College student Xu Haoran is out exploring the mountains with his classmates when they are caught in a sudden storm of wind, rain, and lightning. As they search for shelter, lightning strikes a stone statue near a cave Xu remembers, and the resulting blast knocks him unconscious. By a twist of fate, Xu Haoran receives a wisp of the remnant soul of Zhang Daoling, the founding master of the Celestial Masters’ Way, who had been sealed inside the statue in ancient times to suppress demons. From then on, his life takes a different course.
While unconscious, Xu Haoran’s consciousness merges with Zhang’s remnant soul. He studies the Celestial Masters’ Way’s inner scripture, the “Supreme Clarity, Mysterious Origin,” repairing the meridians damaged by the lightning and improving his natural aptitude.
After awakening, Xu Haoran is imbued with Daoist teachings about cultivating the mind and letting nature take its course. As he grows up in the secular world, he keeps a low profile and plays the fool to catch his opponents off guard. He seems easygoing and funny, but he has firm principles and acts only after careful planning. He remains calm in the face of challenges, provocations, hardships, and danger. Through the ups and downs of his career, he comes to understand himself and ultimately achieves great things.
In love, Xu Haoran never wavers in his feelings for Chen Juan, but is troubled by how little she values them. In his loneliness, he develops an ambiguous relationship with Wang Dan. Amid this tangled and conflicting romance, Chen Juan comes to appreciate how good Xu Haoran is to her and tempers her selfishness. The childhood betrothed pair, once sworn enemies, finally become husband and wife.
This is a work of fiction, set from the mid-1980s through the twenty-first century.
A combination of humor, art, and genuine emotion; worth watching.
The characters are vividly portrayed, full of emotion and humanity, and the events are presented logically and reasonably. However, the portrayal of Xu Haoran's magical abilities is overly mythologized. Overall, it's a very good work and well worth reading.
Even after her parents passed away, her aunt still treated her like her own mother. That's true family love. Thumbs up!
The content is engaging and the writing is excellent; it's definitely worth reading.
This book, presented in a Taoist style, incorporates elements of the martial arts world, emphasizing Taoist principles of punishing evil and promoting good. It portrays a broad-minded and transparent approach to life, repaying both grievances and kindness. It also adheres to the rules and regulations of the martial arts world.
It's a good book. The characters are vividly portrayed, and their inner thoughts are delicately depicted. Most importantly, it's very different from the current trend of light fantasy cultivation novels; the difference in quality is immediately apparent. This book is highly recommended. However, it feels a bit old-fashioned, and the frequent use of phrases like "as the saying goes:..."
I couldn't wait to read it all in one go. The logic is meticulous, the writing is beautiful, it touches on both highbrow and lowbrow tastes, and the humor is vivid and engaging. Sometimes it feels like it's happening right next door, like it's really true. Definitely worth reading. Thank you.
A very smooth storyline! Captivating!
It's okay to read, but it's awful to listen to. I suggest you listen to those sentences secretly after you've finished writing them down.
Why four stars? Because I originally wanted to give it five stars, but the sentence was too long, and I hope the author will revise it.