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魔道祖师 [Mó Dào Zǔ Shī] #5
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5
THE END OF AN EPIC TALE--AND WHAT COMES AFTER
Foes, allies, and one reassembled fierce corpse converge on the Guanyin Temple for a climactic showdown. With decades-long schemes finally unveiled, and dark secrets unearthed, the events of this rain-battered night will decide not just the fate of the entire cultivation world--but also that of a love story two lifetimes in the making. Also included are eight short stories that focus on the future and the past. From magical incense burners to tense banquets, to lotus-pod hunting and nighttime expeditions with the juniors, these stories span from dawn to dusk and so much more!
Foes, allies, and one reassembled fierce corpse converge on the Guanyin Temple for a climactic showdown. With decades-long schemes finally unveiled, and dark secrets unearthed, the events of this rain-battered night will decide not just the fate of the entire cultivation world--but also that of a love story two lifetimes in the making. Also included are eight short stories that focus on the future and the past. From magical incense burners to tense banquets, to lotus-pod hunting and nighttime expeditions with the juniors, these stories span from dawn to dusk and so much more!
444 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
114 books5,075 followersAssociated Names:
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,017 reviews
July 29, 2024
4.5 estrellas.
Daría mi vida por Wei Wuxian.
Daría mi vida por Wei Wuxian.
May 26, 2023
“Lan Zhan! Lan Wangji! Hanguang-jun! I…I genuinely wanted to sleep with you earlier!”
and the award for the
THIS DUMBASS 🤦🏻♀️
“Lan Zhan,” he called. “Look at me. Quick, look at me!”
Wei Wuxian was calling to him with a smile on his lips. Just as he always had, Lan Wangji looked at him.
And forever after, his eyes could never move away from him again.
theyre so in love i want what they have 🥺
this book was just pure wangxian domestic fluff
The only person left at his side was Lan Wangji.
How very fortunate, then, that Lan Wangji was also the only person he wanted beside him.
as much as this book made me happy, the way it made me sob 😭😭 its over and idk what to do with my life now i want more wangxian 😭😭 did i mention how much i love them???
“You know, your callous rejection of me every single time I asked really made me lose face back then.”
“You can try and see if I would deny you anything now,” Lan Wangji said.
HANGUANG JUN THE MAN THAT YOU ARE 🛐
FHWJEIKWKSKS THEYRE MARRIED
THEY HAVE A SON
THEYRE EVERYTHING
the extra chapters (AND IM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SMUT) gave me life- especially the past oness omggg the way they were so in love since the beginning and THE ART OMGGG THE ART 🤌🏻 i knowwwww yall think im biased when i say the illustrations in mdzs are the bestt but THEY LITERALLY ARE??? 😭😭
*sobs* i cant bye im outta here
_
watch me eat this book up i cant believe its ending 😭😭😭
_
IM NOT SORRY FOR THE PERSON ILL BECOME WHEN THIS RELEASES. WE HAVE A COVER OMHHHGHDJDJDKS NOT THE FOREHEAD RIBBON IN WWX'S HAND 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I NEED THIS ASAP 😭😭😭😭
August 19, 2023
AHHHHHHHH THIS WHOLE SERIES!!! absolutely soul destroying. i am obsessed. time to go deep dive into ao3 for some fics.
“You know, your callous rejection of me every single time I asked really made me lose face back then.”
“You can try and see if I would deny you anything now.”
“You know, your callous rejection of me every single time I asked really made me lose face back then.”
“You can try and see if I would deny you anything now.”
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 9, 2023hate to say it, but the sex kinda ruined it for me. (which is weird because i don’t recall the bathtub scene being as immensely cringey as these vol 5 sex scenes have proven, so i know sexy wangxian isn’t ~impossible.)
i really wish the ending of the main story had been kept with the rest and that this volume had been just the extras - that way i could have unhauled it without losing the 187 pages that i need. (and of those 187 pages, i only actually care about jin guangyao 🤷🏻♀️)
i survived through the sex scene at the end of the main story and the first extra, which is all dirty talk straight out of wattpad and a concerning lack of belief in the power of lube- i tripped and fell in the middle of the incense burner extra, which is just 40ish pages of graphic rape fantasies and repeated descriptions about lwj’s dick- then crawled my battered corpse at least another story and a half where i was thinking i’d force myself to finish, but then decided meh, i finished the part that actually matters and i’m in such a mood that i’d give this just one star if i did finish, so i’ll show mercy on the rating and vamoose around 67%
tl;dr: fuck the extras
i really wish the ending of the main story had been kept with the rest and that this volume had been just the extras - that way i could have unhauled it without losing the 187 pages that i need. (and of those 187 pages, i only actually care about jin guangyao 🤷🏻♀️)
i survived through the sex scene at the end of the main story and the first extra, which is all dirty talk straight out of wattpad and a concerning lack of belief in the power of lube- i tripped and fell in the middle of the incense burner extra, which is just 40ish pages of graphic rape fantasies and repeated descriptions about lwj’s dick- then crawled my battered corpse at least another story and a half where i was thinking i’d force myself to finish, but then decided meh, i finished the part that actually matters and i’m in such a mood that i’d give this just one star if i did finish, so i’ll show mercy on the rating and vamoose around 67%
tl;dr: fuck the extras
October 12, 2023
And with that, I finished reading or experiencing this story for the fifth time (the TV version came in first, followed by an unofficial translation, an anime adaptation, and a manhua adaptation). Every time is the same, and I can't say enough how much I adore this book.
January 19, 2022
Overall, the series was quite good. In terms of world-building, it is one of the best fantasy series I've read. Especially since it is my first Chinese fantasy series. The universe portrayed in the series is vast and rich with many details, bringing Chinese folklore and mythology to life. The romance aspect was also very well-developed.
That said, I couldn't help feeling that the ending was somewhat.... underwhelming.
First, the story is literally titled "Mo Dao Zu Shi". It is supposed to be about demonic cultivation. Ever since he first started cultivating the demonic path, Wei WuXian was told that he would ultimately lose control. In the end, he did lose control which led to disastrous consequences. So when Wei WuXian came back to life, I obviously expected him to resolve the issue in some way. He can't cultivate any other path because of the loss of his golden core, so that only leaves the demonic path open to him. However, it is never mentioned what measures he takes to make the demonic path safer to cultivate, or even if he takes any such measures at all.
Second, the story's overall message seems to be one of conservatism. The xianxia universe that the series portrays consists of a multitude of different sects all doing their own thing. Bigger sects dominate smaller ones. Cultivators look down on common people. There are few checks and balances to cultivators abusing their powers, especially if they belong to or have the backing of prominent sects (characters like Wen Chao and Xue Yang come to mind). So how is this issue resolved? It isn't. First, when the Wen sect becomes too powerful, it is brought down by the other sects and what results is a sort of oligopoly of the biggest four or five sects. Then, when Jin GuangYao becomes too powerful, he is defeated by Wei WuXian and a few others. After that matter is settled, the cultivation world once again returns to the old order. Bigger sects continue to dominate smaller ones. Cultivators continue to look down on common people. So what is to stop a sect or a person from getting too powerful again at some point in the future?
The entire reason why Jin GuangYao was able to convince others to make him the Chief Cultivator was that people felt the need for some unifying force. The construction of watchtowers in remote areas, especially, was a really good idea. But after Jin GuangYao's fall, everyone just forgets these reasons and things go back to the way they were.
Third, I have an issue with how the fight against Jin GuangYao is individualized. When the Wen sect became intolerable, all the people who were being affected rose up against it in a united coalition. When the crimes of Jin GuangYao came to light, however, it was just a few people acting by themselves who stopped him (even that was largely by chance). Jin GuangYao was the Chief Cultivator. If his crimes came to light, you'd expect most of the cultivation world to have a reaction. Yet most of them just sit by and spread rumors while a few lone rangers do all the work. That, for me, was why the resolution of the conflict with Jin GuangYao was so underwhelming.
Lastly, there were just too many unfinished storylines. I really liked the twist about Lan SiZhui being Wen Yuan, as well as how Wen Ning decides to go his own way. But apart from that, we didn't really see a lot of progress in character development. Even in the extra chapter on Jin Ling and Wei WuXian, it is just WWX teasing JL while JL throws tantrums. It is clear throughout the last several chapters that JL wants to have a good relationship with WWX. The two are almost uncle and nephew, after all. But JL is never shown to soften his attitude towards WWX. The uncle and nephew relationship I was hoping for never materializes.
And what about Jiang Cheng? Wei WuXian's foster brother, his oldest friend, the one who purposefully gets caught by the Wens so that WWX gets away, the one for whom WWX sacrifices his golden core? The enmity between them was the one I was most looking forward to being resolved. Yet, after the fight at Guanyin temple, WWX immediately runs off, and then Jiang Cheng is never mentioned again (except for his past self). That was probably the biggest disappointment. I kept hoping that one of the extra chapters would show Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng coming together to patch things up.
The extras were infuriating because I expected them to tie up these loose ends. But what I got instead was paragraph after paragraph of Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi flirting and having sex. Basically, blatant fan service which adds nothing to the story. I like the WangXian ship as much as the next fan but its hard to appreciate such fan service when so much of the plot is still only half-finished.
That said, I couldn't help feeling that the ending was somewhat.... underwhelming.
First, the story is literally titled "Mo Dao Zu Shi". It is supposed to be about demonic cultivation. Ever since he first started cultivating the demonic path, Wei WuXian was told that he would ultimately lose control. In the end, he did lose control which led to disastrous consequences. So when Wei WuXian came back to life, I obviously expected him to resolve the issue in some way. He can't cultivate any other path because of the loss of his golden core, so that only leaves the demonic path open to him. However, it is never mentioned what measures he takes to make the demonic path safer to cultivate, or even if he takes any such measures at all.
Second, the story's overall message seems to be one of conservatism. The xianxia universe that the series portrays consists of a multitude of different sects all doing their own thing. Bigger sects dominate smaller ones. Cultivators look down on common people. There are few checks and balances to cultivators abusing their powers, especially if they belong to or have the backing of prominent sects (characters like Wen Chao and Xue Yang come to mind). So how is this issue resolved? It isn't. First, when the Wen sect becomes too powerful, it is brought down by the other sects and what results is a sort of oligopoly of the biggest four or five sects. Then, when Jin GuangYao becomes too powerful, he is defeated by Wei WuXian and a few others. After that matter is settled, the cultivation world once again returns to the old order. Bigger sects continue to dominate smaller ones. Cultivators continue to look down on common people. So what is to stop a sect or a person from getting too powerful again at some point in the future?
The entire reason why Jin GuangYao was able to convince others to make him the Chief Cultivator was that people felt the need for some unifying force. The construction of watchtowers in remote areas, especially, was a really good idea. But after Jin GuangYao's fall, everyone just forgets these reasons and things go back to the way they were.
Third, I have an issue with how the fight against Jin GuangYao is individualized. When the Wen sect became intolerable, all the people who were being affected rose up against it in a united coalition. When the crimes of Jin GuangYao came to light, however, it was just a few people acting by themselves who stopped him (even that was largely by chance). Jin GuangYao was the Chief Cultivator. If his crimes came to light, you'd expect most of the cultivation world to have a reaction. Yet most of them just sit by and spread rumors while a few lone rangers do all the work. That, for me, was why the resolution of the conflict with Jin GuangYao was so underwhelming.
Lastly, there were just too many unfinished storylines. I really liked the twist about Lan SiZhui being Wen Yuan, as well as how Wen Ning decides to go his own way. But apart from that, we didn't really see a lot of progress in character development. Even in the extra chapter on Jin Ling and Wei WuXian, it is just WWX teasing JL while JL throws tantrums. It is clear throughout the last several chapters that JL wants to have a good relationship with WWX. The two are almost uncle and nephew, after all. But JL is never shown to soften his attitude towards WWX. The uncle and nephew relationship I was hoping for never materializes.
And what about Jiang Cheng? Wei WuXian's foster brother, his oldest friend, the one who purposefully gets caught by the Wens so that WWX gets away, the one for whom WWX sacrifices his golden core? The enmity between them was the one I was most looking forward to being resolved. Yet, after the fight at Guanyin temple, WWX immediately runs off, and then Jiang Cheng is never mentioned again (except for his past self). That was probably the biggest disappointment. I kept hoping that one of the extra chapters would show Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng coming together to patch things up.
The extras were infuriating because I expected them to tie up these loose ends. But what I got instead was paragraph after paragraph of Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi flirting and having sex. Basically, blatant fan service which adds nothing to the story. I like the WangXian ship as much as the next fan but its hard to appreciate such fan service when so much of the plot is still only half-finished.
May 9, 2023
don't cry because it's over. smile because it happened.
October 17, 2023
Another update: Looks like I lied AGAIN, because instead of reviewing this upon completion of my second read, I'm immediately going back for round three. But I'm bumping my rating up from 4 stars to 5, because who am I fooling.
_____
Update: Finished the Extras, but I lied when I said that's when I'd review this. Instead I'll wait until my current reread/buddy read is complete. It looks like I'll be sticking with the 4 stars, though.
_____
I finished the story (which ends @ 38%), and the rest is Extras. RTC when I've read those — but before that happens, I'm going back to Volume 1 for an immediate reread. Four stars is my placeholder rating in the meantime.
_____
Update: Finished the Extras, but I lied when I said that's when I'd review this. Instead I'll wait until my current reread/buddy read is complete. It looks like I'll be sticking with the 4 stars, though.
_____
I finished the story (which ends @ 38%), and the rest is Extras. RTC when I've read those — but before that happens, I'm going back to Volume 1 for an immediate reread. Four stars is my placeholder rating in the meantime.
August 1, 2023
I am so heartsick over all the characters the narrative leaves behind in its fifth act. It’s simply a case of diverging priorities—the novel has tunnel vision on wangxian and their mind-bogglingly horny happy ending, and I’m lying on my bedroom floor crying about Jiang Cheng. Both of these perspectives are extremely normal and fine.
The sticking point is that the intricate conclusion to this epic is as much a tragedy as it is a romantic HEA. And it’s a good tragedy. The doubly-betrayed love between Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen. Nie Huaisang’s meticulous, lonely revenge: sacrificing his two remaining brother figures to bloody justice for the brother they took from him. Jiang Cheng, stripped of the righteous rage and pride that have kept him alive for 13 years, left only with a selfish grief he feels he has no right to speak aloud. (You gave yourself for me in duty; I gave myself for you in love. I’ve been waiting for you to come home since the day you left. The only thing I hate about you is that you always choose somebody else.) The unhealed fracture between him and Wei Wuxian, two brothers who cannot love each other in ways the other understands (!!!). The dead, unable to return to life. The living, unable to make their bodies whole again.
I would change none of this. It’s brilliantly crafted heartache, earned by the story’s success in making me care so, so much about its side characters. But is it too much to demand that my grief be witnessed? To long for the narrative to sit with me in it?
Instead, the final chapter hurtles straight to harsh porn and isolationist married bliss, which the extras then prolong for several hundred pages without addressing the tragedy head-on. As such, there’s a jarring emotional dissonance between the extras’ obvious intended purpose, to be comforting (and sexy? I reluctantly assume?), and the feeling that they’re carelessly carving all my lingering wounds a little deeper. In the periphery: Jin Ling alone in Jinlintai’s nest of vipers, Jiang Cheng alone in the sect he’s rebuilt like the ship of Theseus, Wen Ning alone in a body the world considers evil, me alone in my room trying not to scream-
Here’s an idea: fuck “everyone will return to their respective places;” mourning and healing are meant to be communal processes! Especially since true healing would mean knocking down the strict divisions between those respective sects in order to reform the sociopolitical system that keeps engendering such immense suffering! Alas, no dice.
As for what the extras depict instead, bad-to-read sex, I need to rationalize why it’s Like That. To cope. So far what I’ve got is that it’s valuable in exploring Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s story through the lens of queer time. (Queer time = progression through time that doesn’t fit heteronormative milestones + connection with fellow queer people across time and outside of it.) The two of them mourn the decade and a half they lost together through shared fantasies of reshaping their history, forcing their younger selves to realize and act upon their love. They travel through time to reciprocate desire suppressed by the fear and confusion of queer youth. I don’t think these scenes were written with enough sensitivity to real-world ethics or tenderness between the characters to be worth the read, but I see the takeaways. And the pair rewrite lost time in gentler ways, fulfilling old wishes, making the memories they missed out on.
I admit, it's a fair epilogue for a romance that's been queer time-fuckery all along. (See: resurrection 13 years later in the body of a younger gay man, nonlinear narrative, WWX's journey to recall his old memories and recontextualize them within new queer identity and love.) It reconciles wangxian's past and unfurls a loving future before them. A home, a family, a career of compassionate ghostbusting.
I love this book—in all the epic, preposterous multitudes of genre and emotion it contains—more than I've loved any story in a long while. Thanks for transforming my understanding of myself and of human storytelling, Mó Dào Zǔ Shī. I promise I won’t recover.
The sticking point is that the intricate conclusion to this epic is as much a tragedy as it is a romantic HEA. And it’s a good tragedy. The doubly-betrayed love between Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen. Nie Huaisang’s meticulous, lonely revenge: sacrificing his two remaining brother figures to bloody justice for the brother they took from him. Jiang Cheng, stripped of the righteous rage and pride that have kept him alive for 13 years, left only with a selfish grief he feels he has no right to speak aloud. (You gave yourself for me in duty; I gave myself for you in love. I’ve been waiting for you to come home since the day you left. The only thing I hate about you is that you always choose somebody else.) The unhealed fracture between him and Wei Wuxian, two brothers who cannot love each other in ways the other understands (!!!). The dead, unable to return to life. The living, unable to make their bodies whole again.
I would change none of this. It’s brilliantly crafted heartache, earned by the story’s success in making me care so, so much about its side characters. But is it too much to demand that my grief be witnessed? To long for the narrative to sit with me in it?
Instead, the final chapter hurtles straight to harsh porn and isolationist married bliss, which the extras then prolong for several hundred pages without addressing the tragedy head-on. As such, there’s a jarring emotional dissonance between the extras’ obvious intended purpose, to be comforting (and sexy? I reluctantly assume?), and the feeling that they’re carelessly carving all my lingering wounds a little deeper. In the periphery: Jin Ling alone in Jinlintai’s nest of vipers, Jiang Cheng alone in the sect he’s rebuilt like the ship of Theseus, Wen Ning alone in a body the world considers evil, me alone in my room trying not to scream-
Here’s an idea: fuck “everyone will return to their respective places;” mourning and healing are meant to be communal processes! Especially since true healing would mean knocking down the strict divisions between those respective sects in order to reform the sociopolitical system that keeps engendering such immense suffering! Alas, no dice.
As for what the extras depict instead, bad-to-read sex, I need to rationalize why it’s Like That. To cope. So far what I’ve got is that it’s valuable in exploring Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s story through the lens of queer time. (Queer time = progression through time that doesn’t fit heteronormative milestones + connection with fellow queer people across time and outside of it.) The two of them mourn the decade and a half they lost together through shared fantasies of reshaping their history, forcing their younger selves to realize and act upon their love. They travel through time to reciprocate desire suppressed by the fear and confusion of queer youth. I don’t think these scenes were written with enough sensitivity to real-world ethics or tenderness between the characters to be worth the read, but I see the takeaways. And the pair rewrite lost time in gentler ways, fulfilling old wishes, making the memories they missed out on.
I admit, it's a fair epilogue for a romance that's been queer time-fuckery all along. (See: resurrection 13 years later in the body of a younger gay man, nonlinear narrative, WWX's journey to recall his old memories and recontextualize them within new queer identity and love.) It reconciles wangxian's past and unfurls a loving future before them. A home, a family, a career of compassionate ghostbusting.
I love this book—in all the epic, preposterous multitudes of genre and emotion it contains—more than I've loved any story in a long while. Thanks for transforming my understanding of myself and of human storytelling, Mó Dào Zǔ Shī. I promise I won’t recover.
October 6, 2023
love is real, thank you.
May 27, 2023
Ahhhhh the ending... pure perfection. 😌
I really didn't want this book to end though. 😭 This is my first time reading through all of the extras and I love them all.The sex scenes were a bit weird cuz they don't use lube... I was hoping for more stories with Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen though. Time to use my imagination and think about this series all the time, again. 😂
I really didn't want this book to end though. 😭 This is my first time reading through all of the extras and I love them all.
November 12, 2023
A review isn’t happening now or anytime soon because, let’s be honest, I barely have the time to read, who am I kidding? I’ll just point out that if you look at my starting and finishing dates, you’ll see it supposedly took me 2 months to read this book. That’s because the main story ends at 38% and the rest are short stories that I didn’t read until I finished my reread of the whole series.
That’s right, GMDC is the only thing I’ve been reading for more than 2 months. If that, combined with my rating, doesn’t already make clear if I recommend this story or not, I doubt a review would help anyway.
That’s right, GMDC is the only thing I’ve been reading for more than 2 months. If that, combined with my rating, doesn’t already make clear if I recommend this story or not, I doubt a review would help anyway.
November 11, 2023
Reread review (BR w/ Teal, Rosa, Elena, and Moony):
I'm coming to appreciate (most of) the extras more with each reread. After all the drama and trauma of the main story, getting to see WangXian just living their lives is such a healing balm to the soul. 🥰
Reread review (BR with Teal):
Bumping this up to a solid 4 stars.
I just have to say this: Say what you want about the show, at least it spared us that. 😖
I did like (most of) the short stories a lot better this time around, I think because I didn't feel rushed to read them and just read them at leisure. Why in the world I decided to read the rest of the incense burner chapter, I have no idea. My only consolation is they were dreams, and you can't control those at the best of times, much less when under the influence of weird magical devices. I also read the third one I had originally skipped, and while it didn't really provide anything I'd want to reread, it did fill in one tidbit regarding That was messed up.
I really enjoyed seeing WWX and LWJ taking the juniors around and teaching them stuff, and just getting to see them be together and happy. I really liked the Lotus Seed one. Even when they weren't together, WWX and LWJ were always thinking of each other. It was so sweet. And Teal and I decided that LWJ's bunnies were named
They totally should have put that tortoise in Lan Qiren's room though. 😂
Original review:
3.5 stars (4 stars for end of the story, 3 stars for the extras collectively)
This wrapped things up very well and didn't leave any noticeable strands dangling, except for the one that is deliberately left open-ended. I did have a bit of an issue at first trying to remember exactly where the last volume left everyone, but I got most of it as I went along. It even addressed the very convenient witnesses that I complained about in my review for Volume 4, so that's nice.
I really enjoyed seeing Wuxian and Zhan finally figuring themselves out and their Big Declarations to each other were cute, despite the super bloody environment. (But with this series, did we really think that would happen anywhere else?) That said, the sex scenes in this continue to be cringe worthy, especially with Wuxian yelling "rape" as if that's supposed to be cute and adorable or something. That's not my kink, and I skipped a lot of that stuff.
The extras - The main story ends at 44%, and the extras make up the rest. Honestly, I was happy enough with the ending of the story and didn't feel a need to read the extras, but they were there so I read them. Well, I skimmed/skipped most of the second one (see above regarding cringe-worthy sex scenes) and skipped the third entirely since I didn't care about either of the characters in it. The others were nice but didn't add very much aside from seeing how they were getting along after the events in the series. It was nice to see everyone going about their lives though, so they were good for that.
I'm coming to appreciate (most of) the extras more with each reread. After all the drama and trauma of the main story, getting to see WangXian just living their lives is such a healing balm to the soul. 🥰
Reread review (BR with Teal):
Bumping this up to a solid 4 stars.
I just have to say this: Say what you want about the show, at least it spared us that. 😖
I did like (most of) the short stories a lot better this time around, I think because I didn't feel rushed to read them and just read them at leisure. Why in the world I decided to read the rest of the incense burner chapter, I have no idea. My only consolation is they were dreams, and you can't control those at the best of times, much less when under the influence of weird magical devices. I also read the third one I had originally skipped, and while it didn't really provide anything I'd want to reread, it did fill in one tidbit regarding That was messed up.
I really enjoyed seeing WWX and LWJ taking the juniors around and teaching them stuff, and just getting to see them be together and happy. I really liked the Lotus Seed one. Even when they weren't together, WWX and LWJ were always thinking of each other. It was so sweet. And Teal and I decided that LWJ's bunnies were named
They totally should have put that tortoise in Lan Qiren's room though. 😂
Original review:
3.5 stars (4 stars for end of the story, 3 stars for the extras collectively)
This wrapped things up very well and didn't leave any noticeable strands dangling, except for the one that is deliberately left open-ended. I did have a bit of an issue at first trying to remember exactly where the last volume left everyone, but I got most of it as I went along. It even addressed the very convenient witnesses that I complained about in my review for Volume 4, so that's nice.
I really enjoyed seeing Wuxian and Zhan finally figuring themselves out and their Big Declarations to each other were cute, despite the super bloody environment. (But with this series, did we really think that would happen anywhere else?) That said, the sex scenes in this continue to be cringe worthy, especially with Wuxian yelling "rape" as if that's supposed to be cute and adorable or something. That's not my kink, and I skipped a lot of that stuff.
The extras - The main story ends at 44%, and the extras make up the rest. Honestly, I was happy enough with the ending of the story and didn't feel a need to read the extras, but they were there so I read them. Well, I skimmed/skipped most of the second one (see above regarding cringe-worthy sex scenes) and skipped the third entirely since I didn't care about either of the characters in it. The others were nice but didn't add very much aside from seeing how they were getting along after the events in the series. It was nice to see everyone going about their lives though, so they were good for that.
May 14, 2023
The only person left at his side was Lan Wangji.
How very fortunate, then, that Lan Wangji was also the only person he wanted beside him.
I have so many things I want to say, but I don’t know how to put it into words. How do I accurately convey my feelings on this series? It took me ages to read this book, and not just because it’s been a busy week, but also because I kept rereading pages every time I found a scene that made me emotional or a scene that was pure fluff (which was like 90% of the book).
"You're especially wonderful. I like you," Wei Wuxian said.
“…”
"Or, in other words—I fancy you, I love you, I want you, I can't leave you, I whatever you."
“…”
"I want to go on Night Hunts with you for the rest of my life."
“…”
I can’t believe the story of Wangxian is over.
The ending (or beginning for them) of their story brought me to tears. Well, I first went from laughing so hard (after Wei Wuxian yelled out that he wanted to genuinely sleep with Lan Wangji in front of everyone but did that really surprise anyone
I would like to pour one out to Lan Xichen, and Jin Guangyao who I’ll (begrudgingly) admit helped, for talking sense into Wei Wuxian and making him finally realize that Lan Wangji is (hopelessly and madly) in love with him, and has been for years. I honestly giggled a bit when Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao were shocked and stupefied that Wei Wuxian was a genuine dumbass who didn’t realize anything about Lan Wangji's feelings. Lan Xichen is a real one to push his brother’s stupid husband in the right direction.
Just then, there suddenly came a very soft laugh from above him. It was so soft that almost everyone present thought they'd
misheard.
But when Wei Wuxian's head shot up, he confirmed what he'd heard was real. He spotted a tiny smile at the corners of Lan Wangis lips, like a ray of sunlight reflecting off snow. It had yet to fade away.
Lan Wangji was so happy in this book. Like he smiled and laughed, like actually visibly express his emotions because of Wei Wuxian. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love the trope where the character who’s usually stoic ends up smiling for that one person.
The Wangxian extras were flawless. They are such domestic husbands. They are so fluffy and sweet
Finally, Lan Sizhui couldn't hold back anymore and leapt over with a cry. He caught Wei Wuxian with one arm while his other caught Lan Wangji, and he pulled the three of them together into a tight hug. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangi were both startled by the sudden embrace.
Lan Sizhui buried his head in their shoulders. "Hanguang-jun, Wei-qianbei, I....."
His voice was muffled. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, who were only inches away from each other, exchanged a look. They both saw something very soft in each other's eyes.
This scene was all I’ve ever wanted since we found out Lan Sizhui is Wen Yuan. When he finally hugged his dads (they’re his dads to me okay) I started bawling. Lan Sizhui is just so precious and he deserves the world. All the juniors deserve everything and I wish I could wrap Lan Sizhui, Jin Ling, and Lan Jingyi in a blanket and shamelessly dote on them.
I also shed some tears when (my darling sweetheart) Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian parted ways. Wei Wuxian’s conflicted feelings literally matched my own. On the one hand, Wen Ning deserves to be his own person
Of all the millions of possible words, there was nothing left to say.
There was only laughter and hugs.
This quote perfectly depicts this volume.
This series has settled down and made it’s home in my heart and I’ll never be able to forget these characters. I’m already resisting the urge to reread the whole series but don’t be surprised if you catch me doing it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2023
I don’t know why I enjoyed the extras more than main story. And by this volume I had already gone numb to the writing and tone of the book so I feel like I’ve enjoyed this one the most.
May 9, 2023
The first 150 pages or so is absolutely 5/5. The rest of the book is 1/5 or lower if that was possible.
I have no idea how to rate this one because the first two chapters were amazing. I found it super exciting and interesting even as someone who’s watched the donghua and knew what was going to happen. I only wish there was even more of that kind of content. But the I DNF’ed it Eventually (incense burner chapter, but honestly should have stopped earlier) because the more I read past that the more I hated the series.
Now I’m conflicted because I’ve loved the show for years, and I’ve been reading this series from the moment it came out, but when people say the smut in this book is bad, they REALLY mean it. Totally changed how I view the characters and their relationship.
I have no idea how to rate this one because the first two chapters were amazing. I found it super exciting and interesting even as someone who’s watched the donghua and knew what was going to happen. I only wish there was even more of that kind of content. But the I DNF’ed it Eventually (incense burner chapter, but honestly should have stopped earlier) because the more I read past that the more I hated the series.
Now I’m conflicted because I’ve loved the show for years, and I’ve been reading this series from the moment it came out, but when people say the smut in this book is bad, they REALLY mean it. Totally changed how I view the characters and their relationship.
May 20, 2023
Allow me to explain the rating: 5 stars for the end of the main storyline and I guess one star (and maybe a half) for the extras.
The ending of the main storyline - despite being Angst Central - was great and of course made me sad because someone *glares at said character* couldn't stay alive. But somehow Lan Xichen's grief made that pain easier.
The non explicit extras were fine (I liked the one with JGY and XY as villainous besties), but the smut stories hurt my brain and traumatised me for life. :((( I don't know if MXTX made them bad on purpose, or just imitated 2000s yaoi sex scenes, but it's a big yikes from me, fam.
The ending of the main storyline - despite being Angst Central - was great and of course made me sad because someone *glares at said character* couldn't stay alive. But somehow Lan Xichen's grief made that pain easier.
The non explicit extras were fine (I liked the one with JGY and XY as villainous besties), but the smut stories hurt my brain and traumatised me for life. :((( I don't know if MXTX made them bad on purpose, or just imitated 2000s yaoi sex scenes, but it's a big yikes from me, fam.
May 9, 2023
I was traumatized
March 26, 2024
"Look at me. Quick, look at me!” Wei Wuxian was calling to him with a smile on his lips. Just as he always had, Lan Wangji looked at him. And forever after, his eyes could never move away from him again.
In my opinion, the ending for this series was underwhelming. I still liked it, but after so much buildup (especially after the second seige of the Burial Mounds), I expected it to be grander and to see Jin Guangyao humiliated in front of the entire culivation world. Wei Wuxian confessed to Lan Wangji at the height of the last dramatic scenes and immediately transformed it from something that had me on the edge of my seat to... 🤔 I'm not sure how to describe it. From that moment on, I kept yo-yoing back and forth between holding my breath because of what was going on with Jin Guangyao and Su She, to squeeing over how protective and sweet Lan Wanji was being toward Wei Wuxian.
I would have preferred that the confession take place after all the Jin Guangyao drama had concluded but we wouldn't have gotten that hilarious outburst that caught everyone by surprise and made me love Wei Wuxian all the more so I just accepted it and moved on. It was seriously one of the funniest scenes in the series.
The extras were okay, but I wish there was one that focused on Wei Wuxian's relationship with Jiang Cheng and the Jiang Clan in general years after the events of the main story.
The Banquet extra would have been better if Wei Wuxian had a run-in with Lan Qiren, and I really would've liked to know what everyone thought about Wei Wuxian being Lan Wangji's cultivation partner. I'm sure everyone was surprised to learn that Lan Wangi was a "cut-sleeve," and I really wanted to know if this diminished their respect for him in any way. Not that Lan Wangji would've given a shit, but inquiring minds still want to know. 😄
The Incense Burner extra was totally unexpected!! I can't say I was surprised by Wei Wuxian, but Lan Wangji!! 😭 I swear to God I couldn't believe what I was reading!! 🤣🤣 Good for them, though. Who am I to judge? 😅
I rate this particular volume 3 stars and the entire series, 3.5. Volume 4 was my favorite, while volume 2 was my least favorite. I understand why so many people love this series, but for me, it doesn't come close to the author's other series. I hate to say this because I usually love smut in my stories, but the material from the Incense Burner extra kind of messed up my perception of the MCs . It has nothing to do with the kink itself but the weird way in which it was portrayed. 😶 I was never a hardcore Wangxian fan to begin, so that's probably just me.
In my opinion, the ending for this series was underwhelming. I still liked it, but after so much buildup (especially after the second seige of the Burial Mounds), I expected it to be grander and to see Jin Guangyao humiliated in front of the entire culivation world. Wei Wuxian confessed to Lan Wangji at the height of the last dramatic scenes and immediately transformed it from something that had me on the edge of my seat to... 🤔 I'm not sure how to describe it. From that moment on, I kept yo-yoing back and forth between holding my breath because of what was going on with Jin Guangyao and Su She, to squeeing over how protective and sweet Lan Wanji was being toward Wei Wuxian.
I would have preferred that the confession take place after all the Jin Guangyao drama had concluded but we wouldn't have gotten that hilarious outburst that caught everyone by surprise and made me love Wei Wuxian all the more so I just accepted it and moved on. It was seriously one of the funniest scenes in the series.
The extras were okay, but I wish there was one that focused on Wei Wuxian's relationship with Jiang Cheng and the Jiang Clan in general years after the events of the main story.
The Banquet extra would have been better if Wei Wuxian had a run-in with Lan Qiren, and I really would've liked to know what everyone thought about Wei Wuxian being Lan Wangji's cultivation partner. I'm sure everyone was surprised to learn that Lan Wangi was a "cut-sleeve," and I really wanted to know if this diminished their respect for him in any way. Not that Lan Wangji would've given a shit, but inquiring minds still want to know. 😄
The Incense Burner extra was totally unexpected!! I can't say I was surprised by Wei Wuxian, but Lan Wangji!! 😭 I swear to God I couldn't believe what I was reading!! 🤣🤣 Good for them, though. Who am I to judge? 😅
I rate this particular volume 3 stars and the entire series, 3.5. Volume 4 was my favorite, while volume 2 was my least favorite. I understand why so many people love this series, but for me, it doesn't come close to the author's other series. I hate to say this because I usually love smut in my stories, but the material from the Incense Burner extra kind of messed up my perception of the MCs . It has nothing to do with the kink itself but the weird way in which it was portrayed. 😶 I was never a hardcore Wangxian fan to begin, so that's probably just me.
May 20, 2023
A really fantastic way to end a series. But what followed after was traumatising. The last few extras were kinda cute but I can not forget the first two extras. I wish I could bleach the text from my mind. I am very compelled to set my copy on fire.
September 4, 2024
considering the actual ending of this series is only about 1/3 (?) into this book is still mind blowing. the rest of the book is extra/epilogue scenes that i’m absolutely here for. i’d say that the ending needed the extras for it to completely wrap up. we can’t have the series ending with only 3 romance scenes. no no. the extras bring peace to my wangxian loving heart. i’ve reread the extra scenes at least 200 times in the last 4 years
May 9, 2023
What a ride this has been. I started MDZS all the way back in February 2022 and just read it as the physical books were being published. Prior to that, I had already fallen in love with this story after having seen the donghua and was so excited to read the original source. This is definitely one of my favourite stories, as well as couple, I’ve ever read and I’m so glad to have come across it.
Wangxian’s confession scene was so silly yet so sweet at the same time. I honestly shouldn’t be that surprised that Wei Ying announced in front of everyone, yes even Lan Xichen, that he wanted to sleep with Lan Zhan. He has definitely earned his shameless title. It was the cutest thing when Wangxian were all over each other on that mat while in a very serious and deadly situation. They know that as long as they have each other, everything will be all right.
“But just as the Wei Wuxian of the past who’d extracted his golden core for Jiang Cheng had been unable to tell him the truth, the Jiang Cheng of the present could no longer bring himself to speak up.”
The way that I nearly yelled at the book when I read this sentence. Come on, man! There’s clearly no hatred between them, that was obvious during the entire Guanyin Temple scene. I know communication has never been Jiang Cheng’s strong suit, but dude, almost your entire family is dead, please at least try to mend this one relationship! It’s just so tragic to read because I do believe they could both benefit from talking through some things. Their relationship will never go back to how it was, but there could at least be something more for them. I hoped that the extras would give me something, but it seems that this is just how their relationship is now. I did thoroughly enjoy the Lotus Seeds extra and will just convince myself that that is the present.
“Wei Wuxian was calling to him with a smile on his lips. Just as he always had, Lan Wangji looked at him. And forever after, his eyes could never move away from him again.”
I couldn’t be more happy that Wangxian got their happy ending. After everything they’ve been through it’s what they deserve. I lost my mind all over again when Lan Zhan revealed the name of the song was “Wangxian”. Imagine someone being so in love with you that they create a song for you and name it after your own ship name. They will forever have my heart. If there wasn’t any extras, this ending would’ve made me cry more despite how happy it is simply because I don’t want to let Wangxian go.
The extras were so enjoyable and I’m thrilled there were so many of them! At first I was a little upset to see that not all of them centred around Wangxian, but quickly changed my mind. I think it was wise of MXTX to write more on side characters, especially the Villainous Friends extra. I enjoyed that one much more than I thought I would. I was more happy when Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan made their appearance, I’ve missed them so much. It was a bit sad to read knowing everyone’s fate, though.
I had always thought it was a headcanon that Lan Zhan would attempt to make Wei Ying lotus root and pork rib soup, I had no idea it was canon! It’s the small things like that that make my heart burn with joy when reading about Wangxian.
“Some time later, Lan Wangji brushed a light kiss against the center of Wei Wuxian’s forehead.
‘See you tomorrow, Wei Ying,’ he whispered.”
I can’t believe this is really it. The last bit of MDZS and there’s nothing left that’s canon for me to read! This is such a bittersweet feeling, but I’m happy to have finished it. Knowing everything I know now, I’m sure I’ll catch stuff I previously missed. Anyway, I’ll miss Wangxian greatly and will continue to browse through fics. Thank you to MXTX for creating such a wonderful story and couple who has touched the hearts of many readers.
Wangxian’s confession scene was so silly yet so sweet at the same time. I honestly shouldn’t be that surprised that Wei Ying announced in front of everyone, yes even Lan Xichen, that he wanted to sleep with Lan Zhan. He has definitely earned his shameless title. It was the cutest thing when Wangxian were all over each other on that mat while in a very serious and deadly situation. They know that as long as they have each other, everything will be all right.
“But just as the Wei Wuxian of the past who’d extracted his golden core for Jiang Cheng had been unable to tell him the truth, the Jiang Cheng of the present could no longer bring himself to speak up.”
The way that I nearly yelled at the book when I read this sentence. Come on, man! There’s clearly no hatred between them, that was obvious during the entire Guanyin Temple scene. I know communication has never been Jiang Cheng’s strong suit, but dude, almost your entire family is dead, please at least try to mend this one relationship! It’s just so tragic to read because I do believe they could both benefit from talking through some things. Their relationship will never go back to how it was, but there could at least be something more for them. I hoped that the extras would give me something, but it seems that this is just how their relationship is now. I did thoroughly enjoy the Lotus Seeds extra and will just convince myself that that is the present.
“Wei Wuxian was calling to him with a smile on his lips. Just as he always had, Lan Wangji looked at him. And forever after, his eyes could never move away from him again.”
I couldn’t be more happy that Wangxian got their happy ending. After everything they’ve been through it’s what they deserve. I lost my mind all over again when Lan Zhan revealed the name of the song was “Wangxian”. Imagine someone being so in love with you that they create a song for you and name it after your own ship name. They will forever have my heart. If there wasn’t any extras, this ending would’ve made me cry more despite how happy it is simply because I don’t want to let Wangxian go.
The extras were so enjoyable and I’m thrilled there were so many of them! At first I was a little upset to see that not all of them centred around Wangxian, but quickly changed my mind. I think it was wise of MXTX to write more on side characters, especially the Villainous Friends extra. I enjoyed that one much more than I thought I would. I was more happy when Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan made their appearance, I’ve missed them so much. It was a bit sad to read knowing everyone’s fate, though.
I had always thought it was a headcanon that Lan Zhan would attempt to make Wei Ying lotus root and pork rib soup, I had no idea it was canon! It’s the small things like that that make my heart burn with joy when reading about Wangxian.
“Some time later, Lan Wangji brushed a light kiss against the center of Wei Wuxian’s forehead.
‘See you tomorrow, Wei Ying,’ he whispered.”
I can’t believe this is really it. The last bit of MDZS and there’s nothing left that’s canon for me to read! This is such a bittersweet feeling, but I’m happy to have finished it. Knowing everything I know now, I’m sure I’ll catch stuff I previously missed. Anyway, I’ll miss Wangxian greatly and will continue to browse through fics. Thank you to MXTX for creating such a wonderful story and couple who has touched the hearts of many readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2023
Thank you for the incredible journey. Started the official translations in 2021, finished in 2023. This story has been in my heart since 2019, and will never leave. I can’t recommend it more than enough.
December 12, 2023
the incense burner chapter can’t scare me i already read the svsss bingqiu wine chapter and countless amounts of fics on ao3 what’s a little ✨sword✨ play
August 30, 2024
Update 2024 Buddy (re)read with Em!
____
I think it's important to remember that this was not originally published in volumes which means it's best rated as one work over all, rather than its individual volumes. With that in mind, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is a very, very easy five-star-rating with sprinkles on top. The only reason why I rated the final volume less than five stars is that I just found there's a bit too much graphic content in the extras that seems too at odds with the rest of the story.
I absolutely adored the main story from start to finish, and I also didn't mind the mature content of the main part of the story. It's just that this volume mainly consists of bonus stories which range from super adorable to will-probably-skip-upon-reread. I loved the stories that showed us some moments of their youthful days and they just added some extra sweetness to the romance. I also loved the stories with the junior cultivators - Lan Sizhui in particular has grown on me since the reveals around him and I wouldn't mind a whole book or even spin-off series about these juniors.
The mature scenes between the main characters however were borderline off putting. On one hand it was nice to see how their relationship continued beyond the main plot and there definitely were sweet scenes. But the graphic ones felt more like fan fiction that got out of hand and it actually felt quite out of character. It's a lovely conclusion to the overarching story, but I probably won't read all bonus chapters in the future.
May 14, 2023
5/5stars
The ending of this is just so good ugh I also low-key wish the entire book/all the volumes had this much smut lol though I do love mxtx's slow burns, wangxian and their love life are just too entertaining and fun to read about
The ending of this is just so good ugh I also low-key wish the entire book/all the volumes had this much smut lol though I do love mxtx's slow burns, wangxian and their love life are just too entertaining and fun to read about
May 11, 2023
the point isn’t whether it’s five-star quality, the point is that love is real and I’m rating with my heart
May 7, 2023
Después de procesar ese final y los extras, debo decir que esta historia, en completo, es algo que nunca llegué a pensar que leería o llegaría a entender, pero, la amé.
La autora tiene una magia con las palabras que por más que lo intentes no puedes dejar de pensar en la historia, sus personajes y lo que tienen que afrontar.
5 volúmenes, una misma historia. Pasé de la confusión total a la risa al llanto y a la intriga en cuestión de páginas. Es tan rica la forma en que está contada que te hace sentir una gran cantidad de sentimientos y te atacan de sorpresa en situaciones diversas.
Me alegra haber iniciado y continuado con este mundo, porque tiene muchísimo para dar.
Eso sí, lo que más me impactó fueron las escenas explícitas. No pensé que fueran a ser tan explicitas 👀 o con muchos elementos que harían rivalizar contra un dark romance de BL, pero recalco que aunque fueron escritas de esa manera, es algo que se asemeja mucho a la realidad y no es ficción como con otras historias.
Gran conclusión de esta saga.
La autora tiene una magia con las palabras que por más que lo intentes no puedes dejar de pensar en la historia, sus personajes y lo que tienen que afrontar.
5 volúmenes, una misma historia. Pasé de la confusión total a la risa al llanto y a la intriga en cuestión de páginas. Es tan rica la forma en que está contada que te hace sentir una gran cantidad de sentimientos y te atacan de sorpresa en situaciones diversas.
Me alegra haber iniciado y continuado con este mundo, porque tiene muchísimo para dar.
Eso sí, lo que más me impactó fueron las escenas explícitas. No pensé que fueran a ser tan explicitas 👀 o con muchos elementos que harían rivalizar contra un dark romance de BL, pero recalco que aunque fueron escritas de esa manera, es algo que se asemeja mucho a la realidad y no es ficción como con otras historias.
Gran conclusión de esta saga.
March 4, 2024
“See you tomorrow, Wei Ying,” he whispered.
I don’t believe that this just happened LMAO but yes I have finally finished this book series and all I can say is that i’m IN LOVE!!!
The way my heart squeezed and sometimes (a lot of times) broke while reading this is OUTRAGEOUS!
I wont lie I do feel like things are missing, like WWX and JWY’s overall story (the family in general) I wanted to know more! I hated the fact that they couldn’t talk it out…
And when it comes to the Extras! They were interesting and made the last volume better and it was also questionable iykyk!
I don’t believe that this just happened LMAO but yes I have finally finished this book series and all I can say is that i’m IN LOVE!!!
The way my heart squeezed and sometimes (a lot of times) broke while reading this is OUTRAGEOUS!
I wont lie I do feel like things are missing, like WWX and JWY’s overall story (the family in general) I wanted to know more! I hated the fact that they couldn’t talk it out…
And when it comes to the Extras! They were interesting and made the last volume better and it was also questionable iykyk!
May 9, 2023
2.5 stars
I have watched the live action Untamed many times and simply adored all the yearning and subtle emotion expressed between Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian. But I wished we could have seen them truly together as a romantic couple. So I was super excited for this final volume to be released because I knew we'd FINALLY get to see some of the more intimate moments of their relationship that were banned from Untamed.
Unfortunately this book fell short in many respects for me. I wanted to feel those emotional moments leading up to their declarations of love. Instead Zewu Jun had to spell out the extent of Lan Zhan's true feelings (and all that he had endured by remaining loyal) to a still oblivious Wei Wuxian, who then blurted out his epiphany of wanting to be with Lan Zhan forever at a pretty inopportune time. After that Lan Zhan remained a man of few words and Wei Wuxian continued to joke around and provoke Lan Zhan, so it was hard to feel any change in their emotional connection (even after they were married).
The biggest problem I had with this book though was the fact that Lan Zhan came off as very rapey in their intimate moments. And then Wei Wuxian later joking about raping each other was just no. I'm sure the author's intent was to portray the normally stoic Lan Zhan as out of control when it came to being intimate with Wei Wuxian (especially after being teased/provoked), or that there should be no worries because Wei Wuxian preferred it like that. However, there was nothing sexy to me about Lan Zhan's total disregard of Wei Wuxian's tears of pain and begging him to slow down since he was a virgin. There's a difference between being dominant and confidently taking control in bed if his partner likes being roughly manhandled vs. physically restraining and forcing his way into his partner so he could pound into him relentlessly and also prevent him from leaving or even just taking a much needed break when it was too painful. The Incense Burner bonus chapter in particular really left an impression, and not a good one. I wanted warm heartfelt moments and instead got multiple descriptions of a bloody swollen butthole with dubcon vibes during the entire encounter. I think it actually might have changed for me how much I've always loved them individually and together. I kinda wish I'd never read those particular chapters now and would gladly go back to them simply yearning for each other instead of having other images in my head.
I thought the ending was a tad rushed and would have loved to have seen more romantic moments (like their actual wedding) before it officially wrapped up. But I truly enjoyed their adventures together (and with the juniors) so I'm sad this is the end of their story. Looks like I'm off to go watch Untamed again. :)
I have watched the live action Untamed many times and simply adored all the yearning and subtle emotion expressed between Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian. But I wished we could have seen them truly together as a romantic couple. So I was super excited for this final volume to be released because I knew we'd FINALLY get to see some of the more intimate moments of their relationship that were banned from Untamed.
Unfortunately this book fell short in many respects for me. I wanted to feel those emotional moments leading up to their declarations of love. Instead Zewu Jun had to spell out the extent of Lan Zhan's true feelings (and all that he had endured by remaining loyal) to a still oblivious Wei Wuxian, who then blurted out his epiphany of wanting to be with Lan Zhan forever at a pretty inopportune time. After that Lan Zhan remained a man of few words and Wei Wuxian continued to joke around and provoke Lan Zhan, so it was hard to feel any change in their emotional connection (even after they were married).
The biggest problem I had with this book though was the fact that Lan Zhan came off as very rapey in their intimate moments. And then Wei Wuxian later joking about raping each other was just no. I'm sure the author's intent was to portray the normally stoic Lan Zhan as out of control when it came to being intimate with Wei Wuxian (especially after being teased/provoked), or that there should be no worries because Wei Wuxian preferred it like that. However, there was nothing sexy to me about Lan Zhan's total disregard of Wei Wuxian's tears of pain and begging him to slow down since he was a virgin. There's a difference between being dominant and confidently taking control in bed if his partner likes being roughly manhandled vs. physically restraining and forcing his way into his partner so he could pound into him relentlessly and also prevent him from leaving or even just taking a much needed break when it was too painful. The Incense Burner bonus chapter in particular really left an impression, and not a good one. I wanted warm heartfelt moments and instead got multiple descriptions of a bloody swollen butthole with dubcon vibes during the entire encounter. I think it actually might have changed for me how much I've always loved them individually and together. I kinda wish I'd never read those particular chapters now and would gladly go back to them simply yearning for each other instead of having other images in my head.
I thought the ending was a tad rushed and would have loved to have seen more romantic moments (like their actual wedding) before it officially wrapped up. But I truly enjoyed their adventures together (and with the juniors) so I'm sad this is the end of their story. Looks like I'm off to go watch Untamed again. :)
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