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Series Group
Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Type
Web Novel (KR)
Genre
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Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 466 votes)
5    67% (313 votes)
4    9% (42 votes)
3    9% (43 votes)
2    6% (29 votes)
1    8% (39 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
Author(s)
One entry per line
Artist(s)
One entry per line
Year
Example: 2012
2021
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
1195 Chapters (Ongoing):
— Part 1: 541 Chapters (Completed)
— Part 2: 654 Chapters (Ongoing)
Licensed
No
Completely Translated
No
Original Publisher
One entry per line
English Publisher
One entry per line
N/A
Release Frequency
Every 2.1 Day(s)
Activity Stats
[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #22
Monthly Rank: #50
All Time Rank: #262
Reading List
[Graph]
On 6424 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #64
All Time Rank: #994

Description

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

Gu Yangcheon commited a lot of evil while serving the Heavenly Demon. But now Heavenly Demon was dead and Yangcheon became a prisoner of ‘Celestial Sword’ Wi Seol-Ah, the heroine who vanquished his master.

In his regrets, he answered her desperate questions, which resulted in his own death due to a curse meant to prevent any betrayal.

But then, he suddenly found himself regressed to the time of the first meeting between him and Wi Seol-Ah.

Filled with burden of his past crimes, he embarks on a new journey.

Associated Names
One entry per line
CFZ
Childhood Friend of the Zenith Under the Heavens
Shadow of the Supreme [Official Manhwa]
The Zenith's Childhood Friend
천하제일인의 소꿉친구
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road (3)
The Ruler Of Darkness (3)
The Main Heroines are Trying to Kill Me (2)
A Sect Leader’s Ascension (2)
My Daughters Are Regressors (2)
Martial Elf (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Grimm.exe
  2. good Harem
  3. My Ancestor is more powerful
  4. KR Murim Novels
  5. THE BEST OF THE BEST (Romance/Harem/System/Action)

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/06/25 Genesis Studio c415
06/05/25 Genesis Studio c414
06/03/25 Genesis Studio c413
05/30/25 Genesis Studio c411
05/29/25 Genesis Studio c410
05/27/25 Genesis Studio c409
05/26/25 Genesis Studio c408
05/22/25 Genesis Studio c406
05/20/25 Genesis Studio c405
05/19/25 Genesis Studio c404
05/15/25 Genesis Studio c402
05/13/25 Genesis Studio c401
05/12/25 Genesis Studio c200
05/09/25 Genesis Studio c399
05/06/25 Genesis Studio c397
123…28
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Review
72 Reviews


Sorrowful
New Sorrowful
May 21, 2025
Status: c400
While writing reviews for other novels which I've read, and reading new novels which I haven't before, I somehow managed to let this gem slip past my review-radar.

I am going to primarily focusing on four parts: Story, action, characters and romance.

Getting into the heavy hitter, the story is phenomenal. It is about a martial artists, gu yangcheon, who during his life made many bad decisions and has garnered a plethora of regrets. He is somehow given a second chance in life and has regressed during his early childhood (I would... more>> guess around 12-14 y/o). He now has to do his best to gather as much strength as possible before rallying against his former boss? Owner? It's a bit too complicated and I have to go into spoilers to explain, so we do what we are best known for, turning a blind away😉. This is the basic premise, without explaining too much of his past life, because those flashbacks are treasure troves. Our MC truly had f*cking aura and he shows that. Although this sound generic, I promise you that the plot-twists that come after are amazing. This is due to one simple fact, the tag 'Unreliable Narrator'. Our narrator, Yangcheon, is sometimes clueless, othertimes entirely wrong about certain events and individuals. There IS a reason for that, which is explained much much later in the story. The 'unreliable narrator' is just a good plot device which keeps everything fresh. The author manages to make this seemingly overused and generic plot into something amazing. Regressor stories with murim settings have been done countless times, but this one might just be the best of them all. I've read more than enough of those stories, and usually they are the same story foretold many times. The author just managed to cook.

The Action, precisely scenes and descriptions in this novel are very nice. They are detailed enough to make you visualise them in your head, and are not a mess of complex words trying to sound fancy. Usually, the action does not span over multiple chapters, maybe a maximum of 2-3 chapters on a generous day. However, action scenes occur frequently so we get plenty of action. Similar to other murim novels, the action involves martial arts, sword battles, brawl fights, qi, and so on. Later on in the story, we get to see more unique energies and techniques.

Moving on to the characters, they have personality and feel fun to read. Their interaction are no robotic AI conversations but feels like humans actually trying to communicate with each other. Well... due to our lunatic MC whom middle name should have been 'violence', there are not always conversations to be had, but fights. Our MC is knows for his sharp and scary facial features and is compared to a praying mantis😅. Other characters originate from traditional clans such as the namgung, peng and tang clans. This is a bit standardized across all murim novels but it's logical since they did actually exist. Regarding the MCs family, his father is an antisocial dude, his mother is gone, his stepmom is expressionless and cold, his little sister has left the house temporarily, the middle sister is an arrogant brat with a superiority complex, and the only two individuals who show care to him are his eldest sister, and the second elder. In general, the Gu clan is full of mysteries and secrets which the MC is trying to uncover in his second life.

The romance is done rather nicely. There has been no rushing as of yet. Currently, there are 4 girls which are trying to snatch yangcheon for themselves. They have interesting identities personalities and traits. Due to the fact that yangcheon has past history with them from his first life, the progress has been rather slow, since he mostly dodges interactions with them due to guilt or annoyance. However, as of later chapters, he manages to acknowledge that he wishes for them to stay by his side, and is slowly trying to unravel his feelings while tossing away past guilt. Overall, this novel is definitely in my top 10. I have read it twice or thrice, and enjoyed it every time. It has interesting events, plot-twists, character interactions, action scenes and powers. If you are looking for something to read, I would recommend that you give this one a chance. <<less
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mja
mja
Aug 11, 2023
Status: c55
The main character feels like beta JP MC half the time and acts like an idiot the other half, the novel is repetitive with a new female character that is interested in the MC showing up every dozen chapter or so. The dialogue is all over the place and the plot is boring consisting of go to new place find convenient magical power up beat up an arrogant young master and rinse and repeat overall this is tr*sh no different then the rest.

the denseness and s*upidity of the MC of... more>> someone who was supposedly reincarnated is astounding he is always absolutely shocked about the appearance of a character from his past life and always tries to run away as he is always terrified from them even though they show no signs of hostility and his reactions and dialogue is literally copied and pasted again and again even in the same chapter the laziness of the author shows, You'd have to be brain dead to enjoy this novel. <<less
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bboi
bboi
Nov 01, 2022
Status: c400
Synopsis: The main character Gu-Yangcheon is the only son of the Gu clan and one of the heavenly demon's most trusted men. After dying with many regrets, he has been regressed to the past by a mysterious power.

Review: A unique novel that has a mix of martial arts, regression, and rifts that spew out monsters. Combined with solid writing and good character development, makes it no wonder that this novel is one of the most highly rated in novelpia with Over 17 million views.

This novel has a somewhat slow start... more>> but once you get over that you'll be hooked to read even more of it.

I'm just gonna keep it short so you guys/girls can read to decide yourself, also props to the translation team that picked this up. <<less
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Fluffums
Fluffums
May 30, 2023
Status: c57
I've gotten tired of the complete disconnect between the main character's expectations and reality. He's in a completely different position and has acted completely differently from his past life, so of course people would treat him differently. The people he met during a continent-wide devastating war were different before the war when they were innocent children... Why is that surprising? Why is it still surprising the tenth person he meets? The third time he meets the same person?

I'm honestly interested in the answers to the mysteries presented so far, and... more>> I like a lot of the characters, but it annoys me to no end that he continually gets surprised over characters acting consistently with how they've acted in front of him in the current life. It's to the point where these misunderstandings and dense protagonist behaviors have taken over the plot, and the protagonist has not even realized that maybe he could be wrong about anyone at all. Let alone that he's been wrong about pretty much everyone for 30 chapters or so... <<less
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utrabrite
utrabrite
Nov 03, 2022
Status: c500
This is a very very popular series and I was kinda surprised it wasn't being translated. Great to see that an awesome translation team has picked this up and will no doubt do it justice

If I had to summarize: Gu Yang Cheon is the heir to a respected family despite not having a reputation that befits his station. Circumstances cause him to eventually defect to the Heavenly Demon Cult where he rises in stature and becomes feared throughout the central plains. It is at the end of a long war... more>> between the Righteous and Demon sects, wherein the Heavenly Demon ends up dying, that our protagonist becomes regretful of his life choices once he is at death's door. For some mysterious reason, he returns to his childhood where he is faced with an almost inevitable future

This series is highly acclaimed for a reason. It does take a while to get going but no doubt you'll be hooked once it does <<less
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Teddy1337
Teddy1337
Dec 10, 2023
Status: c282
Started quite interesting

... more>>
Spoiler

Protagonist was one of main subordinates of Heavenly Demon in his previous life. Then he died and reincarnated with the ability of devouring different kinds of power/mana, which he acquired from his demon lord in the past. Soon after, he meets future protagonist (who will slain a lot of demons, including him) and becomes her friend. Also, at reincarnated time he had status of very spoiled powerless child. So, there will be a lot of moments when everyone look down on him and pick fights with him.

[collapse]
But later, author starts to re-tell facts which he already stated in first chapters, and it happens that almost everything, which we were told at the beginning of story was lie or very strange interpretation (and we have no plot reason for that, only author desire to make the story look deeper then it is).

Spoiler

I don't remember exact chapters when we discover new facts which contradict old ones, but anyway. Later, we are told that Heavenly Demon is not actually a demon at all, it is just a very powerful cultivator, who could gives power to his 'believers'. And after that, people will obey the will of that 'demon' to the point, that they will kill their parent or siblings if demon asks them to do so. And our reincarnator is same, he just did bad things according to will of a bad guy, but not to his own. I don't say that it is very bad plot twist, but I don't like reinterpretation of what was told.

[collapse]

It feels that some of the chapters I've read had misleading information and are not necessary to read at all.

I should also say something about harem. There is a lot of words and sentences about girls who for some reasons fall in love with MC (and those reason are very s*upid in most cases). Those reasons are not explained at all, and they work because author wants to have at least 4 girls who love MC.

Spoiler

So, the most reasonable love is from future demon slayer, because it appears that she also reincarnated and she remembers good deeds from MC. (Probably author could figure out some other s*upid twist and ot won't be like I said, but at 282 chapter it goes like I stated).

Next one is girl, who is very strong swordsman and was partner of MC when he and she were 'demons'. She loves MC becouse he has no bad smell (it really what was stated in novel). For some reason (which is not explained and probably won't be explained till the end) everyone has rotten smell except for MC for that girl. And when they met, she couldn't resist his good smell (wtf), and even became his wife.

So, third one is strong toxic master, and she loves MC beacuse he has good appearance in her eyes (everyone else say that MC is kinda ugly). It is not that strange reason, but at that moment when they meet, he already had previous girl (and after 20-40 chapters he engaged with her). And engagement didn't stop toxic girl at all, and it just strange in my eyes.

Fourth one is the girl, who MC actually dated in previous life. She is presented as very smart manipulator (but smat my ***, it is not like this at all). She loves MC, because he could heat her body with his magic and none could except for him.

[collapse]

If you read my spoilers, it becomes obvious that author is really bad at making up reasons for love relationship. But not only that, it works the same way for plot. Illogical events happen time to time and as story goes those events happen more are more often. It also includes mc's behaviour and thoughts.

What also irritates me is the amount of 'cringe romantic' moments per chapter. I could read novels with romance subplot, it is not a problem at all for me. But in this novel it feels not as subplot, but as an actual plot. At least fourth part of each chapter is about MC patting someone's head or eating dumplings with one or another girl. Those moments are quite repetitive and it is really irritating to read them for 10th or 20th time.

Overall, pretty average. Kinda interesting premise, but author ruined it with his pretty s*upid plot twists (and plot development in general) and absence of ideas for chapters' plot (which he filled with 'patting head', 'eating dumplings' and 'stretching cheeks') <<less
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DemianTurned
DemianTurned
Feb 13, 2023
Status: c27
TLDR: From Chapter 27, it reads similar to a story about regrets. The MC is smart, and knows his limits. During the earlier chapters, there was a more psychological approach to writing, but I feel as if the story is transforming into a basic plot at this rate.

CONS (from chapter 27) :

  • The character knows he shouldn't say yes, but most times end’s up saying so— surprise, all these situations are with female characters.
  • Translation group hoards all recent chapters and asks for payment to view them. They release 1-2 chapters whenever they feel like it.
  • There is a possible entryway towards a cliché regression trope. I hope the author does not take it.
  • ... Harem.
PROS:

  • The writing is near perfect. The psychological aspects are very emotional, you are able to see a character’s inner turmoil, it is what makes this story special.
  • MC is smart, knows his limits, and is also not omniscient.
  • MC knows his experience. Compared to the kids his age, he’s obviously superior to them because of it; despite being weaker physically.
All in all, I would rate this a 4.5/5 story at Chapter 27.

I urge you all to read the story for yourselves and see if it’s good enough to continue.
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Deguredolf Hitanyalier
Deguredolf H
Nov 01, 2022
Status: c0
This review shall be edited time to time, I also haven't read ahead yet so I'll just say my simple review based off chapter 0,

I just really love the genre drama, tragedy and regret.

That's what I felt at the start,

... more>> So I am anticipating for a drama to shed me tears but it seems the tags in NU are insufficient, but it will definitely have so on

And no this is not your typical brainless harem plot, every character is well written and the romance is very fine, perhaps even better than the romance writing of Main Heroines not that I meant to say it's bad.

Again I shall edit this time to time, so I deeply wish you all a good read I highly recommend it based off the high rated reviews from Novelpia. <<less
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Krypton71
Krypton71
Jul 02, 2023
Status: c68
Geneuinely a good adventurous-type read.

3 Cons making me drop though...

- Dense MC (Which people chalk upto his past but these excuses fail to take away the annoying factor of this con).

... more>> - MC played around by one big shot after another and the self-justification that it was for his own good after the ordeal (Sure, the MC is weak af (debatable) right now but it's not something you expect out of a guy who regressed- at least not what I would've hoped for).

- The annoying hated protagonist trope (need I say more) and the buttload of misunderstandings that come along with it.

anyways, don't let my review stop you from diving in. Besides these 3 cons, it's genuinely a good read. Just for me it's hit a bottom line and so I dropped, but I'm sure for many the action and the adventure and the interesting heroines will keep you hooked. <<less
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Elion
Elion
Mar 17, 2024
Status: c156
This story had a lot of potential, and probably still does, however I dislike the amount of information hiding it does, 156 chapters in, and we keep getting more and more questions and no answers, it's very poor writing if you ask me.

Also every female character introduced HAS to love the main character, it's kinda too much.
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LordMashiro
LordMashiro
Mar 26, 2023
Status: c150
This is my first Murim novel so I am not sure if other Murim's are like this. But I have read a couple of Wuxia/Xianxia/Xuanhuan novels which is the equivalent genre among CN. A rough trend I've noticed is that while Wuxia/Xianxia novels are more character-driven, usually at the expense of having vague or ill-defined power system, Xuanhuan's tend to focus more on the fantasy aspect and flashy powers. I feel like Childhood Friend of the Zenith belongs to the former category, but with the added bonus of having a... more>> more clear and simple power system.

Another thing I personally appreciate is that the novel is not h**ny, for a novel in the harem genre. This is best reflected in the illustrations of the female characters. In most harem novels, the female characters are drawn either in suggestive poses or outfits for fanservice irrelevant of their personality. Here, the illustrations feel like they respect the character and setting rather than being made for the h**ny.

The one thing that really puts me off about this novel is how the MC is an adult in a child and the young girls liking him. At the very least, MC doesn't make any moves on the girls, but the reason for that does not seem to be due to any age gap issues but because of his own emotional scars from his past life.

What's worse is that even when an old master knew MC was an adult in a child, he didn't bat an eye at the issue and was actually jealous that MC was popular with girls. The worst thing is that this issue is never addressed within the story as far as I read, and gives the impression that the author is just willfully turning a blind eye to it.

It bothers me so much cause there is a lot of fluff slice of life romance with the girls and MC and it constantly reminds me of how weird the setup is. When the story focus on the fights, adult characters (which are genuinely interesting), overarching plot / mystery, previous life backstory etc., is when it actually becomes interesting. <<less
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abhijeet619
abhijeet619
Jan 01, 2024
Status: c158
It's my first time reviewing a novel, so please bear with me.

It is a regression novel. In the previous timeline MC was part of the evil faction and was captured by the heroine who was from opposite faction (Childhood friend). He then dies when he gives forbidden information about his camp to CF. Then he regresses back to when he was a teenager. At first MC was content with being passive with his life but some circumstances forced him to be proactive. MC acts like a tsundere most of the... more>> times. He is strong (regression so obviously), he doesn't act arrogantly and is pretty chill most of the times. As for side characters most of them pretty good. Mc's dynamics with the side characters in the novel is great especially with the girls. That's the thing I look forward to most. All girls are unique and have their own dynamics with MC. As for plot basically it's Humans vs demons. Where I am reading there still a few years left till the war starts. The story still feels like a prologue even after 150+ chapters though a lot has happened. Also the bro characters in the novel are great too like the guy from peng clan, the one from Mount hua, MC's bodyguard. Their interaction with MC is great to read. Now coming to translation quality; It's great. Also we get regular updates (4 ch/week) so props to genesistls. <<less
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FinnJoe
FinnJoe
Sep 08, 2024
Status: c250
There are many things that I love and hate about this novel.

Let's start with the positive:

  • Great premise and interesting story. Once in a while we get small glimpses about Mc's past and it slowly pieces together what happened in the previous timeline and it all just fits together perfectly
  • Great waifus
  • Great and cool MC (at times)
  • Good world building
  • Good side-characters (hit or miss)
  • Good redemption for some bad ones. Really like when villains are redeemed and becomes allies.
Now for the negatives:

  • This novel suffers from "tell, don't show". When in reality it should be "show, don't tell". From the very first chapter, we are told that MC used to be a very bad person, but this is only told to us, it is never shown. Even during flashbacks, the "horrible acts" of his are completely ignored, at most, they are implied.
  • Another thing, closely tied to the above point, is that yes MC is great, cool and "bad", but this is only if neither his family or waifus are involved. If they are, MC becomes a complete pushover.

    An example of an interaction between MC and a waifu:

    Mc: "Waifu is coming this way... in this live, I don't wanna be involve with her"

    Waifu: "Hey Mc!! Let's ride this carriage together"

    Mc: *I don't really want to share a carriage with her, she is so annoying* "Sure, get in"

    I'm guessing it is done this way because it is the only way the author can keep the harem with him at all times, but I feel like him being a martial artist that doesn't give a f*ck about anything but 5 minutes later acts like a Japanese romcom MC really takes away from his character.
  • The best part of the story takes place in the past, that's where the stakes were the highest, the good and bad people and MC were getting things done. But in the present, it feels sometimes like a slice of life. Barely anything happens, and the chapters I am currently reading it seems like MC is about to enter an academy for some reason???? Like... why???
  • Copypasted jokes. At first they were funny but the author just keeps on using the same jokes over and over again.
  • This is a minor detail but I'll mentioned it anyway bc it is annoying. The author repeats the same things, sometimes two times in a row but in different ways. I'm guessing this is to increase word count in the chapter, maybe he needs to reach a certain word count per chapter. Other times a chapter ends with a reveal, but then the author takes 1/4 of the next chapter making that same reveal again?

    Here's an example of the author repeating the same thing twice in a row:

    I was walking through the forest and then I stumble upon a giant yellow tree.

    "Wow! That's a really big yellow tree"

    I exclaimed as I examined it.

    This was the first time I ever seen a giant yellow tree in this forest.

    Anyways, this is pretty good. For me, it gets pretty annoying when MC intereacts with his family and waifus, which is pretty obvious after everything I mentioned above but other than that, this is a pretty good read
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iahbwm
iahbwm
Aug 21, 2024
Status: c200
This is another strong starting Korean novel that falls apart after around 100 chapters.

Here the problem is that the main character essentially becomes a martial arts Mary Sue, and both he and his childhood friend lose any of the traits that made the novel interesting to begin with.

Chapters start to feel like filler, where MC will go off on an internal tangents that have no place in the current situation nor provides any meaningful context. Most side characters get relegated to harem tropes, and the novel’s momentum gets stopped by... more>> their long-winded interactions way too often.

Even the main character loses a coherent personality and both internal monologues and interactions with others have no real consistency.

Sadly, this book gets put into the “lost the plot” bucket and it doesn’t look like it’ll dig itself out anytime soon. <<less
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wuxia952
wuxia952
Sep 06, 2023
Status: c101
As so often happens things start out okay but without any real story to tell the series rapidly goes off the rails.

My main complaint is that the writing is disproportionately about the harem. Normally it's fine, there's a harem and the girls fight over the guy for no apparent reason. This series spends _so_ much time talking about the brother sister complex that really has no depth other than "he was really mean to me once" that I got too bored to continue.

If you're looking for a story, go elsewhere.... more>> If you want to read several chapters about how everyone except the main character has an unbearable smell then this series if for you! <<less
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CapybarasOKIPULLUP
CapybarasOKI
Jan 21, 2023
Status: c20
Listen this novel is literally become one of the best novels for me. It has everything, action, good romance, a non overbearing harem and an author who knows where their story is going and can create good world building with their immersion and good writing. Also the translator quality is very high and although their pace is relatively slow its worth the wait. Look it may seem like im sucking the author and the translator off but just read it, trust me I can't convey into words how good this... more>> novel is. <<less
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Isaacbai
Isaacbai
Aug 18, 2024
Status: c245
Started off really interesting but eventually the quality dropped off too much for me to continue. When the novel is focusing on the main story/relationship between the MC and the eponymous childhood friend its really good/interesting, but the childhood friend has been sidelined for like 150+ chapters in favor of the conga line of (incredibly uninteresting, single personality trait) harem members that the MC inexplicably tolerates/has no ability to say no to or stand up to, and arcs devolve from focusing on the main story to just talking about various... more>> places MC goes with his hanger on gang of girls and their reactions, the actual interesting part of the premise has essentially vanished completely and been replaced with a generic harem power fantasy. <<less
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Hosh
Hosh
Mar 04, 2024
Status: c100
Initially when I was about to write this review (half a year-ish ago), this was gonna get 4-5 stars. When I came back however, I found that I enjoyed this novel a whole lot less.

Now I don’t know if the story just took an abrupt nosedive after I temporarily dropped it, or if my standards for cultivation novels have just skyrocketed after reading A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation, but I can barely stand this novel so brace yourselves for a lot of complaints. (These will mostly be based on chapter... more>> 60-100)

1. The MC

Now I remember the MC in this novel being fairly s*upid and whatnot but not to this extent. I get that he did tons of bad sh*t so it makes sense he’d be guilty but after 100 chapters you’d think he’d have gotten over it by now but NOPE. He keeps getting these annoying-ass chapters of character development that does absolutely nothing. It’s like his character just gets factory reset every 10 chapters so the author can copy and paste the same character flaws back onto him. 99% of the story is also written in his POV and since he is IMO the most annoying character yet it makes me hate this novel all the more. This novel would really benefit from reducing that number to an 80% maybe so we can spend time with the heroines who carry this novel.

2. Pacing

I don’t know if it’s the arc that’s the problem but the parts I’ve read since picking up this novel again are unbearably slow. For one, the whole arc is based around someone related to the protagonist so emphasis is placed on the MC and heroines’ relationship with that person. The problem is, nobody gives a shit. 60% of the arc is around rehabilitating this one new awfully written character that I have absolutely 0 attachment to, and the other 30% is centered around the MC overcoming his flaws. The very same flaws he was overcoming 50 chapters ago. Fortunately, the remaining 10%, based around the heroines, is excellent but it still doesn’t make up for the dogsh*t I had to suffer through

All in all, this novel has very high highs and even the lows are tolerable, albeit somewhat annoying. The problem is that most of the story consists of said lows. <<less
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TerraEarth
TerraEarth
Nov 20, 2023
Status: c0
An endless stream of pointless POV side chapters of already covered events, sometimes of side characters that have no part in the main story, await you in this dreadfully dull novel. I thought that combining the "gates" trope with a Murim setting sounded interesting but you hardly see any of that within the first 120 chapters and instead you're left with POV chapter after POV chapter and I really couldn't care less. The MC somehow manages to be both boring and irritating (delightful combo) and he spends the entire novel... more>> crying about his past whilst begrudgingly setting out to fix things. And I kid you not, maybe a good third of the wordcount of this novel is devoted to talking about yakgwa (korean confectionery) and dumplings. Dumpling this, yakgwa that; dumpling this, yakwa that - repeat ad nausem. Not to mention that all of the characters including the MC are 1-dimensional and uninteresting. Given the high reviews and all the comments seemingly praising this novel I gave it a chance and read through all of the chapters currently released but alas it proved to amount to nothing more than a masochistic test of my patience. <<less
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cat_shogun
cat_shogun
May 19, 2024
Status: c209
First and foremost, the progagonist is a big Tsundere. He obviously likes the girls but won't say it out loudly but instead in a sneaky way.

Second, his guilt is massive. My man got a chance to relive his life starting from childhood but instead of living a happy life the ghosts of his previous life torment him nonstop inside him mind. He says he won't help others but is the first one to run to help when problems arise mostly driven by the endless guild he feels towards the whole... more>> wolrd for the horrible acts he did in his previous life.

Our MC wants, hopes, and begs to shoulder the weight of the world on himself after getting this second chance at living just so all the people precious to him can live a happy life.

Our MC is someone dense and oblivious like other typical anime protagonists, is this a bad thing? For some yes, for some others not. In my personal opinion I think MC's enormous guilt and the absolute lack of warmth and affection he went through in his previous life turned him into someone dull to positiveness in general and while living his second life he's slowly breaking out of that cold shell.

The side characters are solid and well written. The heroines each have their own problems and worries they must overcome but don't think these girls are the maidens in need of a charming knight here. No, these girls kick ass like a horse on roids. They are strong, like, really strong. Stronger than MC but since MC has the experience from his previous life and
Spoiler

a f*cking Qi devouring monster inside him

[collapse]
he's stronger than them... For now.

Another thing to note is that the romance in here is pretty light hearted and easy to digest. The little intractions between the heroines and the MC is just adorable and I sincerely hope the girls remain happy and cozy besides the MC.

And then there's the action. What else did you expect from a murim/martial arts world novel? The action is easy to follow and easy to imagine. The explanations aren't a bible trying to sound too technical and instead it goes straight into the point leaving the reader with a good after taste in their mouth.

And finally the world. What else is there to say but the world moves on its own. The MC isn't the center of everything, things keep constatly moving beyond our beloved "loner" tiger. Evil sects move, justice sects move. The peaks of the martial world move with their own stories. Everything moves and unfolds beyond MC. If I had to compare with something it would be a tree. Our MC might be the main root but he isn't the only one there. There are many branches and roots with their own story to follow that will affect the main story in the future and it honestly feels like a pretty alive world.

And as I personally believe, don't take my words for granted, just think as them as another positive review from a guy who really enjoyed the novel so far and go explore this world for yourself! <<less
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The_Heavenly_Axiom_Daddy
The_Heavenly
Jul 31, 2023
Status: c79
"Childhood Friend of the Zenith" is a captivating light novel that skillfully blends elements of fantasy, adventure, and self-redemption. Authored with depth and imagination, this tale takes readers on an enthralling journey through a world of martial arts and fantastical rifts that unleash monsters into the realm.

The story centers around Gu Yang Cheon, a former heir of a demon cult who, burdened by remorse for his past decisions, is granted a chance to reset his life and return to his childhood. This unique regression premise sets the stage for powerful... more>> character development, as Gu Yang strives to redeem himself and find a new purpose.

While the novel starts off at a somewhat slower pace, it serves to establish the foundation for the enthralling adventure that follows. Once the groundwork is laid, the plot gains momentum and becomes an engaging and addictive experience that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages.

Gu Yang's character, while dense at times, remains intriguing due to the complex nature of his past and the impact it has on his decisions. The journey he undertakes is one of self-discovery, growth, and resilience, making him a relatable and endearing protagonist despite his flaws.

The world-building in "Childhood Friend of the Zenith" is exceptional, introducing readers to a vividly imagined realm filled with mystical creatures and enchanting landscapes. The fight scenes are described with precision, allowing readers to visualize the action without unnecessary filler, further enhancing the immersive experience.

One of the novel's standout aspects is its array of well-developed supporting characters. Each one adds depth and significance to the story, forging strong bonds with Gu Yang and contributing to the overall richness of the narrative.

While the novel does draw upon some common wuxia tropes, it executes them with finesse and introduces unique twists that keep the plot fresh and engaging. However, the use of the "hated protagonist" trope and the abundance of misunderstandings may be polarizing for some readers. <<less
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