This is a great second chance story, I recommend it.

Pro

• • MC is interesting, has backbone and an actual personality. It really feels like someone mature having regrets and going back, still wondering if he even deserves it.

• • He is dense but the kind I like, just in love, which makes it interesting for the romance aspect if you're into that. I know I very much am as I love seeing love interests struggle with both their feelings and trying to get his attention.

• • It is a good harem, the love interests are all interesting, some get strong personalities, and have their own motivations, a few of them having grudges with him as he was already a bad person back then. And best of all, it's not rushed.

• • The story goes into interesting directions, and quite a few things makes us wonder where the author wants to actually push the story. The story is long for a reason.

• • Outside of the harem, characters are interesting and developed too.

• • Very good translation.

Con

• • Not a huge fan of the young version of the main heroine, she's more of a comedic relief vs her older more serious self before regression. I hope she'll get better as the story progresses.

• • Needs some map, I have trouble understanding the scale of the world as the MC moves around.

I am writing this review as someone who has read mtl. The current translation is great but it's speed could not keep up with my greed so I went to mtl.

Anyways for the review:

The current free translated chapters don't really give much details of the future. Making MC seem like a dense/cold/avoiding character.

... more>> But slowly as more and more is revealed you will start to understand MC's personality and his reasons. Also, the story keeps getting better in the plot department.

Edit: After reaching the ch 661, I can confidently say that story only keeps on improving.

Also, I believe that current translators are making some mistakes in the translation, probably because they have not read the raws, so I would suggest them to read the raws properly so that they can better translate it.

For ex.

Spoiler

Blood Demon is Translated as Blood King. When he's supposed to be an evil demonic character. Even the Heavenly Demon Fashioned herself after him. So it isn't as if there's no connection. Even shin noya commented how similar Heavenly Demon was to his enemy Blood Demon.

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I have read with mtl, but I give up till ch 100 because my dao of broken English is lacking. The character name is very hard to read in mtl, it's parred with the Chinese xianxia novel!

anyway, my review:

this novel has really high potential, his life before regression is already very interesting and exciting.

Pro:

• • MC is badass but still has a bottom line

• • The story is interesting, many unanswered stories in his last life before regression
    Spoiler

    especially about the MC and Wi Seol relationship, and fallen MC's backstory

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• • The support char has a solid personality

• • Not a slow pace novel

Cons:

• • There is also a potential that the novel became a typical xianxia regression novel. But it could be still worth as long as the story is interesting

Overall, this novel is very recommended and has so much potential

The trend of hating on black hole dense main characters has been prevalent in recent years now. In fact, I dare say I am one of those haters, but this time, I wanted to give novels like this one with dense as heck main characters a chance. Why is that? Because I think it would be unfair to base off my review for this one on web novels that I've read before.

And this did not disappoint. The utilization of a dense main character here actually fits perfectly with its slow... more>> pacing. Over the course of the story as I read, he gradually starts to realize their feelings for him. In fact, he's only dense for a somewhat small portion of the story. Although I've had some gripes with the novel, they are something I was able to get past through and although this one wouldn't be worth 5 stars of rating, I decided to give it one since it came close.

My gripe with the novel is obviously the unnecessary suspense for the sake of suspense. The repetitive use of 'him', 'that man', 'that thing', 'it', or anything similar is fairly pervasive in the author's style of writing, making it feel cheap. As if in an attempt to combat this weakness, the author's use of other forms of foreshadowing, such as showing certain engaging scenes, and subversion of expectations is nothing short of exceptional. The author subverts expectations in a manner that keeps you engaged with the overall suspense despite the occasional feeling of cheapness that you may experience. Overall, this novel has done a very good job in that department so far.

Another gripe of mine with the novel is the fact that the protagonist's thoughts pervades throughout most of the streams of consciousness, making chapters feel sometimes tacky to read. And once again, as if to combat this, the author's use of stream of consciousness during emotional scenes really shines in a manner that you simply can't help yourself but relate to the characters' experiences.

The novel starts off fairly slow and the characters may give the impression of being 1 dimensional, but don't let the first 50 chapters fool you. The characters gradually develops as the dynamics of their relationships change over the course of the story. Once the novels starts taking off, you would certainly enjoy the experience. THIS IS A WISH-FULFILLMENT NOVEL with the harem and all, but it's well-written one and manages to execute what it wants to execute. <<less

I totally agree with mja and Fluffums. The world & history of this novel are pretty intriguing, but it's really the characters that drags this novel down in my opinion. I've only read 50+ chapters rn, but the main character is really starting to annoy me.

MC started off interesting, as someone with an inferiority complex who turned to evil and destroyed everything & everyone, only to regret it as he was dying, so now he tries to be nice in his new life but his foul mouth and anger issues... more>> still get him in trouble. A nice redemption story. In fights & confrontations, he has a spine and can stand for himself. BUT, his attitude and general behavior is really starting to annoy me. Despite being a fully grown & mature adult on the inside, he behaves like a total buffoon. Examples: always asking the same question 10-30 times when he's surprised by a piece of news or bored (think of "aRe wE tHEre yEt" or "what? I must've heard that incorrectly. Repeat that?" ×10), always being in denial with sudden circumstances, fainting from shock when he accidentally gets a convenient power-up by absorbing an artefact's qi, always thinking that ppl from his past life are the exact same today, etc.

The ways MC gets power-ups are also too convenient to my taste and feel very unearned so far. I would've much preferred he have less qi and stay "weak" for another 50ish chapters while defeating stronger opponents with his wits & battle experience, but by chapter 52 he already has more qi than his 2-year older sister and a genius (older than him) from another clan. And to reach his current qi level, he went through 2 major power-ups, both of which he was totally unconscious during and unintentionally received.

The love interests are also fairly simple and 1 dimensional. 1 genius girl is into MC cuz he doesn't stink like other ppl (*cough* Cha Hae-in in SL), 1 is madly in love with him cuz he has sharp facial features unlike other men in her life, and 1 acts like a toddler that's extremely attached to MC as she always looks for food and follows him around.

Honestly, I'm not too bothered by the 1 dimensional girls. I'm used to characters like this in other novels, mangas/hwas, etc. The girls are usually just in the story for MC to win over. But them being fairy stereotypical AND our main character being annoying really doesn't help the novel for me.

The worst part is that I actually quite like many of the support characters. MC's oldest sister is the source of MC's inferiority complex yet she still cares for him cuz he's her little brother, and she promised MC's mom (they have different mothers) she'd protect him. But MC tries to push her away, so all she can do is show tough love and force her way into his personal space. Overall, I quite enjoy her headstrong yet caring personality. MC's second sister is also very interesting. She hates MC because he's the heir of the clan despite being talentless and having a terrible personality just cuz he's a boy. She believes that their oldest sister should become lord instead, and blames MC for how unjust the situation is. But she also pities him for having no talent and losing his mother.

The sisters are the most interesting characters so far, and the other characters are fairly inoffensive for me, EXCEPT FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER.

I will continue reading the novel for now since it has a good rating and many people are loving it, but if the author doesn't fix MC's attitude soon, I will probably drop this novel. <<less

I found myself captivated by the story of a main character who's been gifted a second chance at life, seeking redemption and attempting to save the world. This series is a refreshing combination of action, fantasy, martial arts, and comedy, with a strong focus on character development and world-building.

I'm genuinely impressed by this series. It offers a unique main character and an array of colorful side characters. The blend of action, comedy, and mystery keeps me entertained and engaged throughout each chapter. The martial arts and fantastical elements are skillfully... more>> woven together, creating an enthralling backdrop for the story. What really struck me was the main character's journey of redemption and his struggle with the guilt of his past life. This aspect adds depth and emotional weight to the story, making it one of my top picks among wuxia novels.

While there are some cliché tropes in the storyline, the author manages to execute them in a fun and engaging manner. The mystery surrounding the main character's past life and the gradual unveiling of his story keeps me on my toes, eagerly anticipating the next chapter.

Its no wonder this is very popular in the korean novel platform, I believe this has the potential to become one of the best wuxia series. I wholeheartedly recommend this series to fellow readers who enjoy character-driven narratives with a mix of action, fantasy, and martial arts. <<less

I read this till 39 and it was pretty good all the way, but I also don't like the fact that his past life is shrouded in mysteries as we only see few flashbacks of his earlier life, but as it is only the beginning I hope that new chapters unveils his past clearly and his powers too, (Highly Recommended to read)

Childhood Friend of the Zenith is a captivating novel that takes readers on an immersive journey through a world of martial arts and regrets. The story follows Gu Yangcheon, a former member of the Heavenly Demon Cult who is granted a second chance at life through regression to his childhood days.

What stands out is the depth of characterization and the emotional weight behind Gu Yangcheon's motivations. Burdened by the remorse of his past actions, he strives to redeem himself and forge a new path, making for a compelling character arc... more>> that keeps readers invested.

The novel starts off a bit slower but quickly picks up pace, unraveling an intricate plotline filled with fantastical elements like rifts that unleash mythical beasts. The world-building is rich and imaginative, complemented by well-choreographed action sequences that bring the martial arts elements to life.

While the novel incorporates familiar tropes like misunderstandings and a harem dynamic, it executes them deftly, ensuring that the story remains fresh and engaging. The diverse cast of supporting characters, each with their own distinct personalities and bonds with the protagonist, adds depth to the narrative.

One aspect that might divide readers is the use of the "hated protagonist" trope and the sheer number of misunderstandings that arise, though this is a common element in many novels of this genre.

Overall, Childhood Friend of the Zenith is a well-crafted tale that skillfully blends the themes of self-redemption and martial arts into an immersive reading experience. With its strong characterization, imaginative world-building, and engaging plotline, it's a novel that promises to captivate readers seeking a unique take on the murim genre. <<less

This story is below average. I don’t like any of the characters and the story is a series of tropes that I’ve seen dozens of times before.

- broken engagement

- the spirit of an old master in the MC

... more>> - dysfunctional family

- troubled past and sad previous life

There’s nothing wrong with these things as long as the author gives it an original twist but that’s just the thing it doesn’t. I don’t care about any of the characters because they’re unoriginal. I don’t care about the story because it’s another regression novel. This isn’t going to kill your brain cells but I wouldn’t read this even if I was bored. <<less

I think I've read a decent amount of this novel to tell you people about my views on it.

Firstly i'd like to appreciate the manner in which the author has written this work.

The aspect of showing multiple POV's has in my honest opinion increased the depth of each character and it has fleshed out their personalities in a very satisfiable way.

... more>> Although this in my opinion at first may look like just your average murim novel later on it develops on the main characters circumstances and the people who surround him.

The main character is really over powered (talented) but his powerups are not those that defy logic so im fine with it.

Overall I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in reading this masterpiece. <<less

The story is a Korean wuxia. Wuxia is a genre about martial heroes with superhuman feats.

For first time readers of wuxia, I can recommend this story as a good entryway for the wuxia genre. Unfortunately, there is nothing here for me. Regression wuxias have been done before, and this story does nothing new or interesting to change the formula.

Here's some elements of the story that I found bothersome. The author tends to repeat information that was previously shown to the reader. Most enemies of the main character are males and... more>> most allies are females. The past of the main character is sporadic and not entertaining to read. Fights tend to be one sided beatdowns.

The story may get better, but I am disinclined to continue reading.

My rating score is as follows. 1 is bad. 2 is meh. 3 is good. 4 is great. 5 is a masterpiece. <<less

Great series!

Though it has still fee Chapters it has been a great experience.

Genre- action, fantasy, martial arts.

Regression with the guilt of the past.

Story is great and has many great things like comedy, action and mystery.

And the MC's personality is quite unique with the past life experience he wants to improve him self and the world with him.

All the females characters are nutjobs and funny but may be not intentionally.

Story background is quite unique as marital arts mixed with gates and demons.

Overall great story.

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

If you have any sense of self-respect, avoid this clownshow of a novel. The biggest negative that this novel has is it's word count. The author regularly spends two chapters stating the plot point, and then restating it again as if we were children. It is obvious word padding for the sake of length. Once or twice, I get it, it happens when authors don't have editors, but this is rampant all the way through.

Again, I repeat, if you have any sense of self-respect, move on, ignore it, don't even... more>> give it a read. It lacks concision at every level, from characters, plot points, to attempts at comedy.

The only positive I can give it are the characters. Many are one-dimensional, but they are fun. <<less

Started the series with the manwha and decided to pass to the novel. best decision ever. soo much more in depth and with much more details. the story is just awesome. MC is based af he's pragmatic and a realist he just refuse to even give a chance to an opponent if he can kill it immediately. definitely not like lot of MCs that gives the boss time to activate their second phase if you know what I mean. he's not the classic cookie cutter op reincarnator that destroy all... more>> his enemies without any effort. he struggle a lot. A LOT. the training is dispersed all thru the story and feels appropriate not like some other stories where there is a training arc MC scale 1 level defeat a boss and rinse and repeat. the story is super long but at least for where I am at chapter 590 it remains compelling with hype at every corner. if you love reincarnation stories in the murim world but want to experience a story actually made for adults with an MC that doesn't take chances for a better second life where he still feels extreme remorse for the mistake he made and struggle to overcome them growing as a person this story is for you. I read this at at novelight which strangely isnt listed in here... the quality even if sometimes there are a couple of hiccups is very good. with the team always ready to listen to users for advice be it at naming or editing. they are waay ahead of other teams and they put up 4 to 6 chapters DAILY but trust me the quality remains top notch overall. most importantly the last chapters are to be paid but the price is affordable in comparison with other teams. I advise you to try read a couple of chapters there and draw your own conclusions. <<less

The characters act and especially talk stilted and weird. The writing doesn't make sense "Oh there's a women who couldn't be older than 20 it must be this person" one chapter latter... "she was at a good level for only being 15". Everything that happens is dumb and written in a way that makes it painful to read. MC gives a candy to a girl who is hanging around with one of the most powerful people in the world in disguise. They then decide to become his servants.

Honestly the novel started out quite decently, but quickly fell of for me. I came in expecting to get lots of action with some harem and romance subplot with an engaging plot. Well, sorry to say but that’s not what I got.

My biggest gripe is that this novel seems to have made the harem and the girls its main focus point. Within 43ch we have only gotten 2 very minuscule amounts of action and no real plot progression because everything isn’t what it seems to be. So instead you’re just... more>> co fused and sitting there speculating as to what the facts and the plot really is. I honestly don’t foresee any major future action in this novel. Nothing that really keeps you engaged. All you’ll get in the 43 chapters really are eating dumplings, girls being introduced during every event, and some s*upid MC that doesn’t seem to comprehend the fact that because he is acting different from the past his present will then change.

Overall I give this novel a 3/5. If what you’re looking for is harem then this’ll do you fine.

My personal review is a 1/5 because the story lacks progression and there’s a lack of engagement. Action seems rare while eating dumplings 3 times every chapter is way too common of an occurrence. Not to mention that the plot seems to progress incredibly slow as well and also seems to contradict itself. The author will give very small snippets of the plot but then change something of it later, although the is a slight justification I just think it’s lazy. <<less

This... Is a genuinely good story.

You've got the Korean Gate drama, in a ancient Korean Murim setting, which is a first for me tbh. The MC is to put it simply, is a whole ass puzzle wrapped up in an onion made of puzzles. His basic characteristics are clear, and there is indeed enjoyable DEVELOPMENT (Yes, I capitalised it for a reason), he starts off pretty frustrating and doing the whole typical, "since I reincarnated I'm just going to run away from everything and leave PeACefuLLy" thing, but in actual... more>> fact, does the exact opposite by charging headlong into everything until somewhere around chapter 90.

There's actual goddamned romance AND the girls are actually given CHARACTERS! There are some complaints I've noted that the story takes too much time away from the MC but I'm like, "dude, the world is actually getting fleshed out. And it's not like the author is writing whole ass arcs about them or something. They just get a chapter or two to showcase their personality, more if they're more central characters like the female leads. Do you KNOW how frigging rare that is in a Korean novel of all damned things?"

A Korean novel where the regressor MC DOESN'T tunnel vision into "Being Da Best!", sweeping up hidden pieces and treating everyone around him like a useful tool at best?

I can only think of maybe 3 or 4, tops, that can do something this novel is excelling at so far. Killed the Academy Player (worse than this one in terms of dense MC and dumb harem antics), Omniscient (zero character development outside the few male main characters), and maybe tr*sh Count (zero romance whatsoever). <<less

7.5/10

Side characters are colourful. Mc's boring, cold, and avoidant personality can be very grating though. And it has the usual annoyance of MC not wanting to change too much and having next to no ambition other than to live peacefully - common. Everything else is pretty good though. All in all not bad.

It is an excellent story with the twist and turns.

Mysterious enough to get you engaged.

this novel is also literally became one of the best novels for me. It has everything, action, fantasy and an author who knows where their story is going and can create good world building with their immersion and good writing.

... more>> Also it is perfectly paced. I just recommend you to give it a try.

Don't get worried about harem tag it is not actually focused on harem atleast not yet.

this novel has really high potential, his life before regression is already very interesting and exciting.

So would really suggest to give it a try. <<less