I'm not going to rate this novel because honestly I'm still undecided.

On one hand, this is a competently written novel and far better than most typical Xianxia novels, surely this deserves at least 4 stars. But on the other hand, I hate the concept and MC so much I wanted to give this a 1 star.

The setting is nice, the support characters are distinguishable from one another and each has their own personality, and even though so far the whole novel is happening in one place there's always something going on with teh plot and subplots that it's not boring.

However, one: I hate systems that just give everything to MCs without them having to work for it. Two, there's a big difference between low-key and cowardice, and the MC of this novel is simply a coward. I've literary read hundreds of CN novels over the past decades, reviewed dozens in this site alone, and this is the first time I've ever felt compelled to call the protagonist of a novel I read "a coward", that's how bad the MC is.

Everyone sees the MC as a good guy and kind, but actually most of his acts of kindness he did to either cover his own ass or to advance his goals. For example, people think he's a hard worker, but actually it's his system that forces him to work hard in the field. People think he has a good heart and don't like cultivating or killing, but actually it's because he's afraid of fighting and dying. People think he's always ready to help but limited by his ability, when actually he can easily help everyone around him in secret due to his OP-ness, but he just doesn't.

For example, he lets a junior, whom he claims to care about, learned a demonic skill that could turn him into a mindless killing machine, because he claims that everyone should make a decision for themselves. The thing is, the MC could have taught this junior himself, any of his random skills is far stronger than the demonic skill AND without the side effect, AND he can do this in secret or by using a secret identity (something he did later on for another kid). The junior has a grudge to avenge so of course he would learn the ONLY skill he has access to, but if he has other stronger skill he could learn would he choose to be a killing machine? Obviously not, because he is a good kid at heart. The MC, however, despite being able to help, didn't. And thus, he let this good kid he claims he cares about turning into a killing machine and harms many others.

I also hate how he humbled himself in front of people far less powerful than him just to maintain his cover. The MC has no backbone. He bows his head and butter up low level managers of the sect for a little profit. He's always afraid that there's someone stronger out there I would be surprised if he's brave enough to go pee at night without asking for an escort. Dude got no aura, pride, or charisma of a powerhouse. I mean there's low-key and there's spineless.

Let me put it this way, say you won a billionaire dollar lottery, would you be willing to work at McD sucking up you manager's ass and accepts daily ab*ses from the customers just so your family don't find out you're rich and ask for money? Even if you should, could you? Of course not, you would go F this sh*t and open a restaurant somewhere else, or just retire early away from your family. Because unlike the MC you still have your pride (as a billionaire), guts and brain.

An example of low-key MC done right, in recent year is probably the MC from Follow the Path of Dao from Infancy, who hides his strength but not because he's afraid he's not strong enough, he's simply waiting for the right moment, and when push comes to shove he explodes, even when he's still far from being the best in the world, he mans up and fights for what's right, even if it means going against and getting killed by his own father.

But I don't know, man. Perhaps I'm nitpicking. Because overall this is a good novel, perhaps even a gem for fans of low-key MCs genre. But for me, it's just frustrating. I like OP MCs, I have no problem with low-key MCs, a combination of both is even better, but not if the source of the MC's low-key-ness is his cowardice. I just cannot respect someone who's afraid of his own shadow despite having the ability to shatter the sun.