s the protagonist. I would accept that explanation.

What happens next is what really upsets me. The MC is forcefully transmigrated back into the novel and the ML has become even worse than he was before. He really takes his torture up a notch and after a series of events manages to get the MC to trade his freedom for Yan Gu’s freedom. From then on, the MC and ML live together for the rest of their lives. The book even states that the MC comes to enjoy the ML’s torture. This leaves a really bad taste in my mouth because it’s playing into the r*pe culture belief that if you force someone often enough, they’ll eventually come to like it. This is an extremely dangerous belief, and I don’t like it being unnecessarily propagated.

This is also an extremely hopeless and depressing ending. The MC and ML never come to love each other. The ML is satisfied because he possesses the person he wants to possess. The MC is indifferent/apathetic because he has lost all hope of escaping and resigned himself to his fate. This is an extremely bad ending. While this situation unfortunately does happen in real life, it left me feeling like there’s no light left in the world. Like there’s no point in having hope. As someone who has depression in real life, this was such a painful thought to be left with. I really wish I hadn’t read these three chapters.

If we stop the story at Chapter 86, we can believe that the ML in the real world is a well-adjusted, decent human being who may be able to win the MC’s trust. I believed this was possible because I was led to believe that the ML’s obsessive, possessive, and ruthlessly tyrannical nature were the result of the heart demons the story made such a big deal out of.

For some background, heart demons occur when someone cultivates too quickly or cultivates along the demonic path without having a natural demonic body. These heart demons can take many different forms and have a variety of effects on the host but are generally considered to be a bad thing. Because cultivation doesn’t exist in the real world, heart demons shouldn’t exist in the real world either. Since the idea that the ML’s behavior was the result of heart demons was pushed so heavily on us, I believed that if he transmigrated to the real world, he would be “cured, ” and we would see what kind of man he could have grown into if he weren’t afflicted with these heart demons.

And maybe that’s exactly what we saw. But if it is, then I vastly misunderstood the ML’s underlying personality. Because once we reach the end of Chapter 87, we discover that the ML in the real world is no different from the ML in the novel. He’s more patient and his mind is less chaotic, but that actually makes him more terrifying.

He immediately begins manipulating the MC and even goes so far as to turn the MC’s family against him. Then he forces the MC to adopt a child in order to lock down the MC with him, and subsequently psychologically and emotionally abuses the child because he hates having to share the MC. This is especially shown in the extra chapters 95 and 96. I’m afraid that poor kid is going to grow up just as twisted as the ML. I know this kid if fictional, but my heart breaks for him. He doesn’t even have a chance, and the MC remains in the exact same situation as the Chapters 88-90 ending.

My alternate ending would deviate from the novel around the time that Wei He broke into the Lingshan Sect to try to rescue the MC from the ML’s clutches. After being convinced to leave by the ML, he would return to Yan Gu (I’m just assuming that Yan Gu went to Wei He and told him where the MC was since prior to Yan Gu attempting to rescue the MC no one had tried before—at least, that we know of). Together, they hatch a new plan to rescue the MC. They go to the MC’s shifu, Qing Xuzi (who, by the way, disappears after feeling displeasure with the ML’s handling of the capture of the MC; I felt like there was more that should have been done with his character but he literally just up and poof-ed), where they reveal to Qing Xuzi that Qin Shi was never possessed. (Remember that neither Yan Gu nor Wei He know that the MC is from another world, and Wei He specifically asked the MC why he didn’t tell the Lingshan Sect people that he’s not possessed during the Kaiyang competition.)

We know that Qing Xuzi already had doubts about the MC’s possession so I don’t think it would be impossible to convince him that Qin Shi lied in order to protect his shifu (which is more-or-less true). Since Yan Gu shared a body with the MC for so long, there’s a lot of explaining he could do to help this situation along. Yan Gu could explain to Qing Xuzi that Ziyang Pei put a poisonous insect in Qin Shi and was using it to manipulate and control Qin Shi. He could further explain that Qin Shi’s dantian was destroyed during his struggle to escape from the secret realm and the only way he could continue to cultivate was along the demonic path. Yan Gu knows that the MC had no malicious intentions towards anyone in the Lingshan Sect and in fact lied about being possessed to make it less painful of a “betrayal” when he left the Sect. His desire to continue cultivating even if it meant following the demonic path could easily be attributed to his desire to help his shidi (the ML). After all, Yan Gu was with the MC when he chose to “die” in the magma in the ML’s place. As far as Qing Xuzi knows, the MC and ML are very close. I think all of this information would line up with Qing Xuzi’s recollection of his beloved disciple and he would ultimately be convinced that Qin Shi was not actually possessed.

Once Yan Gu and Wei He successfully convince Qing Xuzi to side with the MC, they collect some of the other elders from the Sect (and maybe some outsiders as well) and launch a rescue mission. They might even bring Ziyang Pei along, although given what happened in the actual novel we would need to hope Ziyang Shi didn’t join them. And given the history between Yan Gu and Ziyang Shi and Ziyang Pei, Yan Gu would not likely seek out Ziyang Pei as an ally in this rescue mission. Wei He, however, as the leader of the Hehuan Sect, could bring his own people in to assist.

Since we never see Qing Xuzi in action, it’s easy to think that the ML would win a fight with him. However, despite being the protagonist, the ML is only at the Nascent Soul stage of cultivation while Qing Xuzi is on the verge of Ascension. It’s reasonable to think that Qing Xuzi is, therefore, more powerful. Coupled with a few more super-powered allies, I think Qing Xuzi, Yan Gu, Wei He, and these other allies could actually beat the ML. Once the ML is defeated, the allied forces would lock him in a formation similar to the one used to capture the MC (although it would naturally need to be a different kind of formation since the once used to catch the MC is designed to trap demons/demonic cultivators). With the ML trapped, the rescue party storms the fortress (or whatever structure the MC was being held in), eliminate the eggplant who I originally liked and then came to strongly dislike, and save the MC.

Upon seeing the tragic state of the MC, Qing Xuzi is heartbroken and guilt-stricken due to his lack of faith in his disciple and his complacency in the MC’s capture and subsequent torture. He then fails to pass his Ascension tribulation just like in the original novel.

Meanwhile, Yan Gu and Wei He rush the MC to God’s Medicine Valley for treatment where they successfully convince Yu Hong to save the MC. Since Yan Gu believes that the MC is the real descendant of Xue Xian, and further believes that the MC lied to Yu Hong about the ML being the descendant in order to secure his treatment, he should be able to utilize the MC’s “ancestry” to convince Yu Hong. Although Yu Hong doesn’t like the MC and believes the MC has evil intentions towards the ML, he still agrees to save him under Yan Gu’s persuasion. (Also, it can be inferred from the content of the book that Xue Xian and Yan Gu were lovers so Yu Hong might listen to Yan Gu regardless of the MC’s alleged ancestry.)

Under the care of Yu Hong, and with his two friends by his side, the MC slowly recovers his mental health. Yu Hong then finally explains to the MC how to treat the ML’s heart demons (which, you may recall, he told the MC only the MC could cure). Armed with this knowledge, and with the ML safely locked up in a formation just waiting to be cured, the team (including Yu Hong who at last realizes how bad the ML’s heart demons really are) return to the Lingshan Sect to treat the ML’s heart demons.

Since the author never told us how heart demons are treated, I’m not sure what this would entail. But, long story short, they successfully treat the ML’s heart demons and once they ascertain that he’s safe to release, they let him go. The ML, no longer possessed by the heart demons, is deeply remorseful for his actions toward the MC and sets out to atone for his sins.

After many years of repairing broken trust and getting to know each other, the MC and ML slowly fall in love. The MC decides that the price of going home is too high and although it’s not the ending he had hoped for, he chooses of his own free will to remain behind in the novel world with his friends and the ML (who turns out to be decent, well-adjusted young man without the heart demons).

Because of the Feng Shen Gu in the MC, when he and the ML reach the ripe old age of however old cultivators get in this world, they peacefully die together, thus completing the system’s task of having the ML kill the MC, and the MC is finally able to return home, having lived a full and beautiful life together with his lover. Naturally, as with all transmigration novels I’ve read, he returns to the same time and place where he left as if nothing happened.

Deeply affected by his experiences in the novel world, the MC amends his book, giving it a happy ending in accordance with his experiences, and vows to only write wonderful romances from now on. Meanwhile, in a hospital ward, a car crash victim wakes up and sees a novel on his niece’s computer that’s oddly familiar to the dream he just had... This time when the ML transmigrates out of the novel, he is a well-adjusted, decent human being without the possessive, obsessive, psycho-lover traits of his heart-demon-possessed self. After much investigating and research, the ML manages to find the MC and they spend the extra chapters enjoying a slice-of-life romance together.