I think this was just a so-so. Nothing really special. Probably shippers will be the only ones to enjoy it or die hard fans of the author.

Story: The story can be boring at times. Can be repetitive and has lots of plot holes. It was so slow, it took a while before the main plot.

Characters: I like XL but as the story goes I honestly find him annoying. He's been living for 800 years but it seems he didn't learn anything at all. I find his character flat. He was... more>> too good but at the same time it also felt half sincere since he can just forget and ignore those people so easily. He is too positive, always saying "don't worry I am here but in the end those people still died and he just forget them" and I hate that he just let people push him aside.

He reminds me of those annoying female characters who charms everyone just by smiling.

HC: He is also flat. He comes out too strong and too perfect. I didn't like that he seems like a stalker and too obsessed of XL

Probably one of the characters that I liked in thid series is Pei Ming, he wasn't good nor was he bad and he isn't pretending to be kind when he's not.

There are too many characters, some doesn't even have any major roles and even though they appear a few times, nothing much was said about their characters.

Peisu and Banyue's characters were interesting but like most characters, the author didn't show more of their thoughts- mostly have to be interpreted by HC and XL. <<less

Although I have some opinions regarding the writing style of MXTX for this one, I'm going to set it aside because if there's any god I'm going to light an incense for, it's Xie Lian. At least the other god has three days before he rose again, but Xie Lian had to endure 800 years of suffering in order finally feel some happiness and redeem himself. Pls do not argue, my atheist ass is gonna light incense for Xie Lian only because he deserves it. He suffered too much I... more>> cried so many times and I even had to skim some chapters of pure suffering, picking up details here and there.

I do have some reservations giving a 5 star rating because I would have loved to see a little bit of Hua Cheng's background, like how did he do in Mt. Tong'lu, how did he manage to become a supreme, his trials, etc. Bits of him in flashbacks are not enough.

I think that's my main issue here. There's not enough screen time for Hua Cheng's history. Maybe mxtx could have used it as a device to weave their stories together, like how near they are to each other yet so far. Just us seeing things from Xie Lian's perspective is not enough. We saw Xie Lian's fall from grace but we did not see that much how Hua Cheng emerged to the top, and how he has gotten too OP.

I also like how there's a bit of comedy in the form of Mu Qing and Feng Xin. Two clowns. The comic relief. Also why hasn't anyone from the immortals offered Wind master a bath?

Anyway Hua Cheng is the crimson guy who's a walking green flag, and Xie Lian deserves all the love and devotion in the world. They're sappy and cheesy (and too vanilla) but at least it's a happy relationship.

The thing I'm most glad of is that I'm finally done reading and my torment is over. MXTX though does not disappoint with her meticulously written gore and violent scenes (something I actually enjoy) but some people may find this triggering, so watch out. <<less

A book I hold close to my heart and set time aside to reread.

The characters are compelling, the plot expansive, and how everything slowlyclicks into place through piecing together past and present is very satisfying and led to many surprised but impressed moments where I had to pause and appreciate what just happened.

The relationship is a large part, but in no way does it consume the story, rather it is underlying everything in ways you may not first notice. The bond the characters experience is more than a relationship, it... more>> is all the experiences and choices that were made while both together and apart. It is one of if not my favorite relationship I have ever read about.

Highly recommend. <<less

No words to describe how beautiful this is. Its a great story and good translation bcz of which it was easier to understand. The novel is pretty long but it deserves all the time to complete it.

all the pain, sadness, anxiety, anger, hatred, fear, love, happiness, everything that the characters had gone through, I felt it all.

this is my fav out of all 3 MXTX novels. I dont care how many years would pass but I can never overcome all this feelings that I felt while reading it.

Definitely a god tier novel that really raised the bar high. I have no more words with how beautiful the characters and the plot were constructed and written. This is a very good read y'all.

For those who are interested, there is a manhua version of this in Bilibili, the art there is really breathtaking.

This is a masterpiece of storytelling and a MUST READ.

The MC is so far my favorite characther in any novel, I have read so far.

Their romance between ML and MC is so endaraing and lovely, with hint of tragedy too.

... more>> i'll start from the top

MC- so far my favorite and most realistic characther, i've came a cross so far. Somebody who is a polite person and wants to help people BUT also somebody who grown up from his naive perspecrive and had a fare share of tragedies and traumatic events on his own.

MC is the most realisticly written human being, he was a naive as a adult, when he was forced to go through tragedies (tldr: villain but more on him later) and those tragadies broke him that he became more "aggressive" towards his own friends and he pushed the people who he loved away (btw TRUST ME, THE THING HR GOES THROUGH IS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE MOST NICEST PERSON TO GO INSANE) and later on, he comes with terms of his actions and grows from it. He know's that he is not a good person, he know's and lived through his own actions but still has his humanity and chooses to help others as much as he can (but he doesn't have his naive mind as before).

The best way to describe MC is through this line, which ML says to him: "The one standing in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is 'you' and not the state of you."

And I love that qoute so much, there are so many side characthers which go through so many emotionaly and personality changes, and what I love is that there is NO INNOCENT PERSON IN THIS STORY, every single characther had their own flaws.

ML and MC relationship is sweet and you'll see just how much they go through as people.

ML is never forecefull with MC and he was even afraid that MC would realize that he actually loves him and he was completly prepared for MC to turn his confession down (MC did not but I respect that).

I personally don't have much comment on ML, mostly because his story is a perfect mash up between MC and there is a reason why for it.

And lastly let's talk about the villain.

Honestly, I loved the villain and the villain and MC are on one coim with the same sides.

The reason why even villain decided to torment MC is only because MC said one line, which triggered him. I was personaly shocked but it made SO MUCH SENSE and the reason why I love it is because, and as I said EVERYBODY IN THIS STORY IS FLAWED.

The reason why villain was triggered is because he had very similar backstory as our MC and he had exactly the same personality and when tragedy came knocking on the door when he begged other heavenly offical's to help him, only his four servants had his back and his kingdom perished along with his people who were consumed by the lava (and the worst part is that they were trying to corss the bridge that he build but it wasn't completed because he lacked help so people fell onto their deaths and lava consumed them) and that event traumized the villain so much that his sanity and reason fell down, no matter how much his four friends tried to pull him back, that in fit of the rage he killed and consumed 3 of his friends so that they would stay with him forver but he spared his last friend because he looked on the villain with great shock and asked him: What have you become? And "you changed", which broke villain so much that he cried ans forced his only friend to leave in fit of the anger.

Mostly reason why I'm saying this is because when he heards MC saying the line which reminded him of his downfall from grace, it triggered him so much because he could not accept that he became the way he is, he could not accept that that boy who he tormented and whom he tried to prove that everybody would leave his side and hate him when the time where he was the most desperate for help came. While villain did manage to break MC, he couldn't break him completly and he still had his humanity in which villain just couldn't let go and it just made him hate himself as a person even more because of his own actions.

The villain is a bitter, disgusting, sad, jelaous and a lonely man who deserved his death but we could also see what made him become who he is and in the end he was just a broken shell who was tried of living.

I do not defend the villan or his actions but I liked how he was written, sometimes the one line who somebody utters to us can just triggeres us to the point that we lose our composure and reason and even if it sounds petty, it is human.

The most ironic thing in this whole book is that every single god was once a human and that every single god was afraid to becoming human again and experiencing suffering.

It is just an amazing book about love and humanity in general. <<less

I really had a great time reading the book, the cp is ok but I do think there are way to many characters. It’s really hard to remember them all.

Such a sweet romance. I adore how kind Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are to each other; there's no domineering ML and cowering bunny MC. A lovely, healthy relationship.

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME AND I WILL SAY IT!
this was my first book that I read out of all that mxtx has written (and my fav), after watching the anime (donghua) I was so interested in the story and I really wanted to find out more about this entire story. I was really intimidated by the 244 chapters that this book has but I just thought "its fine, I will try to read it even if it takes me an year to complete this whole series" and boy am I happy abt that decision! I read the whole thing in two weeks and I enjoyed it so much! It my first bl novel and still is my fav.

now lets go on with the review! Xie Lian is my fav character cause in the start he seems so nice and just like a ray of sunshine but then as you go, you start realizing that he has gone through so much sh*t and has seen some of the most horrible things. He also has a dark side and he himself knows about it. But he still tries his absolute best to try to be a good person and that awesome. Hua Cheng seems like a strong and powerful character with the smooth talking skills of the devil, but as you go on you get to see his shy and anxious side, he sees himself as a ugly and useless and its funny how Xie Lian can just make those thoughts disappear with some simple but kind words.

i liked the side characters aswell, they were funny and relatable and they added a lot to the story. you will hate Pei Ming in the start but he grown on you in book 3 and he is just a comic!
the story was interesting with a complex villain. It had so many plot twists and it kept me invested in it for a long time.
it has everything that you would need- Romance, comedy, adventure, fantasy, action angst and tragedy. Its really good and it can have you crying and laughing, truly a masterpiece

unequivocally, one of the best novels i've ever read. I'm so happy it's been translated officially into english. I literally just finished reading it in january and now I'm going to reread it as each of the official english volumes come out.

I'm honestly so grateful to mxtx for writing this and I'm glad it's my first danmei novel because I'm SOLD! Super excited to read her other works and read all the adaptions for tgcf. Also, i'd like to say that this novel really changed my entire POV on tragedy... more>> and like reading through angst/suffering and the purpose of it. Mxtx is such an incredibly talented writer. <<less

This book was my entry point to reading Chinese webnovels in general and the danmei genre specifically, and over a year later I am exceptionally thankful for it. This novel assuredly has its flaws and I'll get my critiques out front--some of the side characters (Shi Qingxuan!) deserved far more than they got out of the storyline; the plot meandered a lot, sometimes feeling entirely lost in the lengthy flashbacks; a little more wrap up would have been nice. Despite its flaws, I utterly fell in love with the story... more>> and the characters and could not put this book down. MXTX has an exceptional way of painting emotions through the smallest actions, and few other stories have left my heart as raw and tender with both joy and pain as Tian Guan Ci Fu did.

I can't disagree with very valid critiques of characterization of the main couple, but this was one of few stories where the love story felt real to me as you slowly unwrap the many small threads of fate and thought that draw Hua Cheng and Xie Lian together over course of the story. I personally did not find Xie Lian bland as a main character: while his character is fairly straightforward, there were many hints that he had a more complex life experience and worldview behind his relatively simple, optimistic personality and when we delve into the flashbacks we see the exceptional suffering and damage that drive him to act the way he does. Hua Cheng's devotion is the stuff of legends--while I've read plenty of novels in the xianxia/xuanhuan/romantic adventure genres who are dedicated, he takes things to a new level in a way that would be unhealthy in real life but are exceptionally moving and inspiring within the fairytale framework of the story. And he's one of the most attractive book characters for his charm and charisma, although I would have liked a little more backstory for the times when he was offscreen. The side characters were often comedy gold with some exceptionally good lines and insights to offer into human nature. And the sheer disparity in the variety of short jaunts kept things fresh--slice of life cottage-core vibes? Check. Mu*der mystery investigations? Check. Heavenly bureaucracy and politics with all its twists and turns? Check. Fantastical ghost city? Check. Painful and traumatic flashbacks to war and loss? Check.

I still throw out this book recommendation to friends a year after reading it, which says something about its staying power. <<less

4.5 stars, because one does not often come across an Ouroboros of 'in love there is devotion and in devotion there is love' executed so well.

That alone would warrant the rating, but at the bleeding heart of this novel is xie lian, a character with so much good and tragedy in him it crushes me.

I'll probably edit this again at some point because I can't sum up my thoughts on him in mere words right now but yeah.... He's something else. Its a privilege to read his story.

Also The Beefleaf... more>> Circumstance is insane those two been digging tunnels in the back of my brain for a near year now. Don't see that stopping anytime soon. <<less

Idk how to properly write reviews so I'm just going to write a rant about how I was feeling. As someone who isn't the biggest reader I enjoyed this story very much, despite the scary length of it and the flaws that it has. The TGCF donghua is my comfort show, I love to rewatch it, and I really liked the manhua, especially the art style. I wanted to see more of the story so I decided to read the novel. After finishing I was overall happy with it, I... more>> can see where some of these 1-3 star reviews are coming from with their points of how some conclusions didn't feel complete, or things just got really confusing at times. I can honestly say that I too got pretty lost at some points or wished for more content of the side characters' stories. But also, I personally found HC and XL's flirting in random situations pretty funny, idk it was just silly.

Spoiler

I wished we got more of a conclusion to the Black Water arc because it ended too abruptly for me and then they just moved on...I was really invested. I also don't even fully comprehend how they managed to defeat Jun Wu in the last arc but I'm going overlook that, maybe I'm just dumb lmao.

[collapse]

I can sort of see where people are coming from saying that XL and HC's characters didn't really have much depth but I don't fully agree, I wish there were way more parts of HC's past included and all that stuff, but people saying XL is boring and plain hurts my heart (ಢ_ಢ) I love these two characters with all of my bones, and again I'm not a big reader, so I can't comment on the complicated aspects of a characters depth or whatnot, but I love Xie Lian, he's just so adorable and I truly felt bad for him after seeing of what he's been through, and I can relate to him on the struggle of wanting to please others and not liking yourself for being unable to meet other peoples expectations of you (ouch). Now, on paper HC can sort of be seen as a little creepy... but I didn't see it that way, I viewed his actions as proving his loyalty and true devotion to someone that saved his life during a time where he wanted to give up and thought that he had no reason for living. I just love the dynamic between the two of them, it's just something that's comforting for someone who's very lonely like me LMAO. However, their relationship was so perfect and fluffy from the start that I do wish there was some conflict between the two of them at one point because I live for the drama, and I would probably be even more invested than I already was if that happened.

I won't comment on writing style or whatever because I know absolutely nothing about that. It was pretty easy to read for me and I found that if I was really invested in a chapter or arc I would get through it faster with no difficulties. That's just me though.

I first began my interest with the story when I watched the donghua and my love for it has grown after reading the novel. The story and characters just have a soft spot in my heart and despite it's flaws, I just can't bring myself to say anything bad or rate it poorly because of how charming I personally found the stories and the characters to be. I don't even know how to put my love for it into words other than just screaming noises of loneliness, but I can definitely say that if you liked the donghua, and/or liked the manhua, then you should give the novel a try. I feel very strongly about my adoration of the story and the characters, and if you feel differently that is completely valid, I can see where everyones opinions are coming from and we all interpret aspects of the story differently. This was the first MXTX novel I've read, and I might consider giving the other two a try... or not, since this was really time consuming and I need a break, but maybe in the not-so-near future. Anyway, if you really took the time out of your day to read this random persons bum ass rant about TGCF I appreciate it! :) <<less

My Rating - 4.6/5

Fantastic world building, writing and translation. I can literally imagine the different scenes throughout the story and they are all beautiful. One of the most well written BLs I’ve read.

The MC is very well developed, has a great character and readers are in for a journey of discovering more about the MC. The ML is one of the most devoted which makes for some heartwarming romance.

The story drags on a little towards the end, although an absolute page turner for the first half. Shaving off some ratings... more>> for the unnecessary length. Also shaving a little off for the ML's character as his kindness to others besides the MC is rarely (if ever) shown. I find this inconsistent with the ML admiring the MC for his kindness. <<less

TGCF will probably hold a special place in my heart for a very long time. :) Whereas MDZS caught me captive with its plot, TGCF enamored me with its characters and world.

IMO, this is a must-read, and this is squarely belongs into the category of Romance (whereas I would say that MDZS is enjoyable even if you were to cut the romance out and replace it with friendships). The story is there. The adventure is there. The drama is there, but the main star really is the romance.

There is something about the main character cast that makes them really memorable. I'll just say one thing. I think people expected the MC/ML to be more morally ambiguous because the other side characters are (and many characters in her previous works are), but the MC/ML aren't. MC is like the personification of goodness and ML is like the personification of loyalty (or obsession lol). They are characters that are very clear-cut even through their struggles. Some readers see this as "flat" and "unrealistic", but I think that this was the whole point of their characters. How else could a person ascend to godhood 3 times and how else could someone become a King of Ghosts?

In any case, I liked the cast of characters (especially Xie Lian. Seriously, I love this character so much. He might be my favorite MC) and I enjoyed the romance of TGCF thoroughly.

In terms of story, the cast of side characters and background stories was amazing. I really enjoyed the introduction and later on the stories of each of the characters Unfortunately, the main plot unfortunately fell a bit flat. It was thorough, complete, and made sense, but it just missed the mark. Not bad, but not as good as the rest of TGCF would make you think. Nonetheless, this makes it to my must-read list.

Love, love, love the MC and ML! 🥰🥰🥰

The whole story was practically building up to push those two together while adding in a sprinkle of mystery or two that adds up to a whole conspiracy that whoa!

I laughed and I cried, especially what MC had to go through, but he now has ML to go through it together so all good!

The romance is low-key (for the most part), but it's because of that which makes it so prominent in so many ways. Especially to outsiders, who were like, why am... more>> I getting thrown dog food?

One downside I would say about this is that it is kinda draggy, especially the flashback part. I wanted more MC and ML interactions but got interrupted by flashbacks that explained the past and how things were the way they were now, which ok, fine. But it was soooo long....

But other than that, awesome story! I've even watched the donghua version of it as well as the manhua. ☺☺ Love it! <<less

No words. This is my favourite danmei of all time. San Lang is the best believer and Xie Lian is the God of Gods <3

I love Mo Dao Zu Shi. And I admit that I arrived reading Heaven Official's Blessing with expectations in heaven.
I'm not saying it's bad, it's not, it's well written, it has a great universe and well-built characters in general.
But compared to his younger brother, he is lacking.
I read almost flying in some chapters, which is sad, as it shows that for me the work did not hold me to each letter as in the other two.
The MC is the pinnacle of goodness, and it's good, it's interesting to see him fall and read his dark side, but the way he recovers is so fast it's unreal, when one of the characters says his anger is like a child throwing a tantrum, I agree, if his anger is just that and he recovers so easily he's a saint, then it's hard to connect with him and care about him as a human being.
The ML ironically is more human than the MC, I feel more sympathy for him, although we don't have much of him, which doesn't give him depth, we don't know what he thinks or how he feels, everything we see is through the eyes of the MC, so it's an unreliable view. Overall it's the pinnacle of perfection, it has its weaknesses, but it's so low it barely exists.
The plot is good, although episodic, which gives the impression that it exists and does not exist makes no significant difference to the main story, that even without it the direction would still be that way, and this is a sin narratively speaking. And frankly skipping a few chapters doesn't make any difference.
Overall, the work is good, it doesn't have a great ending, it's a very warm ending, but still good.
I recommend reading it, because in fact it is good and the "defects" don't spoil the experience at all, mainly because the universe is very good and leaving you thinking about it.

It was a good read, however, Mo Dao Zu Shi definately surpasses it plotwise. The ending was a real disappointment, much less thrill and spice as the latter. Given it a star more than it deserves as ML is on par with Lan WangJi & Luo Binghe.

Best MXTX novel ever.

I like how we can see Xie Lian's character development. The side character's are good too. Too bad MXTX do not focus on having side couples in her novels. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian's romance is well developed.l, we can see how Xie Lian has fallen for our Hua Cheng throughout the novel. This novel made my heart hurt and feel full at the same. It was a painful yet enjoyable read.