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Beyond the Timescape
Type
Web Novel (CN)
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Rating(4.0 / 5.0, 158 votes)
5    61% (97 votes)
4    10% (16 votes)
3    10% (16 votes)
2    7% (11 votes)
1    11% (18 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
Author(s)
One entry per line
Artist(s)
One entry per line
N/A
Year
Example: 2012
2024
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
16 Volumes / 1354 Chapters (Complete)
Licensed
Yes
Completely Translated
No
Original Publisher
One entry per line
English Publisher
One entry per line
Release Frequency
Every 52.5 Day(s)
Activity Stats
[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #2000
Monthly Rank: #2000
All Time Rank: #5061
Reading List
[Graph]
On 1101 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #14818
All Time Rank: #8267

Description

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

Heaven and Earth serve as the guesthouse for all living things, with Time being the sojourner since time immemorial.

As with the difference between dreaming and awakening, the distinction between life and death is diverse and confused, and changing.

What awaits us beyond time, once we have transcended life and death, heaven and earth?

Xu Qing’s world sank into deathly silence after the descendence of “God”. Master cultivators brought the human race and escaped the continent, and the remaining people struggled to survive. Every place that was met by “God’s” gaze had nearly all life forms wiped out.

Young Xu Qing was lucky enough to survive. But in a world where ferocious beasts roamed and infighting was rampant within the human race, it was difficult to survive.

“If cultivation doesn’t give me the power to fight against God, then I shall become God myself!”

This is a story of how a human teenager became a god, step by step, to survive

Associated Names
One entry per line
Beyond Time
Guangyin zhi wai
Outside of Time
Quang Âm Chi Ngoại
Zamanın Ötesi
خارج الزمان
光阴之外
Related Series
I Shall Seal the Heavens (Shared Universe)
Renegade Immortal (Shared Universe)
Pursuit of the Truth (Shared Universe)
A Will Eternal (Shared Universe)
A World Worth Protecting (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
Pursuit of the Truth (2)
Renegade Immortal (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Recommended Novel
  2. If you dont wanna miss out
  3. Novel Supremacy - LONG LIVE THE NOVELS! (Part 1)
  4. Definitive Best Novels
  5. Purple! My Top Chinese novels (Xianxia, Xuanhuan, ...

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/15/23 Wuxiaworld c32
06/15/23 Wuxiaworld c31
06/15/23 Wuxiaworld c30
06/15/23 Wuxiaworld c29
06/13/23 Wuxiaworld c28
06/13/23 Wuxiaworld c27
06/12/23 Wuxiaworld c26
06/12/23 Wuxiaworld c25
06/11/23 Wuxiaworld c24
06/11/23 Wuxiaworld c23
06/10/23 Wuxiaworld c22
06/10/23 Wuxiaworld c21
06/09/23 Wuxiaworld c20
06/09/23 Wuxiaworld c19
06/08/23 Wuxiaworld c18
123…5
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43 Reviews sorted by


Delirious
Delirious rated it
April 5, 2023
Status: c1000
I'm re-editing this because I'm tired of all the ridiculous hate this novel has gotten. If you go to virtually any other website that allows reviews/you can read these novels; Beyond the Timescape is consistently rated equal to the most liked, or higher than, ALL of Er Gen's other novels, let alone CN novels in general.

... more>>

Yet, we have certain people on here review bombing it for f*ck all reason. I say that because if you look at the people giving it one and two stars (Xenon_God and MonkeDanana being the best examples), they review bomb almost any cultivation novel they can. If it's not people that are here to screech as loudly as they can that they hate these types of novels, it's pseudo-intellectuals like Berdanka and Strixflash, who act like they've never read a Chinese cultivation novel, all while simultaneously saying how much they've read them.

This novel doesn't do ANYTHING that novels in this genre haven't done before, and the worst of the troupes that exist in them are mild and almost nonexistent, yet they give crap like Dragon Marked War God and God and Devil world high praise in Strixflash's case, hell, he even ripped on a classic like Coiling Dragon or give any novel that isn't a degenerate p*rno slop novel 3-stars and below in berdanka's case.

Yet, people keep taking their opinions seriously. Just say you people don't like these novels and move on. It's obnoxious checking up on this site every now and then just to see people with the most brain-dead takes review bombing the novel.

K, rant over. 1000 chapters in, and other than some translation differences, in which I don't agree with what Deathblade has done, I'm still enjoying it. It's not groundbreaking, but I still feel that it's a good novel. At least in terms of Chinese cultivation web novels. <<less
28 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
berdanka
berdanka rated it
December 31, 2022
Status: c258
It began very well, making me think for a moment that, unlike the usual pipe sludge wish fulfillment xianxia, this would be a unique piece of literature. However, this feeling did not last long.

After the initial struggle of the main character surviving and living a grim but realistic life of compromises and difficult decisions, comes the sudden and absurd power creep where nothing matters and mistakes have no consequences. When the good part of the novel is over, it becomes obvious how painfully boring the main character is. His modus... more>> operandi is "stay away from everyone, kill when threatened". When he does neither, the protagonist exudes beauty that causes every woman in 10 kilometer radius to fall to his legs. Of course, he is also insanely talented, and despite being an orphan who barely learned to read in the slums, after only a few lessons from a doctor, he mastered medicine enough to be better than the direct disciples of the medical department of the largest sect on the continent. The protagonist also has a perfect and pollution-free body that makes him cultivate 100 times faster, but thanks to the author making so that no one covets his secrets, he gets away with it.

Did I mention that the main character also has a cheat-like artifact that heals him almost instantly no matter the damage and gives him immunity to any poison?

Plot also has nothing special to it. There is no direction, the author just throws random stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The main character literally just takes and completes quests for the cult, occasionally going to hunt for rare materials to make upgrades for... his boat, yeah. All of that somehow brings him life-changing opportunities on the way.

After reading the first chapters, I feel cheated to find the average story full of boring cliches. It's not a bad story per se, but it is trying to pass itself off as what it is not. Read it if you want a picturesque and meditative story about a bland and vengeful man that loves solitude a bit too much and kills people so often you feel desensitized by it. <<less
24 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Maelstrom08
Maelstrom08 rated it
March 23, 2023
Status: ~c1000
(Just as a forewarning, this review will be more of a comparison to what Er Gen usually writes as I believe his other works are enough to show his level of quality. No need to bring up the obvious. Also, there won't be much "content" brought up in the review as I don't wish to spoil anything)

After the disappointment that was A World Worth Protecting, Er Gen has returned with a novel that is easily comparable to what ISSTH and his other books were. The novel still has... more>> his standard Er Gen style with lots of fateful connections between characters, lots of talk about Dao, and obviously an amazing MC.

However, OOT (Outside of Time) also has many tropes that we have never seen Er Gen do and in fact, is rarely done in Xianxia in general, I believe that Er Gen wanted to change his writing style due to getting bored of his usual formula and it 100% worked out for him this time.

So to actually get onto what makes this novel so different, one of the major differences is the setting. The usual Er Gen novel tends to have a very simple setting for his mcs, small sect, stays there for a while in peace (with the occasional young master or normal early xianxia stuff), and then sh*t starts to hit the fan. OOT instead starts off as a survival novel with similar tropes to modern-day Lovecraftian Novels (Lotm, Deep Sea Embers, Soul of Negary, etc) mixed in with all the usual cultivation xianxia fun. The setting of OOT is in fact a dystopia, other than very few areas (such as sects), most of the world is inhabitable for humanity and this is due to the face of a god in the sky where when they open their eyes, wherever their gaze lands become akin to a corrupted zone. Due to this setting (which is common in other novels but not particularly cultivation, especially xianxia), the MC starts off very... primal? Very cold and instinct-reliant. Along with this, these "corrupted zones" act incredibly akin to Eldrtich, rather than Mystical. Surviving in these zones requires a lot of understanding as to how they work and the quick thinking needed to survive, regardless of your strength. This makes the characters in this world (well, most) feel quite different than what'd you expect from the usual Xianxia cast.

Already this premise puts Xu Qing (the mc), in a vastly different setting than other Er Gen mcs, there is no time to slow down, and the novel starts off running compared to the slow starts we've come to expect. To further show this, the first arc of the novel hits incredibly hard and does a fantastic job of showing off the various sides of Xu Qing. It comparatively is my personal favourite start out of any Er Gen novel. (FYI, the first arc is not even a sect)

Arc 2 is where the story really is what Er Gen excels at, sects. At the time of my writing of this review (ch 464), only recently has the story reached Arc 3, so most of what is currently available is set in the 2nd arc. To say it in the simplest of terms, this is the best first sect I have seen from Er Gen hands down. The amount of depth from the characters, the setting of the sect, the rules and its functions, everything is peak performance Er Gen. I can say with certainty that it will not feel like an Er Gen story but the style remains the same. It's fresh and unique, without losing what has made Er Gen such a reputable author.

Now let's talk about some auxiliary stuff.

As I read the novel, there was one line that can sum up like 20% of the situations (it ramps up over time), "Xu Qing is a quiet punch line straight man, in a world of the best f*cking comedians". Er Gen has gone all out with his characters this time, his cast is both incredibly serious, crazy and oh so f*cking funny. It takes the comedy that ISSTH and AWE had and ramps it up to 11. The comedy isn't even immersion-breaking, it fully stays true to the serious situations they end up in (the reason for said situations is where the comedy comes in).

In terms of the serious stuff, every Er Gen MC has some inherent detail that makes them interesting outside of "OP MC with possibly weird past", Meng Hao with pills or Wang Lin with Formations (forget the name of his thing). Xu Qing's is just... learning. He does have a focus which I won't spoil, but overall, Xu Qing has a thirst for knowledge. Usually, he's quite a calm and cold person, (with occasional banter as he opens up over the course of the story), but the times you will see Xu Qing genuinely feel happy and content, is when he's learning, especially when being taught. Due to this, he is similar to Meng Hao, in how mentors, protectors, masters, etc are incredibly relevant to his character growth. Every time I see him find someone to learn from, it's always incredibly enjoyable as it's a breath of fresh air in a story that just keeps on pushing him into the ground.

Outside of all this, it's pretty much what you'd expect from an Er Gen novel, if you like his books, your gonna love this one, if you don't like his books, hey, this one might just be different enough for you to give it a shot. I genuinely believe this novel has the foundations to be his best novel written and with the current writing speed, it should be done in about ~1 to 2 years.

Whether you want to catch up and read as it goes along or wait for it to finish and then see, I think the novel is 100% worth your time if you enjoy Xianxia.

Edit: Do be warned it seems likely that the novel will be a harem, as Xu Qing is a bit of a lady killer due to his appearance and there are a lot of possible love interests at the moment. (Xu Qing currently does not care as romance is currently a waste of time in his opinion.) <<less
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riida
riida rated it
July 20, 2022
Status: c102
It's the newest work by Er Gen, so you know that it'll have a (mostly) loner struggling to grow up and survive in a harsh world, but what's intriguing here, is that this time around he included world-building elements from other notable stories, such as a world of supernatural horrors from Way of the Devil and mysterious leftovers of the past, like temples and stone statues of Tales of Herding Gods.

The protagonist is pretty realistic for what he's supposed to be - surviving like an animal from late childhood to... more>> teenage years - pretty much a cautious, cold animal. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have the potential to be playful and unpredictable like Qin Mu or a forceful, dominant monster like Lu Sheng. He also doesn't seem to have a ridiculously deep background which is tied to the history of the world and would make him a valuable tool which the powerful would do anything to control and manipulate like Su Ming in Pursuit of the Truth.

There's no idiotic plot devices that usually ruin the immersion: no letting enemies go so they keep coming back to artificially keep up tension, no random people messing with MC in EVERY chapter just to have some conflict which leads to more conflict (how dare you offend our family by not kneeling to us, we're part of a sect... and so on), no random love interest with admirers whose whole family will try to kill him.

So far it's neither bad nor amazing. It's solid and unusual enough to look forward to new chapters, but it's not unique enough to really captivate readers with a lot of mileage. Character development is very mild, but at least there's a decent variety of character types and protagonist's attitude is really good.

For now it's something to read while looking for outstanding titles. (P.S. scummy "webnovel" is splitting chapters in halfs to make readers overpay, turning every original chapter into two) <<less
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GianCarpio
GianCarpio rated it
December 12, 2023
Status: c1015
THE ONLY REASON THAT THIS NOVEL IS A 4.1 AND NOT A 4.9 is THAT ALL THESE READERS ARE READING THE MTLED tr*sh WEBNOVEL IS PRODUCING.

If you want to read the best Xianxia Er Gen has ever written, go read Beyond the Timescape - Translated by Deathblade.

I’ll write my actual review later but if you want more explanations on this, basically Webnovel is using a loophole that by NOT just recycling and selling what deathblade translated, they are not stealing from Er Gen therefore they use MTL to basically get... more>> more viewers by getting more chapters out and fooling the market that thisis the only product. Er Gen could technically SUE them but Webnovel is owned by qidian which basically controls the market so it would be more pointless.

The review :

So basically Er Gen looked at the comments on his past novels, took what the audience loved, and shed what they hated and made it into this masterpiece. The MC is my favorite one yet. They all share the same traits but this MC somehow shines through.

Not only did he learn from his own novels, this also shows some inspiration from the best xianxias such as Reverend Insanity.

I can boldly say that this is the best Xianxia of this decade, maybe even EVER placing this second to Reverend Insanity in the hundreds of Lightnovels, Xianxia’s and Novels I’ve read.

Each main side character has a great personality and Er Gen patience in writing all of them. He makes the audience feel as if they are going to be key characters for the thousands of chapters Xianxia will have and they are! Unlike some xianxia’s who just go up and up and leave characters everytime.

The humor is maintained without repetitiveness nor using brash things such as rap* like the other novels. For a serious reader, the humor might as well pass through their eyes but for a reader like me, I appreciate it.

What I meant for Er Gen having been inspired by Reverend Insanity is that every single Arc has that one reverend insanity explosion. Er Gen looked Gu Zhen Ren straight in the eye and said I can do it too. And yes he did, so don’t read the MTL one cause all the foreshadowing and specks of information is completely misinterpreted by the sh*t ai translating it. <<less
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ZephyrFpv
ZephyrFpv rated it
March 7, 2023
Status: c443
Er Gen is back. I read all his novel aside a few chapters from a World Worth Protecting (which I disliked) and I promise you that Outside of Time has all the ingredients to stand close to the top (I won't say at the top because it's too early and is a matter of taste).

I started my Dao journey with MGA and ATG, went through WMW, Emperor Domination, A record of a mortal journey to immortality, Desolate Era, Ancient Strenghtening Technique, Martial World and True Martial World, I am... more>> The Fated Villain, Chotic God Sword, Sovereign of The Three Realms, The Great Ruler, Wu Dong Qian Kun, Heavenly Jewl Change, Sage Monarch, The Founder of Diabolism, Sage Monarch and at least another dozen...

I believe that my Dao of reading through the years has crossed bad, shallow, good and excellent novels, so let me tell you again: Outside of Time is a top novel! <<less
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Wakashii
Wakashii rated it
November 1, 2022
Status: c417
This was my previous review (chap 137) :

... more>>
Spoiler

Almost everyone knows Er Gen and what I can say is that he's by far one of the best authors rn.

This novel, until now, is ridiculously good. It's a mix of the usual cliché (ISSTH) with a lot of misteries (POTT) involved.

Our MC looks like an average kid trying to survive, he had his lucky chance and everything that he does is to survive. The world building is very good, not everyone is bad, not everyone is good and the only real ''villain'' is very smart.

There's no romance, the MC meet few girls and not a single one was important enough. You can say that he's a teenager that only cares for surviving in this cruel world. Even so, he's a hunter, extremaly serious, doesn't make jokes and it's more like a quiet beast. He would treat others the same way they treat him, as usual from Er Gen's MCs.

I would say that this novel can become my favorite one, I read 137 chapters and even with a lot of improvement, looks like I just read 30 chapters, it's like a novel that could get with thousands of chapters without being repetitive and even now, we didn't see anything from the entire world.

Side characters are kinda meh until now, I read about few interesting ones but truly well made are being showed rn since... (i'll put the spoiler but it's not that big deal)

MC is going to enter a sect and in this place starts to appears a lot of interesting people

I would say an easy 5/5 until now and has a lot of potential, there's no face slapping and arrogant young masters since they are aware of their envirolment, the world is about the law of the jungle but it's like everyone understand that and people are not dumb, so far, I think very few characters can be called dumb, in other words, ppl are self-aware of the state of the world.

[collapse]

Now I'm at 417 and I should make some changes.

First of all, this novel is THE BEST novel from Er Gen, whoever read just a few dozens and did a review, just forget, they are not even close to the essence of the novel.

I said in my previous review that there wasnt many side characters interesting, well, it's like Er Gen read my comment and wanted to tell me to shut up. This novel is one of the best in terms of side characters.

Everyone is awesome, everyone is different and have motivations for those actions, everyone is smart, there's no old dumb cultivators, only cunning ones. The MC is insane, he's not ridiculous op, he's hard working even so he's very talented and had lucky chances, but every genius is like that (ofc our MC is a tier above).

It's not like any of Er Gen's previous work, it's a mix of the best aspects of his novels, it has comedy, a dark world, a lot of mysteries and a lot of emotions, you can feel MC's happiness, angry and sadness.

Already one of my fav novels. 10/10

100% worth a reading. <<less
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Kit1sunii rated it
August 1, 2022
Status: c117
NOTE: I'm not very good in writing reviews but firstly, since this is an Er Gen novel, I gotta share it with others. Secondly, unlike his previous two novels, this will be a serious one like Renegade Immortal so I have high hopes for it. Contains very little spoilers, I don't think they matter a lot because they only happened within only 100 chapters.

An abondoned world, ruined by gods is a dangerous place to live. A rain of blood almost caused the extinction of humanity and beasts. Be it mortals... more>> or immortals, they all shared the same fate. Years later when the restoration of civilization achieved a certain point, cultivators started to appear again. Since techniques, manuals and information were lost, humans had to start with a mostly blank page. And this story, tells the experiences of a fourteen year old boy, who started cultivating by chance.

Xu Qing, the protoganist of this novel lives near a rundown city and corpes were everywhere in the city. He had to do anything to live. He ate raw, used items of dead people and all of these caused him to be like a wild animal. He is extremely cautious and cunning because if he let down his guard for even a few seconds, death awaited him. If he didn't have the power, he used tricks. Humans could be the cause of his death too, thus he didn't mind killing humans for the sake of survival. He doesn't let go of his enemies too, he finishes the job because he knows that they will cause him future trouble if he doesn't kill them.

At some point in the story, humans appeared. When Xu Qing met other people he couldn't and didn't want to socialize with them, he grew up like an animal so he felt uncomfortable around humans. But despite all of these he experienced warmth too. He helped a little girl just for his own goals but after experiencing the girl's kindness towards himself, his heart softened a bit. He grew up to love an old man like his own family, he wanted warmth, attention and this old man gave them to him. He also got a master who payed attention to him, and shared all of his knowledge. But let me remind you guys again, this is an Er Gen's novel. And the path of an MC written by him isn't a happy one. He parts with the little girl, and his master at some point. But what affected him the most was the old man's inevitable death.

The world building seems interesting, the MC is nice but what I find absurd is the fact that Foundation Building cultivators are considered as powerhouses lmao. Actually when you think about it, it makes sense since this is a post apocalyptic world but it still sounds absurd to me after knowing that there's even tenth step and so on (probably). I look forward to the MC's growth in personality, hope there's more tragedy. I want to cry to my heart's content. <<less
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strixflash
strixflash rated it
January 5, 2024
Status: c530
I regret to say that I can't offer praise for the novel. The concept is intriguing, set in a dystopian cultivation world with a clever and low-key main character. However, the issue lies in its repetitive nature – each storyline feels the same, and there's a lack of character development. While it's a common challenge for xianxia novels, many successfully captivate readers by offering entertainment.

Regrettably, Beyond The Timescape falls short in this aspect. In his earlier works, such as A Will Eternal and ISSTH, the author, ErGen, entertained through comedy... more>> or a cold yet likable protagonist like Wang Lin in Renegade Immortal.

Unfortunately, this novel doesn't share the same success. It's poorly written, and the author seems to believe he's creating a masterpiece.

Furthermore, the author frustratingly tends to ruin the endings by providing abrupt conclusions and leaving crucial plot points about the main villain or world unexplained. This tactic appears to coerce readers into picking up his next book. What's even more disappointing is that, despite being over 10 years in the making, we still haven't received answers for his previous works like ISSTH and A Will Eternal. I would recommend skipping this one to avoid unnecessary frustration. <<less
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MonkeDanana
MonkeDanana rated it
August 21, 2023
Status: c280
This was interesting at first but later it became boring. It's just the usual arrogant young masters provoking the MC. The gods and other stuff never appeared again after MC joined the sect. It's just the MC doing mission to earn spirit stones and different arrogant young masters keep provoking the MC.

The sect is also shit. They encourage their disciples to kill each other secretly. I don't understand why MC don't just quit the sect or change to other sect since staying there puts him in danger. The benefit from... more>> sect is also pretty meh. For example Foundation Establishment cultivator gets 5, 000 spirit stones every month. But a single pill or weapon for Foundation Establishment cost several hundred thousands even millions spirit stones. So most of MC and other people's resources comes from looting other sect/organization instead.

Most cultivator have the same personality. Almost no good cultivator in this novel. As for MC's strength, he's not weak but not that strong either. Because no matter how strong the MC grows, his enemies will always be stronger than him.

Cultivation speed is inconsistent. When MC practice body refinement. At first it took few days to make a breakthrough, then it took a month to make a breakthrough, then it's back to a few days again to make a breakthrough. When MC cultivate qi technique, it took a few months for the MC to expand his spirit sea from 70 to 100 zhang but then later it only took 3 weeks for the MC to increase from 290 zhang to 470 zhang without any special resource.

Anyway the beginning was interesting when it's about the gods but later it never appeared again and it became the usual generic novel filled with endless arrogant young master. <<less
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Slief
Slief rated it
July 9, 2022
Status: c40
So far at chapter 40 it's painting a solid plot and world building, clearly exposing us for what's to come, it start's of with the MC, at 14 years old. the whole city he was caught in an incident, he survives (By means which we don't know yet, probably will come later in the novel) and displays to us his cautious and ruthless character, but deep inside you can clearly tell he is still a child and the ruthlessness and cautioun is forced onto him because of his situation.

anyways I'm... more>> not good at reviews so I will just sum it up, Good world building, character development even though it's only been 40 chapters. we're exposed to some emotional parts and.... okay okay anyways it's good that's what I'm trying saying so I suggest you read it. <<less
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VillageMoron
VillageMoron rated it
May 28, 2024
Status: c680
I am severely disappointed by the amount of drop dead s*upid reviews from lobotomy patients who read the MTL instead of the actual translation. I have read a lot of cultivation novels and this by far the best. It's actually crazy how easily it mogs every other Er Gen novel.

Story 6/5

Supporting characters 6/5

Main character 3/5 (hes a fine vessel to move the story forward but not much else)

Action 5/5

This novel is very underrated.
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Bijen
Bijen rated it
October 30, 2023
Status: c851
Best Er Gen novel by far.

This novel has an amazing wold building alongside top tier storytelling and great cast of characters.

It is one of those stories that you do not just enjoy but are invested in it. And it just keeps on getting better and better.
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edvy69
edvy69 rated it
November 14, 2022
Status: c10
not a huge fan of his work but his previous stuff was better written, it almost seems

as if it is a different person and they are fixated on certain phrases such as "gleaming"

etc, either that or the translator did this novel dirty, contradictions with the character

within the first 10 chapters no real hook, I think his new way of writing is a fail

and he should've stuck to the previous way of writing not the style of novel just

the writing.
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Xenon_God
Xenon_God rated it
April 5, 2025
Status: c530
Where do I even start?

Er gen have been one of the few writers whom I admire. His works, though not perfect, have a great storytelling and world building.

But not this one...

... more>> I will skip all the unnecessary rant and will directly put forward the things I believe drag down the novel. If this novel were to be released from another person, it would be a mediocre novel at best.

The first thing that made me roll my eyes countless times is the constant description of how MC is so good looking and bewitching. I get it... he is handsome. There is no need to remind us readers every ten or so chapters.

The second problem with this novel is how it just follows another shitty cliche format instead of reinventing. Remember Pursuit of truth and Renegade Immortal? The two novels were the peak of what Xianxia are. Full of uncertainties, world building and exploration. How MC's of those two novels took years upon years to comprehend their own moves and skills. How the MC's there were completely independent and were mostly lone wolf.

Here it is completely opposite. Usually, Er gen's sect arc would be over in a few hundred or so chapters and then MC would move on. BUT here....

Here it is all about MC joining one sect, then other faction, and then other and then other... He is basically being appointed to positions without any freewill of his own. It's like he is just a robot whose sole function is to follow arrangements that others made for him.

Him joining the sword faction was the last nail in the coffin for me. Basically he joins the faction not because he truly wants to, but just because someone said they are recruiting. He had no thoughts of his own. Basically his whole mindset is that if you offends me then I will kill you. Basically, like every other chinese novel in existence.

I don't know man, but I am deeply disappointed in it. On one hand, author talks about how the MC usually liked to hide himself and on the other hand, he is openly showing off in front of every other person.

Now let's come to the one unforgiving sin that I absolutely can not tolerate in Er gen novel... and that is the power structure.

Before this dogsh*t novel (not considering the three ass novels including issth, awe, awwp), his first two novels had an awesome power structure. It took decades or even centuries for MC to step into the next realm. There weren't any young masters or geniuses that would pop out at every turn. But here...

Here you will find 20 year olds who have stepped into golden core realm. And not in a good way. The MC will level up once, and then we will find out that there are already 20 years old more talented than him who have already stepped further. WTF are you smoking Er gen? I can expect this from a third grade fast-food tr*sh novel, not from you...

Also... the people around the MC are already at the peak of their world. So, any progress that MC makes seems insgnificant. One can not just write about beings ten levels above MC who are actively partaking in the story and then expect readers to get excited about MC's breakthrough. It is just not happening. It feels more like a chore as we want to see him strong.

In the earlier novels, MC at least used to be alone after breaking through, raoming the world. At least for some chapters, we truly felt the majesty of the realm and how MC is so strong and truly matters in the story. But here...? MC will step into foundation realm and there will be golden core all around him. He will step into golden core, there will be nascent soul all around him.

He never once truly felt like "THE MC". Instead he always felt like an underdog.

Also, fuk the sword techniques and sword skills. Every goddamn tr*sh novel has MC carrying a sword and comprehending a heaven defying sword skill. The earlier MC's at least were all rounded and used their skills, bodies to fight instead of this f*cking sword.

Sigh...

In the end, if you are a newcomer, do read this novel, it is good.

But if you are a long term Er gen fan and have been expecting something good... Just give it up. His glory days are long gone. It is just another glorified piece of mediocrity with no redeeming qualities. <<less
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Xvxvx
Xvxvx rated it
April 3, 2024
Status: c966
My favourite cultivation novel so far.

The story has amazing pacing, there is no boring power ups, and to be fair, for quite a few chapters now, the cultivation part hasn't been as important as the story. It's kind of there, but not in your face.

The story has many epic moments, most of them have nothing to do with powering up. The epic moments give the novel a surprisingly realistic feel. Whether they are heartwarming or devastating.

The characters all have a unique identity and seem almost as important as the MC.... more>> At this point in the story I think a lot of readers would agree that the novel wouldn't be the same without the elder brother, who is almost the MC himself. There are few throwaway characters, similar to ISSTH but better.

I find the MC to be very well written, you can tell the author is a decent bloke. The MC does not need the approval of others at all so he is very likeable. Author never talks in a roundabout way of how special or lucky MC is, everyone in this novel matters (MC matter's just a tiny bit more). He does highlight MCs peerless looks often, which some people don't like (as a 1%er, I like). Tldr: MC is not Cringe.

I like that the author has worked on himself a lot and it shows in this novel better than ever. No attention seeking, no possessiveness, no pointless ambition, self-compassion. Very evident with his numerous "quotations" of the Tao.

10/10 <<less
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house12
house12 rated it
May 13, 2024
Status: c635
I am very surprised at the low scores, this is shaping up to be one of the best Er Gen novels along with ISSTH and AWE.

What really sets this apart is the character development of the non MC characters. The supporting characters actually do stuff and accomplish things without the MC. I would like to see more of that.
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LeaningMaple
LeaningMaple rated it
March 6, 2024
Status: c540
I don't need to post a review since there are countless positive ones already, but I will anyway. I'll try to share a slightly different perspective that isn't just blanket praise.

Er Gen is one of the best cultivation novel authors, but some of his recent novels had not been as good as RI and ISSTH, so and I was skeptical Beyond The Timescape (known here on NU as Outside of Time) would be qualitatively different at the core, despite how rock-solid writing quality, storytelling, and pacing is in the early... more>> chapters. Are you someone who's also cautious toward praise for BTT because you think like this, too? Well, then here's what I want to tell you:

1. The first time BTT blew my mind was around chapter 260. The fight was just SO GOOD. It was then I realized... Er Gen has refined his writing style for battles. The technique-related tactics have been simplified compared to the likes of, say, ISSTH, focusing on blowing up enemies with his superior might (like AWE body cultivation)... but there are a lot more situational and environment tactics, and tactics that involve fighting multiple opponents effectively and using deception. One of the MC's traits is his insistent on layered secrecy. However, Er Gen DID NOT abandon tactical cultivation battles, he just saved them for later! After this fight, there were at least 2 more mind-blowingly good multi-chapter fights in later chapters (I've read up to 540 at present). BTT's boss battles actually outdo ever other Er Gen novel I've read (which, for the record, is all of his previous ones besides Against Heaven, and I finished 3/5 of them), including the final fight against the 10th Wang Clan Patriarch in ISSTH.

2. The side characters are also handled better than in every other Er Gen novel I've read. For one, none of them are forgotten. They are all distinct. They all have a distinct role, are almost all brought forward through the story and kept relevant. They almost all have their own clear backgrounds and goals, and none of them are bland sycophants. There is one particular side character who receives a vast amount of character development, to the point I'd almost call him the second protagonist; I'm reminded of the MC's 2 friends in the novel Stellar Transformations.

3. Er Gen does present humor, but he does not let it take over the narrative! The serious battles are serious, there are no gag-like twists used to resolve major conflicts. The MC has to work hard to achieve his goals, he doesn't constantly have some old grandpas suddenly take a liking to him and make it easy, as you'd see in other novels.

4. I'm sure you've heard this already if you read another detailed review: the worldbuilding, foreshadowing, and recollection of plot points is meticulous and top-tier. The translator also puts incredible effort into pointing out references and helping immerse readers in the plot's complexity. There were times in previous Er Gen novels where I felt like he forgot his plans or changed them mid-way through and pretend he had been planning it all along, but I haven't felt that way yet in BTT. Everything actually matters... paying attentions to details actually matters. It's a joy to read a story like this. This is by far the best-written Er Gen novel and the best-translated Er Gen novel, so I wouldn't be surprised if it even ropes in people who couldn't enjoy ISSTH.

I will never able to forget some of the most incredible parts of RI and ISSTH. Especially in RI, the incredible weight and karma of "Ancestor Lin", and his line in a certain arc: "I'm not willing!" It was less than a decade ago I read it, but feels like ages ago since I've read so many cultivation novels that don't measure up since. However, BTT actually presents a story that can, in many ways, do so, particularly in the boss fights and worldbuilding (points 1 and 4 above). Don't sleep on it.

On a side note, I took a look at a couple of rare "negative" reviews of BTT here, and unlike what's often the case with other novels where I say "okay, that's a fair criticism"... minor rant.

Spoiler

I can't wrap my head around them, and they don't seem to provide any concrete details on why they think the novel is "poorly written" or "full of young masters" (I can only think of a single one who isn't immediately deconstructed into comic relief or irrelevance... and he's quite capable and doesn't rely on dao protectors to fight). When I review a novel, I like to talk about what flaws people are most likely to identify, to be fair, but these other reviews aren't even worth reference. (Some of these people seem to even dislike Er Gen novels overall; to be blunt, the first Er Gen novels you read should ideally be ISSTH and probably RI which are masterpieces. That's why I composed this review in a way that referenced those other novels. But yeah, if you disliked them, you will probably dislike BTT.) A better potential example of a flaw of BTT would simply be that the MC is largely a Gary Stu, or that the reader simply can't relate to him because he's too stoic, or that the reader can't enjoy feel-good massacres, though those are more personal biases or part of the nature of cultivation novels as a whole. Reminder, folks: talking about what you wish a novel was about isn't a valid criticism! Only saying that it does its job poorly or doesn't have the components required to entertain its target demographic would be a valid criticism. If you want a romance, don't read an Er Gen novel. Too bad we can't comment on other reviews.

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Face The Fact
Face The Fact rated it
November 4, 2023
Status: --
It was very interesting at the beginning but it becomes worse and worse ever since MC joined the sh*tty sect...

It is literally cutthroat competition...

It is beyond ridiculous seeing 'jade beauties' blindly throwing themselves upon him despite MC being so cold...

Those annoying arrogant 'young masters/young elitists' picking up fights with MC for no sensible reason are also started showing up and becoming plot devices...

MC's himself is also not that likable...

Just because someone is 'cold, ' it doesn't mean that he is also 'cool'...

... more>>
Spoiler

If I were MC's shadow, I would rather die than serving such an *sshole tyrannical master...

I would rather seeing the patriarch die than becoming MC's s*ave...

It's really sickening seeing an enemy using his brains reduced to something like that...

I keep wondering whether the captain is the real MC here...

The captain is ruthless but also cool and easy-going compared to MC who is being ruthless but so cold to the extent of being cutthroat paranoid...

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Lordwizzy
Lordwizzy rated it
October 11, 2022
Status: --
I think this will be a very intresting novel, the action is dope, and the most important stuff Is the MC. He doesn't have a hero complex of saving every body, he minds his business and thinks rationally
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