Fox Demon Cultivation Manual

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

By some freak coincidence, Song Ci mistakenly consumed the blood of the Demon King, causing himself to become a demon too. A weak scholar…… forced to suffer in silence.

What was even more tragic was that no matter where he went, demons would attack him from all directions braying for his blood, or they would squeeze his neck while interrogating him about his relationship with the Demon King.

As such, Song Ci became an anti-fan of the Demon King. Regardless of who praised the Demon King, he would be the first to stand out and refute them.

Song Ci fled for his life as he searched for the gate leading to the Demon Realm. Along the way, he clung on to the thigh of an influential man, and went to great pains to persuade him to slay the Demon King together with him and restore peace to the human world.

Song Ci, “Sooner or later, I will skin the Demon King, rip the tendons off him, and drink his blood!”

Rong Bai (smiling), “I admire the way you think.”

Who knew that, after entering the demon realm —

Tens of thousands of monsters bowed their heads and kowtowed to this thigh beside him and shouted “Long live the Demon King!”

Song Ci was stunned.

Rong Bai (smiling), “What did you say you were going to do when you came to the Demon Realm?”

Song Ci, “It, it’s all a misunderstanding……”

Associated Names
One entry per line
FDCM
狐妖修炼指南
Related Series
The Demon Lord Is Fleeing For His Life Again Today (Sequel)
Your Ninth Royal Highness, Please Change Your Clothes (Prequel)
Recommendations
Heaven Official’s Blessing (8)
The Legendary Master’s Wife (4)
The Founder of Diabolism (3)
The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love (2)
Peerless Immortal Surrounded by Demonic Disciples (2)
Every Day the Protagonist Wants to Capture Me (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. BL Novels with good ratings ( 4.4 - 4.8 ) and Comp...
  2. Liz's Collection : BL { Historical [cultivation / ...
  3. BL I love!!
  4. Bad Tr*sh -- Gay -- Asian
  5. BLs that Stay with You

Latest Release

N/A
Write a Review
140 Reviews sorted by


rakuu-en
rakuu-en rated it
February 4, 2020
Status: Completed
Here to provide an alternative voice to all those previous reviews singing praises of this book.

I should preface this by saying this book was not bad at all. It has a lot of positives, and was an enjoyable reading experience. Some of the pros- the translation is top-notch, the humour is on-point, the characters are cute and fairly likeable (at least for the first two-thirds of the novel...)

The language is pretty simple, so it was easy for me to continue the Chinese raws right where the current translations ended.... more>> But also simple to the point where I didn't think enough would be lost in translation for me to put in the effort to read it entirely in Chinese (sometimes, when a book is beautifully and poetically written, I give up the ease and convenience of English translations, which, even if excellent, will never be able to wholly capture the essence of the original. this was not one of those books.)

With regards to the plot- the previous arcs have been episodic. I appreciate that they are well-paced (not too draggy) and fairly easy to follow, if a touch too melodramatic. The final arc (which at the point of writing, translations have just begun to touch on), where
Spoiler

the main character time travels to the past to save the dying male lead

[collapse]
, is where things get a bit too ridiculous for me to stomach.

(There may be spoilers ahead, though I've tried to censor out the main ones)

It feels like the author squeezed every single tragic kdrama trope into the span of a few chapters in explaining the main lead's tragic past. The main character's realisation of his feelings was abrupt, and I have no clue as to why the main lead (who in the past had NO MEMORY OF HIM WHATSOEVER) fell for him so quickly. And when the main character returned to the present suddenly he basically swapped personalities with the main lead. I kid you not. He went from being our loveable scaredy-cat trying to do the right to a bloodthirsty tyrant. And the main lead went from being our resident frigid ice king to a fragile flower who would get blown away by the wind. What on earth. I'm re-experiencing the same incredulousness I felt while reading even as I type this.

Somewhere along the line this was complicated by another 5 chapters of Tragic Backstory 2.0,
Spoiler

this time for the main character, because once wasn't enough

[collapse]
. Then we have a villain who literally was subdued in the span of one chapter, whom the author herself said in her notes was meant to be an unimportant nobody for the sake of advancing plot. To which I am speechless. Actually towards the end several villains emerged mysteriously out of the woodwork only to be subdued within the space of the same chapter, making the whole process rather anti-climatic... like the author herself just wanted the book to be over and done with.

Basically, the last one third of this book was rather a mess, which marred my reading experience on a whole. 3/5 stars in light of the pleasure that reading the first two thirds brought me. Also, it bears saying again- because it is a lot of hard work translating, and even more challenging to maintain quality at that- that the translator has done an excellent job. This book wasn't a masterpiece by any accounts, and it definitely had its flaws, but it is a pleasant and easy way to kill time if you've any on your hands, and will certainly bring a smile to your face at some point. <<less
53 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
periperi
periperi rated it
June 30, 2019
Status: Completed
5 stars!

The genre is right up my alley with humour and mystery. There's 5 arcs and the first 3 arcs revolve around a story. Each case is just as heart-breaking with likeable characters and detestable villains. It's almost bittersweet. But fret not, it all ends as well as it can end (except maybe the first arc but there's not much emotional investment in the first arc as it's more of an intro arc).

I like that the romance is slow burn and really sweet. No forcing of anyone and just overall... more>> cute. There are many side couples (see the arcs characters) and some don't have a satisfactory end in my opinion. However, seems like the author has other books in this world. Not sure if I'll try them but this was a good read. Not too long and not too short and filled with non-stop action and plot.

If anyone wants spoilers, I've been posting them on the spoiler thread. <<less
30 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Adagio rated it
January 10, 2020
Status: Completed
Edit: I wish I could change the rating. New criticism at the end of the review.

I'll be very honest, I love this novel and the way it makes my fannish heart giddy. It's about a young man who had an unfortunate accident involving the demon king's blood and tries to find a cure. The novel follows a few arcs with a set of different secondary main characters each time, and throughout them the MC learns more about both himself and the world. There is also a deeper and more complex... more>> element woven into the story. It could use more breathers in between, though.

Said MC starts out as a desperate guy who only wants his old life back. He falls into the category "a little bit dumb but that's okay" and is quite loveable once we really get to know him. Don't mistake his denseness for simplicity, though.

ML is dignified, mysterious, and knowledgeable. His thoughts and feelings are rarely stated clearly as the novel is mostly written in MC's perspective, and in return it adds greatly to the suspense of the story.

The strongest point of the novel is the romance (especially the main one). It's slow burn with a surprising amount of subtlety considering the underlying comedy narrative. There is a great amount of healthy mutual respect, and both parties have a positive influence on the other.

Also, the translators are a godsend. Not only the quality is great, but they somehow manage to churn out updates every three days.

If you love anime, you will love FDCM. It has action, suspense, comedy, drama, and a comfortable amount of romance. It's like a shounen novel but for a female audience.

Edit/Update for later chapters:

I was at chapter 65 before, now I read an MTL'd version and the proper translation up to 85.

I must be very honest here and say I'm very disappointed. The author seemed to have abandoned their plot/story after
Spoiler

entering the demon realm

[collapse]
and the protagonists act more and more out of character for almost no reason. Several plot points - the most interesting ones even - are left open and unresolved, and the ending barely makes sense. I have no idea what happened, but I'm really saddened about this development and all the wasted potential. If you still want to reading this, you should lower your expectations a bit.

Thank you so much to the translators, though - they're still doing a phenomenal job. <<less
21 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
SalmonRapier
SalmonRapier rated it
August 23, 2020
Status: Completed
[HONEST REVIEW]

I came across this novel just recently and managed to binge through it in two days, it was a hilarious and satisfying read.

I would recommend this if what you're looking for is something that is hilarious, has adventure packed with a couple of stories or mysteries that unveil themselves within time, and yes, romance.

There were some slight grammar issues that were quite prevelant in the beginning of the novel, but it isn't something that prevails in the after so don't let that throw you off cause this... more>> is a fun read!

Also, the translator always made sure to give definitions of some terms even though they were repeated, and I think that was a neat and helpful thing to do for people as forgetful and me (thank you Lianyin lol)

Getting on with the review:

I really liked how Song Ci (MC) kept digging pits for himself everytime he threw an insult on the Demon King without even knowing said person was right next to him — Rong Bai (ML). It was one of the main sources of humor right up until Song Ci found out how s*upid he had been. And the big reveal and whatever happens right after is even more hilarious and I quite enjoyed it!

The relationship between the MC and ML is something quite different and I liked that. Rong Bai wasn't someone who would immediately rush up to save Song Ci (even after he grew fond of him) whenever he was in danger, and that actually contributed to Song Ci's growth in character development.

The action scenes are pretty detailed and that was refreshing. Not your typical fight scene ending in three or four paragraphs, along with dialogue added within.

I like Song Ci's character. He is not a weak ass somebody despite clinging on to the "golden thigh". Sure, yes, he's a coward but he knows that, and you can see how he eventually grows out of it too. It's quite an impressive development and that was a novel feeling to experience.

There were moments when, because of his cowardice, I thought, "Why aren't you doing it!?" and did feel quite frustrated but it just made me realise — that just makes him human. Not someone who's overpowered and all saint-like; I also liked how he wasn't an all forgiving person (with regards to his past and the grievances he had to face) and to me, that's what makes him a relatable character.

You also get a nice picture of the past lives of both the main characters which is not quite common — because in other novels, it's usually just the story of one of the main characters that you get to witness in depth.

Also, the stories of various side characters that appeared were covered nicely and I enjoyed that.

However, there were some moments in the novel where the next scene started off quite abrupt and at times, it made me wonder if I had accidentally skipped a chapter. But otherwise, I enjoyed the plot. There were some nice moments that made me tear up too. And I didn't really find an issue with the whole "time travel" moment, I thought it was a nice twist.

Regardless of reviews, you should give it a read yourself and be the judge of whether or not you will enjoy this! :') <<less
18 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
remiss
remiss rated it
May 24, 2019
Status: --
Really cute, I like it so far. The background has a supernatural theme, of ghosts, gods and demons. There's a slight atmospheric feeling throughout that gives a slight sense of nostalgia and fantasy.

MC travels with the ML on the way to the demon world. Along the way, there's alot of interludes inbetween, where MC watches the past unfold between the various characters alot of those characters have love/hate resentment relations, and it sorta reads like a collection of fairytales.
12 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
PearlySkies
PearlySkies rated it
August 15, 2020
Status: extra
The book started out amazing and then about 3/4ths of the way through it just collapsed. If I had to say the best part of this novel it would definitely have to be the side couples. Somehow they just feel so much more developed and interesting than the main couple.

I really liked the MC during the first 65 (ish) chapters, but then he went through a huge character change, literally overnight, and became pretty stereotypical cold domineering top. It felt really jarring as the dynamic that they had spent more... more>> than half the novel developing was suddenly flipped completely on its head. The same thing happened with the ML, he started out as a silent and icy king and then basically just became a frail damsel in distress. The romance was fine, it wasn't anything particularly special but it was still compelling enough to keep me reading till the end.

The plot was amazing in the side stories, and I feel so much more attached to all of those side characters than to Song Ci and Rong Bai. The story about the opera performer and young master made me genuinely cry, and I really wish that they had done some kind of follow up on that incredibly tragic story that they just left open ended. The main plot was messy. I finished the novel recently and I honestly have no memory of 60% of the main story because of how incredibly boring it is. Though I do admit that some parts of the time travel chapters were fun. I think the main arcs quality can be summed up in the fact that the final boss was a random character which we hadn't met before, that was defeated in the span of one chapter, which the author admitted to have created on a whim simply to advance the plot.

Honestly the humor was really great. I remember having to stop reading just to laugh a multiple times. The author is pretty good at balancing the humor with some genuinely heart pulling scenes. Unfortunately most of these are only present in the side stories.

I did have a good time reading and if the synopsis seems interesting I would definitely give it a try. If it were me up to I would probably advise you to stop reading after the opera house arc ends and the main story begins but that's just my opinion. <<less
11 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
BB8TL
BB8TL rated it
June 17, 2020
Status: Completed
4/5 stars,

Would have been 3 stars but up 1 star for the excellent and dedicated translation.

Honestly speaking, I really wish that could love this novel, but I just can’t.

... more>> Reading the story, at first I was totally on board. The story started out so well, with interesting concepts and likable characters. The plot make perfect sense, the characters were witty and their interaction was always fun to read, and the overall pacing of each arcs was just right. Everything feels perfect.

Until mid way through the story, when everything falls apart.

The plot becomes clunky and confusing. The characters either ooc and had a 180 personality switch, or their attitude was all over the place. The pacing becomes erratic as you crawl through a bombardment of flashbacks and then hastily gloss over the ending. The extremely heavy-handedness in using flashback after flashback to establish 90% of the exposition and world-building. Also, every single characters has some earth-shattering tragic sob story, and the reader will get to learn all of them through a range of flashbacks. Oh, did I mention this story has flashbacks?....

Here’s a question for you: did you read all of the other novel this author wrote yet? No? Well good luck in having a full understanding of this plot then. Haha... Seriously tho, one of my biggest problem with this novel is that the author doesn’t just reference her other works, she fully incorporated them as a core element of this one. Towards the entire end of the story, I honestly felt like I had missed out on a huge vital part of the plot because I didn’t have the insider information from reading the other novels. So disappointed, ah.

What kills me is that this novel has so much potential as a stand-alone novel. The plot, the characters, the adventures of the MC and ML, all could have been enough without relying on other novels. The other novel’s elements and characters could have just been a little cameos, which would have been fine as long as they’re not crucial to the plot.

Overall, this novel was not satisfying, as least not as much as it could be. It felt like I just read an excerpt from the middle of a series. No beginning, no end, just a snapshot of the middle that just happens to focus on the MC and ML. But hey, at least they’re pretty sweet to each other, and you get some pretty heartwarming moments between the two main characters which is a saving grace. <<less
11 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Catzun rated it
October 20, 2019
Status: c29
I'm absolutely, if not irrevocably in love with this translator and novel. Let me simply say: quality, quality, quality all over!!!

I require a degree of high standards for my translated novels, and JadeRabbit delivers. Boy, does she! You can see the hard work and effort she lovingly pours into each translated chapter. (In both the novels she's picked up to tl.) Seriously, thank you, Jade. You can tell she respects the author's hard work in creating these stories by translating each novel beautifully.

I love each new character that crops up... more>> in FDCM, and how MC and ML slowly fall in together like jigsaw pieces. I adore MC the most, as he has cute white fox ears that pop up every time he fights; too adorable! *Erkang hand*

I would recommend this novel to anyone wanting a well-written and sweet plot: a+++! <<less
11 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
sanlang3003
sanlang3003 rated it
September 16, 2020
Status: c102
Translation: The translation quality is quite good - 7/10. Frequent mix up of tenses, but overall fine.

Story: I enjoyed the characters Song Ci & Rong Bai. Song Ci was likable, starting off as a "weak" guy having to face his fears & delve into the unknown in order to try to redeem his past self. His character has depth & is believable. He's a kind & righteous person but is not naive to the point that he doesn't punish humans/demons that deserve it. Song Ci can be both cowardly &... more>> brave & I find that's what I like about him. However, I think this story went on too long at 100 chapters. There were plot holes everywhere & I found myself enjoying the "filler chapters" in between arcs when they're travelling more than the arcs themselves... which is kinda sad. By the last arc I was thoroughly lost & wanted the story to end. I was so confused & had so many questions.

Spoiler

Mo Yao Arc: How long had Zhu Yishi been at Mo Yao for? Did he infiltrate them to try to search for that seal fragment? Why did his brother Zhu Yan decide to join the fun? What was the significance of the scene when they spy Elder Qingyuan having sex? Why would Qingyuan betray the sect to unleash the demons at the gate?

Qinchuan Arc: To be honest, this whole damn arc was a mess & by the end I was still confused as hell. How did Jiang Liang find the real Feng Zhoujun when he was injured by bandits? Where the hell did his identical twin come from all of a sudden? When did this twin promise Feng Zhoujun that he would help redeem Jiang Liang on his behalf & all that jazz? And how does Feng Zhoujun become Old Mirror Man? So Jiang Liang's memories of him dying were altered? Why did this immortal Qinyu pop up out of nowhere?

Yin Yang Array Arc (going back to Rong Bai's past) : Song Ci was abruptly dragged into the array by Yan Song, who is so mysterious & just comes & goes when it's convenient. Another convenient character: Old Mirror Man. Of course he happens to hold all this knowledge & randomly offers to accompany Song Ci. Once Song Ci meets the past Rong Bai I can believe Rong Bai taking a liking to Song Ci quickly, but the way he acts so affectionately so quickly seems out-of-character for him. Isn't he this aloof, distant, cautious guy with a tragic past?

Xiliang Arc: Wow... by this point I was just eager to get this over with, which is a shame because I really do like the characters. But random villains show up & leave just as quickly as they came & out of nowhere Song Ci almost goes mad while Rong Bai is quietly dying. Song Ci's tragic past seemed like such an afterthought & came so late in the story that I didn't even care at that point. And then all of a sudden Song Ci is like, oh yeah, Rong Bai is still dying - let's finally check in on him. The way Rong Bai finally "remembers" Song Ci as his past love was not romantic at all, since Song Ci was still at the tail end of his cray cray rampage (Rong Bai was literally in shackles courtesy of Song Ci).

Ok and then you think the story is done & we can get two chapters of some lovey dovey MC/ML. WROOOONG. They get s**ked into some book again for whatever reason. The two extra chapters redeemed itself I guess... more fluff & then some smexy times!

[collapse]

Overall, I like the MC & ML but the story was not memorable. Too many forgettable, useless characters that came & went for the sake of moving the plot along. The arcs were all confusing & relied on waaay too many flashbacks of the past. This kind of shows poor writing on the author's part to always rely on flashbacks. Instead of the characters doing actual detective work, most of the time they just have to touch this or that person's soul, or a book, and all truth shall be revealed. Seems lazy to me & the transitions from past/present aren't smooth at all so sometimes I wouldn't even realize the story was back in the present time. <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
mintyx
mintyx
August 16, 2020
Status: Completed
It wasn't a horrible story by any means, but personally I had several issues with it.

  1. It was hard to visualize the setting due to the general lack of description (it made me really confused and I had a lot of trouble visualizing the fight scenes)
  2. The plot twist half-way through was simply unnecessary and ruined everything that had led up to that moment
  3. After around chapter 85 the story took a turn for the worse. It rushed the more interesting and important arcs and the story as a whole. It seemed like the author simply wanted to finish it as soon as possible which destroyed the potential the story really had.
  4. The romance was also, in a way, rushed. There weren't enough scenes or intimate moments between the MC and ML so I wasn't exactly sold when they actually got together.
It's a huge shame but I wish that I had not read it to save my time.
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
yuukine
yuukine rated it
March 14, 2020
Status: Completed
Rating: 4.5/5 (story: 4.5/5, characters 5.5/5)

Relaxing, cute (sometimes bloody) story about s*upid foxes. That's it, that's the summary.

TRANSLATION IS FANTASTIC. All the hugs to Lianyin!

... more>> Once upon atime, there was Song Ci. And he consumed blood of the Demon King by accident that he doesn't even remember. Therefore, he goes on a journey to find the Demon King.

Except, Song Ci is oblivious and doesn't even see what's in front of him. All the clues, all the evidence and yet he still doesn't realize that the person he vowed to kill (see: beg on his knees to turn him back into human) is travelling alongside him.

Meanwhile, Rong Bai (The Demon King, while in disguise as a human) apparently likes this disaster of a man, and is allowing him to hang out with him, so in the end, they travel together to find a demon gate.

And in the end, they come across many people who have their own troubles, and I have to say that those people have made quite an impact on me - their stories moved my heart and made me cry.

And last, but not least, Rong Bai and Song Ci are the ones who move it the most.

There is a lot to unpack about Song Ci and Rong Bai, and their pasts make you wanna cry, but no matter how WONDERFULLY done these two are, the fact still remains that this story remains a bit incomplete due to other books related to this series. For example there are some minor lose ends you will understand if you read all of them. You are literally reading the book in the middle. But even so, the fact remains that everything you need to know is said and done.

All in all, high recommendation for extremely good side characters and hilarious situations, unlimited side character story suffering and delicious angst, but especially for main characters. If you love amazing characterization and if you care for character relationship, despite minor plot holes, then this book is for you. The story is linear, easy to follow and very very interesting. It's split in arcs that make sense, but it might take you at least 15 chapters to fully get into it.

The whole book itself is one huge bundle of emotions that will leave you satisfied. Out of all couples so far, RongSong are on the top of the cutest and the best list.

Ending is beautiful.

OVERALL:

✭ Characters: 5 - very detailed, well developed, are well done in general

✭ Side characters: 4.75 - almost to the point of main characters. You will fall in love with their cases and their stories and want for more. But that's the problem - wanting for more than what is delivered.

✭ Story: 4 - easy to follow, pov is switching on all sides, from both main characters to side characters. But, there is this background plot that could have been more explored. But we will see if it gets to it in the last few chapters that are left, as I am afraid the story will end quite rushly.

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

✭ humor: 5 - it has some extreme good humor, I always roll on the floor XD <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
ddalqi
ddalqi rated it
October 14, 2019
Status: c34
If I could give it 100000000000000000 stars, I would!

I've never written a review for a novel before, but while reading this, I couldn't help but fall in love with the author's characters. Especially the side characters in different arcs. I even created a NU account just to express my love for this novel. The translator does very well in translating interesting novels, and I'm so happy to have discovered this.

First off, the MC and ML interactions are so endearing, especially when finding out their history. It's refreshing to see a... more>> healthy bond between MC and ML, and I love rereading some chapters just to clear my mind after reading some questionable novels. It's just them going to different areas, and solving different mysteries, and I absolutely love it as it's filled with plot too!

It's well-paced, and each arc conflict is solved well, and there are so many side characters you feel bad for. Just the emotion written for them is absolutely phenomenal!

The second arc!! I especially love, even more so when the author wrote an extra for them. The shixiong-shidi pair is so so precious, and my heart hurt for them.

Waiting for more releases as I can't find the raws to read, but I am so thankful to find this novel, and hope everyone would give it a chance! <<less
8 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
amruta
amruta rated it
June 29, 2020
Status: Completed
Attention please new readers.... This novel is a part of a series. It can be read as a standalone but events in the story seem to be connected with the other novels in the series. Unfortunately, the other novels are not being translated as of now.

The translator has done an excellent job. The story has humor, romance, tragedy. Basically, everything. The story has mini arcs. The Old man mirror arc is heartbreaking. The MC and ML are likable. Both have real emotions and are "human" despite being not. I hope... more>> the Vermilion bird clan get what they deserve in the other novels.

Hoping that the other novels in the series get translated as well.

Go ahead. Read it. <<less
6 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
TeaGhost
TeaGhost rated it
January 12, 2020
Status: c66
This story is absolutely amazing????!?!! I've only known this story for a few days but I'm in love with the characters!

It's a slow romance but the small hints here and there make me absolutely giddy! The MC might be a little dumb but he's adorable! I love that the fox ears that appears whenever he fights! ML allows MC to tag along with him and manages to hide his identity, MC doesn't suspect a thing. The side characters are also greatly developed!

The translator is awesome! Releasing the translations every 3... more>> days with little to no mistakes at all! Everything is clear and the quality is great!

Please give this story a read, it's an enjoyable experience as you follow the characters through the story and the development of relationships always manages to make me smile!

[I kinda hope that someone will make an anime/donghua adaptation of this story. I hope that the fandom grows and becomes more popular over time and that more people will read this fantastic story!] <<less
6 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
holachica
holachica rated it
April 16, 2021
Status: --
Just going to put this out there, when you read this, don't fully have your brain on. This book, albeit having a rather unique plot and somewhat interesting mysteries, is rather inconsistent in its execution. In simple terms, it's guided amateur writing. It seems really pretty at first glance, but upon looking beneath the gold you realize that it's just a coating that attempts to disguise rusted copper. Like, everything is there, just the way it's all put together makes me frown. Characters will say one thing, then do another--or,... more>> characters will have one type of thinking in one moment, then the next, suddenly they do a 180?

It's like Character A believes that [insert concept]. Then later Character A will literally be like, Oh did I think that? well never mind, [here's what I really think!]. But then the latter idea is pretty much opposite to the former idea, and it makes no sense why their thought process would change suddenly, except for plot convenience.

Anyways, the author doesn't seem to be very consistent in her character's thoughts. It's just whatever thoughts and ideas they have are thoughts and ideas that suit the present plot moment, without bothering to be consistent/make sense with the thoughts and ideas they had just a few chapters ago. That's not to say thoughts and ideas can't change, just that there should be logic or reasoning involved, so the reader can understand why they suddenly decided to switch gears. We're not told the why's and how's of why the character's changed their tune. The most obvious example being
Spoiler

Song Ci (MC) believes that "Master Rong (ML) is such a good person! What a righteous and upstanding Daoist Master!" and it's why he talks about killing the Demon King in from of the ML because he thinks that the ML is righteous. However several chapters later, the MC literally thinks 'Well... I don't Master Rong is a good person or not." Like, first things first, why didn't you question his character when he literally destroyed a whole city?? (Like yeah, it was a city of demons, but those demons weren't evil and you hardly seemed worried at the time) Why now, after Rong Bai has treated you so well, does the notion of "maybe he isn't a good person" pop up? Bruh? Aren't things a little reversed here??

[collapse]

Here, the author just writes whatever without bothering to see if it all makes sense.

On a macro level, like in the broader view of things, this novel is pretty good. Like the overarching plot, the character's backgrounds, etc. all the big wide stuff that doesn't need to be too detailedly thought about.

However, on a micro-level, that being character motives and characterizations... the author slips up. The characters' motives, broadly speaking in the bigger view, like "I want this" or "I want that" are clear. But when it comes to "why I want this" or "reasons behind why I want B", things start to get inconsistent. Those reasons change with each chapter.

The same goes for the reasoning behind the character's actions. It's like, whatever says goes. Character A says "this is how it is" and every other character involved just nods along, like "alright, that's how it is!". When a character says "I've sincerely repented", the MC just nods and says "okay, I see you've sincerely repented", even though the character in question hasn't even shown through his actions that he repented. There's a lot of saying, and very little doing. The most obvious example to me being
Spoiler

The arc where the MC and ML went to a city (where Old Man Mirror also went) to find the demon gate, and in the city there was a problem. The city was a chess formation, and the city's strongest family's daughter was "possessed". Her father is a terrible man, and the cause of all the problems ties back to the way he treated a theatre actor years ago. Later when the MC confronts the father about it, first he starts making excuses and talks indignantly in circles. Then, when the MC pushes him, he kneels and starts crying, going "I sincerely repented! I'll make amends! Just protect my family!" like he wasn't just talking sh*t minutes before. Only when he was basically 'threatened' of MC withdrawing his help, did he go and cry pity. And the MC believes him in a second. The father says "I repented" and the MC just nods and pulls the man up, thinking "Ah, I'm softhearted in seeing this man repent. Guess I'll help him". Like even the reader can see that the father is just going with the flow. Did he repent? Where? You believe him just because he cries and says so???

[collapse]
Now, about characterizations, it's basically the whole issue I talked about in paragraphs before. The characters are fine when they are 2D, like "this character is nice and caring" or "this character is mean". But when the author tries to make them 3D, i.e. "this character is nice and caring because...." or "this character is mean, but..." she fails. Her attempt to make them 3D just turns them into shells; mockeries of their "settings". Her attempt to flesh out the characters makes them very inconsistent people. I get it, humans are complex and inconsistent, but even then there is some logic behind it. Here, the characters break their settings in a way that doesn't make sense.

Also, about the cultivation/power levels involved here. Man, don't get me started. The author says "Villain A is super powerful!" and then "Character B is very weak!" but when it comes to a fight, somehow B is able to run away from A really easily? B is somehow able to put up a fight when he's apparently an ant compared to A? I get it, plot armour, but at least plot armour in a way that makes sense. Like the MC especially, he's supposedly really weak, and could barely fight against a female ghost/banshee (from the first arc) yet somehow he's able to put up a fight for some amount of time against Elder Qingyuan when she's supposed to be one of the strongest people in the Mo Yao sect? Also, about the Mo Yao sect... what is with accepting disciples only once every 20 years? And for such a big sect... how do you only have like a handful of elders?

Anyways, yeah, this novel is fine if you turn your brain off. The author tries very hard to make this book like Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi), but she falls very short of expectations. She should've just left it as a simple read. She tried too hard to make it deep and ultimately left the novel struggling with its identity. A lot feels faked and forced in the end. <<less
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
yxyx
yxyx rated it
July 16, 2020
Status: Completed
One Word: Beautiful.

Would many words suffice the emotions I've felt after finishing this novel? I feel like that's not the case. Just one word entered my mind and that this is beautiful.

... more>>

When I read the description of the novel stated ^ I expected a comedic undertones in this novel but oh dear, I'm so damn wrong (well the part where Song Ci is currying favor and still doesn't realize Rong Bai's identity is a bit funny but after that TT. TT).

The author doesn't really planned to make this novel and be part of the series she created and even the author admits that due to this, the story can be bumpy, with lots of mysteries left unanswered inside the whole novel aside from Rong Bai and Song Ci's origin and love story. If we look at it on its own, the novel had a lot of potential as a stand-alone novel who just lived in the same world in the series but would this novel even exist if it didn't accidentally became the part of the series? Unfortunately, the other novels aren't translated yet. I hope someone will pick them! (Pls pick them TT. TT)

By reading the other novels (important note: Rong Bai and Song Ci are just side characters in the other novels and some side characters of this novels are the main ones in there), I'm sure readers would even appreciate and love this story even more and hey, more bl novels to add on your list!

AND ALSO, The translation is really good!!!! Check out the translator's other works, they are all great ❤️ <<less
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Efu-sama
Efu-sama rated it
November 5, 2019
Status: --
it's good! I really enjoy it. And yess, it's sweet, I mean I love the interaction between MC and ML, also the clueless and careless remarks the MC makes because of his funny misunderstanding, LOL. It has a few arcs and adventure, so I also enjoy the way they raveling the mystery or case upon case. It's worth noting if you want to read some xuanhuan novel with a BL taste on it. Especially a sweet BL, without smutty in it (i haven't read it completely so I dont really... more>> know, but it still has the sweet taste without smut even after the first half of the chapters, so it's definitely one you can read without too much smut) <<less
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
puffiness123
puffiness123 rated it
October 7, 2019
Status: c34
It's a beautiful story.

Spoiler

MC is very cute, a bit s*upid, but I like s*upid MCs.

[collapse]

Spoiler

It's a very slow romance which I also like.

[collapse]
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
starryash
starryash rated it
August 18, 2020
Status: --
Definitely one of my favourite novels, it really does not diappoint however I think the ending was a little off putting nothing huge tho, just the time travel vibes were off. I wished it could have had more character introductions and a few more side plots however despite that this novel is absolutely amazing!! It also gave me tgcf vibes, its a warm story, I def recommend it to everyone !!!!
4 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Mi Tang
Mi Tang rated it
June 29, 2020
Status: Completed
The story was great (இ﹏இ`。) The couple dynamic is lovely and made me warm in heart~

And the smut extra was awesome~

Thanks for translating this novel!~ (translation gets 10/10 from me)
4 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
1 2 3 7
Leave a Review (Guidelines)
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.