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Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect
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Rating(4.5 / 5.0, 548 votes)
5    71% (391 votes)
4    16% (88 votes)
3    7% (38 votes)
2    3% (16 votes)
1    3% (15 votes)
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2014
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Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
109 Chapters + 3 Extras (Complete)
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Completely Translated
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Release Frequency
Every 115.7 Day(s)
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Weekly Rank: #3414
Monthly Rank: #2552
All Time Rank: #1667
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On 12862 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #15662
All Time Rank: #174

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A cultivation story about how a declining sect is restored by a narcissist, troublemaker, meanie, idiot, and wimpy kid.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Coins of Destiny
Lục hào
Льов Яо: Відродження спілки Фуяо
Лю Яо: Возрождение клана Фуяо
ลิ่วเหยา
六爻
육효
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Faraway Wanderers (7)
The Legendary Master’s Wife (7)
Sha Po Lang (5)
The Founder of Diabolism (4)
Thousand Autumns (4)
Jin Se (3)
Recommendation Lists
  1. tbr danmei
  2. top tier danmei/non danmei
  3. danmei where i love both the mc and ml
  4. TBR CN
  5. Recommended Danmei and Baihe

Latest Release

Date Group Release
05/06/19 rustycol c38
05/03/19 rustycol c37
04/29/19 rustycol c36
04/29/19 rustycol c35
03/22/19 Asian Hobbyist v2c34 part3
03/22/19 Asian Hobbyist v2c34 part2
03/22/19 Asian Hobbyist v2c34 part1
06/23/18 Blob Translations v2c33
05/24/18 Blob Translations v2c32
05/09/18 Blob Translations v2c31
04/26/18 Blob Translations v1c30
04/20/18 Blob Translations v1c29
04/19/18 Blob Translations v1c28
04/10/18 Blob Translations v1c27
03/29/18 Blob Translations v1c26
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94 Reviews sorted by


Attica
Attica rated it
September 21, 2018
Status: Completed
First and foremost, Liu Yao is a heartwarming story of found family and blossoming romance. Despite everything I'm going to say below, it has a genuinely happy ending.

But beneath that surface layer, Liu Yao is also a wonderful deconstruction/exploration of the usual themes and messages in the extremely popular cultivation/Xianxia genre.

What does it mean to pursue immortality? Why does one walk down the path of a cultivator? What makes a "good" cultivator? What makes a "good" person?

What happens when we--we utterly foolish, puny, insignificant humans--attempt to defy the will of... more>> the heavens? What happens when you attempt to push the limits of what should be possible?

What does it mean to be only human, yet yearn to become something beyond humanity?

Liu Yao forces us to ask ourselves these ephemeral yet timeless questions. Its characters represent humanity's possible answers to these questions.

Some of these answers have better intentions than others, some have better outcomes than others. An answer can be foolish from one perspective, wise from another. Each person who has ever existed will answer them differently. But there is one common thread--in the end, what could be more human than trying to transcend one's own powerlessness?

1) Plot

At its most basic level, Liu Yao is about a ragtag group of kids who are brought together by their seemingly silly master to join the run-down and ramshackle Fu Yao sect. These disciples share a hilarious childhood filled with trouble-making and mutual complaining/teasing. However, good things can never last. A horrible disaster strikes, and this group of disciples ends up separated and away from home for many many years. As they struggle to return home and rebuild that family, the disciples begin to uncover long-buried secrets of the past: conspiracies, magical corruption, evil plots, and... the dark history of their very own Fu Yao sect.

I will say first and foremost that the pacing of Liu Yao is perfect. The author does a superb job building up the sweetness of a familial daily routine, the dread of incoming calamity, the tearjerking grief of having to bid a permanent farewell, the shock and horror of a plot twist... Each arc is the perfect length and tone.

And yes, despite lots of adorable humor and the relief from relationship development... the overall tone is somewhat dark. If you couldn't tell from my opening monologue, Liu Yao is not what I'd call a super optimistic story haha. While the main five disciples earn a happy ending for themselves, the story is always on the bittersweet side. Liu Yao's most prominent themes are the inevitability of death, the futility of trying to avert one's fate, and the impossibility of returning to one's nostalgic happy past. All in all, how being human sucks.

Hey, at least it's realistic! :P... :/... : (

Still, if there's one thing this novel argues, it's that while we appear to be stuck in despair and grief and hopelessness, we can always do our best within those circumstances. We may never be able to go back to our loving past, but we can try to make our future full of love. Things aren't truly as dire as they seem--we always have a thread of hope. Where the previous generations made mistakes and failed, the bonds of friendship and love between the current disciples give them the strength to successfully earn their happy ending.

2) Characters

Priest does an excellent job writing multidimensional characters who behave in startlingly realistic fashions for their fantastical circumstances. Each of the main five disciples has their own cute quirks, badass moments, and crippling weaknesses.

Our main character is Cheng Qian, the most hard-working and serious disciple of the five, who often plays the straight man to the rest of the group. His wonderful sarcastic tongue makes all his interactions with the sillier characters absolutely hilarious, and I admire his sheer willpower at trying to take all the burdens of the other disciples onto himself. He also has really well-written "obliviousness"--he acknowledges he's not the smartest person in the room, and it makes sense for him to always tackle serious business first. At the same time, Priest deftly explores how these unique characteristics can be turned against him, and how he eventually grows to achieve balance and reclaim his warm dynamic with the other disciples.

The main love interest is Yan Zhengming, who is an absolute joy of a character. He starts off as a complete and utter spoiled narcissist rich kid, pretty much a laugh-out-loud caricature of a lazy dandy. But as the Fu Yao disciples undergo more trials and tribulations, his true core emerges: a real leader who is determined to watch over his younger disciples, who is willing to take on any hardship for the sake of the Fu Yao sect. I also love how he is actually self-aware: he develops an inferiority complex over not being worthy of inheriting the Fu Yao sect and not deserving Cheng Qian's love, which he grows to overcome.

Of course, great character development isn't limited to those two alone. Literally every single character in this novel goes through a complete arc that makes perfect sense for their personality and role in the story!! There are way too many for me to count!

Spoiler

... Unfortunately, for almost every single side character, that complete character arc ends in their tragic death~ Again, "bittersweet".

[collapse]

The villains are also handled with immense skill, whether it's the plot twists they're involved in or their actual character. While some were straight-up more evil than others, their initial motivations and how they became the way they are today all made perfect sense. Every villain character advances the themes of the story, which is exactly what all great villains should do!!

3) Overall Thoughts:

Liu Yao is an extremely captivating novel--to be specific, it is the best Danmei that I will only read once.

Everyone in this book suffers--but to be fair, life is literally us suffering in confused futility. Liu Yao just has a more realistic take on the Xianxia genre through this lens of suffering. (Even now, my heart aches at the very thought of the fate of the story's side couple.)

However, at its core, Liu Yao isn't truly a story of suffering. It's a story of love.

Love in all its beauty and ugliness. Love as it drives us to attempt the impossible. To climb the eternal stairway to the heavens, to push our limits to protect our children, to sacrifice everything to resurrect the love of our life.

Because even if we end up falling and screwing up... we can look back and say: "I don't regret a single thing." <<less
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
April 11, 2020
Status: c80
Rating 5/5

I haven't expected to love a Priest book as much as I love this one. Not because of the main couple romance! But for the fact that this is one of the rare books where found family makes a difference.

A bunch of misfits, that are adopted by a sect master trying to revive his sect, learn how to live together and take care of each other through turbulent world and devastating events that bring them closer and separate them with blink of an eye.

A story of 5 disciples who... more>> after all, take on the legacy and strive to make a difference. To make the world see that they are not a sect to be underestimated and trampled, but rather that their bond is so strong that they will never ever abandon any one of them.

And while they journey through years, they discover everything their sect was involved with. Including births of powerful demonic cultivators.

Sect is made of following members:

Sect master - Muchun Zhenren - is an old man whose best interest in heart is to give these children a home and place to be safe in, as well as pass on the legacy.

First disciple - Yan ZhengMing - is narcissistic, rich teenager who is there after an extreme frightful situation situation he found himself in and therefore owes Muchun Zhenren a debt for saving him. He's very self centered, arrogant and extremely lazy person who loves to tease. (He gets better).

Second disciple - Li Yun - is a person who loves experimenting more than anything, especially turning wild animals and even subjects of interest into frogs or other things. He's caring but he has low self esteem that he hides well.

Third disciple - Cheng Qian - is a child who was bought by Muchun Zhenren from his parents, as they needed money and couldn't support him along with his siblings. This, as well as many things, made him distant, but in truth he's very caring and selfless person who would protect everyone he loves.

Fourth disciple - Han Yuan is a beggar and orphan who was picked up by Muchun at the same time as CQ, so together they made their way to home. He's lively, he's full of energy, and he's the one making most problems, whether he wants it or not. He has low self esteem as well, but hides it under a lot of smiles and mischief.

Fifth disciple - Han Tan or Puddle - is a half heavenly monster, half human, and at the start of the story, she's just a newborn baby and sister they all have to take care of! She never lost her adorable and gentle nature, and is also mischiefull like her senior brother Han Yuan.

And finally, this story takes place over so many years, you read them going through so much and so many things.

And finally, the romance is slow burn and very satisfying.

OVERALL:

Characters: 5 - considering there are FIVE main characters, all of them are extremely well developed.

Side characters: 4 - okayish, depends on who they are and what the situation they are in. But you get a lot already just with 5 main characters.

Story: 5 - logical, easy to follow. Wonderful

emotional impact: 5 - At end of book 2 you will cry a river

humor: 4.5 - wonderful <<less
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Nemone
Nemone rated it
February 23, 2018
Status: v1c18
I wasn't expecting much from this at first but it's actually off to quite a good start. I really didn't know what to expect at first and the narrator (MC) also seems to not quite understand everything that's going on around him. That doesn't take away from the story at all though. When he meets his fellow apprentices, I have to say, the story just gets better and better. They all have very "unique" personalities.

Each of the apprentices, including the MC, has distinct flaws and these flaws lead them... more>> into conflicts with each other but not something like an undying hatred. It feels like real siblings to some extent, like if you had a brother who played with frogs or slugs but you yourself were a clean freak you'd find it absolutely intolerable, or if you had a brother that refuses to bathe for weeks you might feel disdain and tell him that he's a dirty scrub. Reading about these guys and their antics so far is just really enjoyable.

I can't tell how the story will go in the future but it's worth giving it a try at the beginning. I like the way cultivation is introduced in this story with the MC having some doubts about his master's legitimacy, wondering if he's just a con artist that's going to teach him how to fool people. It seems very realistic considering common people might not have any contact with real cultivation. The MC is the diligent type but he's not a genius and reading from his point of view it feels like he acts his age rather than acting like an adult in a child's body. <<less
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Cindamoon
December 27, 2019
Status: c49
[Review deleted]
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narinim
narinim rated it
January 28, 2022
Status: extra 3
this isn't the first novel by this author that I am reading and I must admit the author has a very good imagination. She is very good at creating unique and interesting characters but she isn't good at depicting the relationship between them. They say that she doesn't write smut, but the reality is she doesn't write romance at all. She has trouble writing non romantic relationship as well. In all her books everybody are bickering with each other as if she doesn't know how to write characters that can... more>> express their feeling without fighting.

it says bickering couple in the tags, but annoying couple would have been a better tag, there is absolutely no creativity in their chats or bickering. It's the same subject being repeated over and over again. And now that I think about it other priest novels that I have read are exactly like this in this regard. Same things are brought up over and over again.

Spoiler

in this book,

either MC has put himself in danger, and ML is mad at him, and MC doesn't change his ways and acts stubbornly till the end

or ML is saying something romantic or asks for attention and MC tells him to shut up

[collapse]

the first half of the book is great and very promising, and as story goes forward the expectations go higher as well but the second half is a complete disappointment. And there is no character development none whatsoever, they only get older and stronger. They are still the same people. For example MC is still very stubborn and makes rash decisions endangering himself as if he is suicidal, and ML is still attention seeking and tries his best to protect MC which MC never appreciates, MC doesn't care if ML gets worried or not, he just prefers that ML wouldn't get mad at him. ML and MC are both powerful cultivators, ML is always trying to protect MC, but MC never tries to protect ML.

It says devoted couple in the tags but ML is the only devoted one, he only sees MC. But except for a part in the middle MC doesn't do anything for ML, and to be honest after that part in the middle I was hoping for MC's character to have some development, seeing that how far ML has gone for him, and become cautious so that kind of scenarios won't happen in the future. But absolutely nothing changes in his behavior, he doesn't even pities the poor ML.

I liked ML's character in the beginning and I thought he would remain a fun character till the end, but as story goes forward all the fun things about him go away, and the story depicts him as annoying, clingy and strong. Which is supposed to be fun but it is not my cup of tea. But since I hated MC's character, I pitied ML's character for his love.

If there is another book you have on your list I suggest you read something else, but if there isn't something else, you can still entertain yourself with this book, at least you will enjoy the first volumes. <<less
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rakuu-en
rakuu-en rated it
January 26, 2019
Status: Completed
I read the first half of this in the translated English (which I must say is excellent- undoubtedly the best translating work I've seen in the Cnovel fandom thus far). Then I continued on and completed the raws in their original native Chinese.

First things first, I have to say- Priest's command of the Chinese language is really a cut above that of many danmei authors. Danmei generally being a genre that takes itself less seriously tends to be written in more casual language with a lot of colloquial terms mixed... more>> in for easy consumption. Not so for any of Priest's works. As someone who really only has a middling grasp of Mandarin, Liu Yao was a struggle to read. I can't say I've taken away nearly as much from this novel as someone else with a higher standard of proficiency in this language, who would probably be much better at appreciating the ornate descriptions and subtle nuances than I.

Secondly, Liu Yao stands out because it places its plot on the same level as the BL relationship it portrays or perhaps even higher- this makes for very heavy reading. There have been comments before mine singing praises about the depth Liu Yao goes into when exploring its admittedly depressing themes. All of this is true. The result of this is that we aren't given nearly as much detail about the central love story as one might expect. However, I will say here that Priest's strength lies in how she has successfully maintained the delicate balance between advancing the story's plot and advancing the main character's relationship, such that both grew side by side in a very organic manner. Though slow moving on a whole, the pace felt very natural and didn't skew too heavily towards the plot (ahem, I'm looking at you, White Lotus Halo). THAT BEING SAID, if you read danmei primarily for the gay relationships the genre promises, then this is one novel you might want to pass on. There really aren't many romantic moments between the lead characters at all, and those that exist are quite fleeting. I might even go so far to say that this is an Wuxia novel which just happens to have a gay couple as its protagonists. This is in contrast to other Priest works- for example Guardian, where plot developments and revelations are driven by the
Spoiler

thousand year long

[collapse]
relationship between the two mains, and where romance is pretty much a driving force of the whole novel.

I'm normally impatient with my novels. I like instant gratification. I like grand romantic gestures and earth-shattering love confessions that make my blood boil. Liu Yao did none of that, so I can't put a finger on exactly what I loved about this novel, but it moved my heart anyways. That was enough for me to give it 5/5 stars. If you gave it a chance, it might do the same for you too. <<less
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flopyxing
flopyxing rated it
July 4, 2018
Status: v2c1
The translation really brings out the wittiness of this novel! I adore this story and its characters ? BUT MOST OF ALL IM IN AWE OF THE TRANSLATOR WOW I CANNOT EVEN FIND THE WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW INVESTED I AM IN THIS STORY BECAUSE OF THE WAY ITS TRANSLATED ilu nanming thank you for gifting us with your words ?
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BlackLoveInSpace
BlackLoveInSpace rated it
November 30, 2021
Status: Completed
I love the way Priest writes teens, and this book is the best example. There is also a lovely contrast between the two main characters, they are like yin and yang. Yan Zhengming is strong willed and extremely badass when he wants to (ch 72, wow), but bratty on the outside. Cheng Qian is introverted, cold and sensitive, getting the job done without a fuss. And yes, they bicker very often.

The atmosphere of this world makes one's mind fly away. Reading from Cheng Qian's perspective, you can feel the cold... more>> of the mountain, the frost and the loneliness in his heart. All paired with poetic descriptions and philosophical thoughts that the author sometimes ponders on, it's like reading an ancient story. Mortality. The passage of time. Those are the themes that fill one with faint sadness, as they are so relatable, so unavoidable.

Each character finds their path in their own way; through swords or through soul, everybody's character shines in different ways. Yan Zhengming is the most powerful type of cultivator, he is basically a weapon in human form, but since his cultivation focuses on his body, he is prone to heart demons. He has also rejected his sect's traditional wooden swords
Spoiler

only to get a wooden sword infused with his bf's soul as his personal weapon in the end lmao

[collapse]
. Cheng Qian is an obedient bookworm who trained with wooden swords only to get a particularly vicious frost blade as his personal weapon. The irony is strong.

I liked how the rest of their brothers are less gifted in fighting but good in their own ways; Li Yun is not much of a fighter but his cunning level is 99 and his creativity comes in handy. Han Yuan is only good at finding trouble but he is one of them and they love him. Puddle is supposed to become some great powerful being in a few hundred years but for now yeah... They are very diverse, which makes them credible and interesting. I like the message that even the ones who don't fight as much can shine. Something we need to see more often in the genre of fantasy.

There are several awesome elements that I find exclusive to this story. Heart demons, that may possess only a certain category of people. If one keeps them too much, they blend with the soul, and their host has to learn how to live with them forever. Wooden swords, that become deadly in the hands of Fuyao disciples. People casually ripping their souls apart and infusing objects with them.

However, there are other things I didn't understand completely haha. There are so many magical devices in this story. Maybe you can understand them if you are a native speaker and very familiar with xianxia. Although I love it, this story let me confused in some parts. Also, expect the usual priest elements; characters appearing and dissapearing into thin air, story snowballing into a very confusing result, with several plotlines and names you won't bother to remember, no bl until two thirds into the story etc.

The summary makes you expect a light read, but it's not. And yet I can't get enough of it and it's philosophy; is there really a difference between ascending and dying?

Finishing this book is also a journey in itself; as of now, you have to get through 5 different translations. Each picks up where then the other left. Terms may change, writing styles may change, the story remains just as awesome. Good luck. <<less
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glitteryjoon
glitteryjoon rated it
June 2, 2021
Status: Completed
Hmm.

I initially wasn’t going to post a review of this because I wasn’t sure what to write, however the longer I waited for my mind to clear over this novel the more unsatisfied I was.

Don’t get me wrong, this novel was really good, in fact, I’d rate it 4.5. (The lower end of 4.5 hence the 4 stars, but 4.5 nonetheless)

When I first started it, it bored me half to death, I kept pushing and pushing trying to squeeze out 10 chapters before seeing how I truly felt.... more>> I think it was mostly due to me trying to start this late at night. So after that, I dropped it and didn’t come back to it until I was well and truly bored of not having anything good to read. So, with that, I came back to it picked it up.

I’m truly glad I came back to it, and managed to read it. The story definitely picks up and ended up being extremely interesting. It felt like I was at the edge of my seat, unable cgi do nothing more but want to read more and more.

The problem I ran into, however, was that the translations after the 69th/70th chapter (??) went down hill for me and made it super hard to comprehend what was happening. It became more of summarizing than anything and I just ended up skimming through them trying to get through it.

Then by the third translations, I was somewhat exhausted but it picked up and I still enjoyed it once again but the ending felt unsatisfying. I’m not sure if it’s just me or something, but I felt like the sub romantic plot just wasn’t that interesting.

The ML was more in love than the MC who mostly seemed to be stagnant. He liked him sure but he wasn’t really in love. Idk. Anyway it just didn’t do it for me. <<less
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ScarlettOhara
ScarlettOhara rated it
April 12, 2023
Status: Completed
3.5/5

Priest’s books are known to be plot heavy with little to no romance. I was aware of her style going into Liu Yao and had no qualms about the lack of a romantic plot. What intrigued me most about Liu Yao was the ‘found family’ concept and the humour. Liu Yao is funny and a master class on characterisation at least for the first 60% of the book. I especially liked Yan Zengming’s development arc.

However, Liu Yao loses the plot after a certain point. The last 15 or so chapters... more>> are very absurd and feel rushed and mindless. After being so invested in the lives of the five disciples of Fu Yao, I began to find my interest waning as I reached the 80th chapter.

It almost feels as if Priest got bored writing this novel. Li Yun, Shuikeng and Han Yuan were wasted potential. After crafting them beautifully, Priest doesn’t quite do justice to them as the plot progresses.

Overall a nice book but not the best in the genre. <<less
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Boundlessstars
Boundlessstars rated it
June 3, 2023
Status: Completed
"Under the eternal rains and winds, even mountains become seas. That is how the world is. The only unchanging truth is the relentless cycle of life and death, glory and decline"

A book that questions the ways of cultivation, concluding in a peaceful way. Constantly questioning morality, humanity and immortality, Liu Yao is not only a fantasy story of romance and overpowering force - it is a lesson, a form of knowledge that can be applied in any circumstance. The question left ingrained in my brain is one that all promising... more>> talents of generations of characters asked: What difference is there between ascension and death? The question is answered both fantastically and literally. In the first sense, Hear the Universe easily solves the question for the main character, Cheng Qian. In the second sense, it is actually not that hard to grasp for those who are not blessed by it. Yan Zhengming flawlessly finds the answer after only a bit of thought. The answer? There is no difference. "If an individual truly became formless, emotionless, and nameless, their consciousness merging into the Heavens and the Earth, were they still a person?". Ascension and death are by definition the same exact aspect. Both of the words represent the same - turning to dust. We come from the Earth, we return to the Earth. "Ascension" is a term gauzed by mystic muslin, an optimistic approach to death, a promise to enter the heavens - or a cruel bait. Baiting humans to do their best to attain the impossible, to "become immortal". Yet, no one ever does. There is no record of its happening. And even so, people keep trying to obtain it. Why? Humans are simple minded creatures, despite our fearsomely capable brains. Akin to herding livestock, we want one singular thing. In this case, the "thing" being ascension to immortality. Several times throughout the story, this idea is contoured, slightly guiding you to the answer. Masked as a rhetoric, or rather ironic response, it is actually revealed without qualms. "For uncountable generations of cultivators, ‘eternal life’ was akin to a carrot on a string leading them on, binding them in endless, lonely, bitter cultivation, disallowing them from being productive and fighting over things with mortals". Led by phantasm-food on a rod, humans press on to attain it. Is there a difference between lowly humans and cultivators? Inherently, no. The chasm of power aside, cultivators are humans. "What’s the point of trying to reach ascension and become immortal, when one has to put away all human feelings?". The only slightly "successful" ones are those who managed to rid themselves of emotions, becoming rigid mountains by any means. A divine lotus leaf, a deeply traumatic loss - could cause one to be stone-like. Yet none ascended, because cultivators are humans and none can wholely rid themselves of innate emotions. Don't be led that this is the only thing this story is about! It's only a small, philosophical fraction. The battles are well envisioned, actions well thought. By the time you read it, you'll forget why I heeded so much attention to immortality. In truth, Liu Yao reserves loss and sadness as much as it resorts to happiness and victory, envisioning both faces of a coin - the good, and the bad. Because there is no definition of good without the existence of bad, and vice versa.

I've come across people who disliked the lack of romance in this novel. I've personally deemed it to be perfect in amount to the story. Even though it isn't predominantly present, it is fated from the start, from the monologues each of the two characters have about each other, from their actions and sentiments. It doesn't need to be dominant in action to be visible, as this isn't a romcom. I find it to be the perfect amount of romantic, comedic, philosophic and fantastical. While the translations lack in certain areas, it is a fine read, I can only imagine how much more depth-full it is in its original language. I greatly recommend it! <<less
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Chi
Chi rated it
April 26, 2018
Status: v1c30
Oh gods!

This novel is so good! And I'm not talking because I'm a BL fan (actually it seems like it won't actually even have much), but because of how it was well written and how the plot is fascinating with characters alive with their own personalities and quirks! Truly a jewel!

Man, when you think of a cultivation novel one always think of lots of people in a sect, all working their all to achieve great prowess and ascend even if they have to kill/scheme against each other, with awe-inspiring master/elders............ more>> but when we see this novel's Fuyao sect we are like ".......... this is a charlatan sect, right?"

A weasel quack like master, a niangniang 1º disciple, a naughty 2º disciple, a sharp tonged 3º disciple, an idiot beggar 4º disciple and a kid who can't even talk as the 5º disciple, in a declining sect that can only hold on because of the god of fortune lol

Quite the ragtag group, right?

This can be said to be one the few novels (and I'm not talk just of BL, but general) where we can see a character's growth (not only MC, but the side characters too) not only as cultivator but also as a person, and it's actually done well!

It's quite slow paced, but without that feeling of dragging and describing things over and over again that we get from other novels, but a rather slice of life kind of feeling.... that is, until sh*t hits the fan, because when that happens things happen in succession, fast but without skipping details and leaving mysteries around to be solved/explained later.

Quite peaceful, but the undercurrents are still going, the inevitable is still going to happen. So many twists and turns. Things aren't as they seem. The mysteries of Fuyao sect and the world of cultivators!

Spoiler

In a way, it actually made me remember Mao Ni and Er Gen.....

[collapse]
<<less
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Magz84
Magz84 rated it
January 21, 2024
Status: Completed
I am kind of disappointed. So many great reviews gave me false hope... I expected something a lot better than I got.

The first half of the book was good but when they got older it slowly started to disappoint me from when ... more>>
Spoiler

he came out the frozen lake

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. Although I love cultivation stories and enjoy slowburn romance as long as the book is entertaining and characters amusing, I feel there was something missing. There was very little to none whatsoever development between them. Where is the BL genre? Even once they established their relationship (literally 10 chapters before the ending) there was no spark between them.

And to be honest I don't really like the characters. I was really hoping for something else. Just very disappointed <<less
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hoatzin
hoatzin rated it
November 7, 2021
Status: Completed
Priest is a popular author, but this novel seems to slip under the radar a little. It makes sense, the sword/cultivation genre is pretty packed as it is, and this book does very little to deliberately stand out among the bigger names. Priest is also better known for either Qī Yé levels of light reading or Mò Dú levels of plot density, and this work would probably be considered "middling." A good amount of the plot is mystery, a good amount is fighting, a good amount is found-family. Each part... more>> never really interfered with another. As mentioned by others, the second half of the novel did have a few more issues, but I would chalk that up to the raised stakes in a lot of cases.

However, out of all of this author's books, I would say this is one of the best among them. All of the characters were genuinely enjoyable to read, and Puddle especially was a breath of fresh air. None of the main cast felt particularly flat, and neither did any of their relationships with one-another. Every character's development seemed well-done in the long term, though obviously the bulk of the narrative's attention goes to the main character in the end. (The third extra is also a must-read for anyone interested in... The history of the sect leaders.)

For me, the romance aspect pales a bit, not in comparison to the plot, but in comparison to the sheer density of "Found Family" -feelings. That said, if you are here for the main couple, get ready for a really decent slow-burn. The ML has really reasonable concerns with his position of power, which means that MC does a significant amount of the actual pursuing. A pleasant surprise, given a lot of BL tropes. Their relationship also feels genuinely natural in a true-to-life way that I did not expect. They bicker and have secrets from one another, or get jealous, but I never feel on-edge reading their interactions. In the end, they end up being achingly romantic in a way I still found incredibly human.

At the end of the day, this story probably warrants 4/5 stars in terms of substance, but it is 5/5 in terms of enjoyment. I can and will re-read this someday.

(One VERY petty gripe I have is that there are, what? Four separate translations to go between? I am desperately thankful to each and every one of them, but I hope that someday we get an official release, if only for the sake of a cohesive experience for future readers.) <<less
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sbob
sbob rated it
April 27, 2023
Status: Completed
The best part of this for me was the interactions & jibes between the disciple siblings but that was pretty much it. The characters had depth, and showed growth throughout the novel but it was a bit confusing to read.

The problem I have with Priest’s novels is that there aren’t enough butterflies in stomach tingly moments for me to classify them as romance (and I predominantly like reading romance led novels). Think the most romance one I’ve read was Lord Seventh but eh.

I found myself constantly getting distracted and struggling... more>> to complete the novel at some points. The underlying plot points were nicely woven and paced with decent build up and a few twists, but I just couldn’t get engaged with it. I’m not sure if it’s the style of writing (too detail heavy on points that are hard to absorb for me) or things just happen and are covered over very quickly without a proper climax. So not really feeling the action drama bits. The face slapping wasn’t even that satisfying.

Also, the ever important bits of fluff were few & between and over so soon before I could even properly enjoy it.

Unfortunately, it seems like Priest novels aren’t my style. <<less
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Ashlex
Ashlex rated it
August 26, 2021
Status: Completed
"If ascendance means parting from the ones that you love, what difference then is there between ascending and death?"

In essence, Liu Yao is a story of the meaning of love, life, and familial bonds. To what extent would you go to, to protect your family, your loved ones? Even if it means going through a thousand hardships, wouldn't it all be worth it if it meant that you would be able to be together with the people that you cared about?

Like another reviewer said, the synopsis does not do this... more>> story justice. Put simply, this is a story of five disciples coming to terms with their own struggles in an attempt to revitalize their sect. These five cultivators are extremely flawed, but that is precisely what makes them human.

This is a story of how five individuals support each other through their own trials and tribulations, struggling endlessly and making morally grey decisions that ultimately are very human.

To summarize, this is a story of what it means to be human, told beautifully through the eyes of five very different but complementary individuals... The peacock, the jack-of-all-trades, the cold one, the troublesome little brother, and the naïve little sister. <<less
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darcyreads
darcyreads rated it
May 31, 2021
Status: Completed
Not going to lie, I went into this with low expectations, kind of expecting a lot of plot, but I have to say... this is the probably one of my favorite reads ever.

The character development is off the charts, avoiding so many typical tropes and really bringing a lot of interesting questions to the table.

The romance is probably one of the best developed romance I've read since TGCF, and an action filled plot that is a great time. The cast of characters are all so solid and real.

I'm going to... more>> edit this later to gush more, but if you're hesitating picking this up, don't. This is one of Priest best. It's so romantic, fun and unexpected. <<less
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lemontart
lemontart rated it
May 26, 2021
Status: c109
This is a good novel, dare I say a great one. If you want to read a story that makes you take a step back from typical wuxia/xianxia adventure and really think, you need to read this. How are the common people affected by what happens in the cultivation world? What does it mean to ascend to immortality? Is living a longer life a blessing or a curse? These are just some of the questions Priest explores within Liu Yao.

If you are looking for strict romance novel or dogblood/face-slapping tale,... more>> this probably isn't the novel for you.

While there is a main pairing, this is more-so a story about growing up. It's about a boy who is given up and sold by his poor family to join what he believes is a scam sect, the troubles they face, how they all get along despite their strong personalities, about what it really means to be a cultivator, about learning to forgive and move on, about the dangers the quest for power can bring. There's certainly quite a bit of humor in this, but there's also pain and tragedy, friendship and found family.

I don't think any danmei I've read so far, aside perhaps one, has made me feel as much as Liu Yao did. The main character starts out as a child, and he's written as one in a way that isn't too overly childish or annoying. I've found writing children in a believable way is very difficult for most writers, but Priest did it quite well.

The translators swapped numerous times throughout the story, some translated some terms one way while others did another, but it's easy enough to figure out what name used in one translation correlates to the one used in another. I want to note that a drama is supposed to start filming this year for it and the donghua is coming out next year--now is the time to read this! Highly recommend. <<less
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Lunaix
Lunaix rated it
February 21, 2020
Status: v1c1
Thank the Gods that this is being translated. But also f*ck the younger me that was so s*upid that I could barely even learn Chinese--

I'm not someone who's very good with words, but I love this novel. I love it as much as I love MDZS/GDC, SVSSS, Husky and His White Cat Shizun, and TGCF/HOB. That's how much I love it.

And if it gets a manhua, donghua, drama cd, or live action, I will scream.
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AnZhe798
AnZhe798 rated it
December 3, 2023
Status: Completed
first of all I would like to say is omg !! this story is so good.....

then second thing..... the fanart is so so misleading QAQ

im totally a fan of priest now and

the best thing about the story is whenever things get emotional someone will say something that would make you remember ahhh right they are really not right in their minds.... these crazy bunch of disciples of muchun 😂😂

... more>>
Spoiler

no matter how much the sect had declined from the past, this generation's disciples are the strongest in the leading world, sword cultivator with very high cultivation, half immortal, heavenly yao with wild beast core, a demonic dragon ruling over every part of the world hahahhahahah

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but really fuyao is definitely something.... to be able to produce that ..... quality of deranged people.

this one was really the best roller coaster ride, never ending secrets that wont let you sleep until you finish reading all.....

at last thank you author for the story !

and thank you translators for translation! oh reading from different translation can in pain in ass but its still manageable here <<less
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