Journey to the West: Forcing My Way into Laozi's Discipleship

You insist on forcing me to slap you to death?

To be honest, it's well-written, but it's a bit frustrating to read. The protagonist does practically nothing; the plot remains unchanged, making no difference whether he's there or not. Earlier, the Bull Demon King stole something from the protagonist, and the protagonist said he'd teach him a lesson, but when the protagonist found out, he didn't say a word, just watched him roam free.

The writing started off well, but it deteriorated as it progressed. First, despite being the leader of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), the protagonist is virtually unknown. Second, the protagonist, or rather the author, is a busybody. Third, while the title "Tongtian" (通天) is meant to promote education without discrimination, the protagonist accepts disciples based solely on personal preference…

Let me start a thread to explain. This is my first book, and it's purely about Journey to the West, mixed with some history, mythology, and Buddhist and Taoist classics. It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster, really. I won't be adding anything like Investiture of the Gods or the Primordial Era; I'll just keep writing along the Journey to the West path.

The protagonist is constantly at odds with Buddhism, as if he can't write without doing so. He also acts like a junk collector, taking anyone with a bit of fame as his disciple, as if there's no one else who can be his apprentice.

Did the author offend someone or something? There are so many bastards complaining. It's clearly well-written, giving off the feeling of a virtuous immortal or a recluse. What does "virtuous immortal" even mean? Can those people who fight and scheme be called virtuous immortals? The theme of Journey to the West is about subduing the restless mind and restraining the wandering will. What's the point of writing it according to the usual tropes of prehistoric or cultivation novels?

The author may not know the quality of the writing, but the title alone is enough to deter a large portion of readers. Forcing the reader to become a disciple of Lao Tzu feels reckless and awkward. Hopefully, the title can be changed.

I suggest the author check out Senluowanxiang's Journey to the West on the same site: "Winning the Game Against Laozi at the Start." That author truly writes about the Journey to the West and doesn't try to piggyback on the prehistoric era. Although the protagonist does try to reference Laozi, he manages to make it logical and self-consistent.

This book is a complete mess, and the timeline is so confusing it's mind-boggling. The protagonist, bestowed the title "Master of Heaven" by Lao Tzu, feels more like a sewer dredge. He doesn't have the necessary stature to deserve the title.

I don't want to subscribe anymore. It feels like they just changed some words and copied Journey to the West again.