Having awaited this drama since Nov '21, I only went into it blind a few days ago because truthfully, I was skeptical with the recent xianxia works. When the average cdrama is typically 30+ ep, it's tricky to determine if it's worth the emotional investment. Having seen Youku's poster shooting, it was evident the entire production oozes quality, colour and excellent direction. First episode in and you can immediately smell the potential success this would receive. From the opening until the staggering contrast of the last scene of Ep1, it's definitely a remarkably strong first episode and trust when I say it only gets much better from here.

From the get go, the style is reminiscent to LBFAD and while the enemy to lovers trope is the main theme, the similarity ends here. In particular, there is a dynamic portrayed between Ep2-3 that I've never witnessed in cdrama, and it's both tragic and refreshing to see. The frustration is nonexistent when it came to the brilliantly crafted FL, who actually possesses personality, capability and intelligence that goes far beyond the helpless variation portrayed in most xianxia works. Played by Bai Lu, she is doing a fantastic job of representing the viewers in our experiences of unravelling what exactly took place 500 years ago. She navigates and struggles with her emotions and values in a very raw form, that her rage is your own, and her internal conflicts mirror yours.

This is the first drama I'm watching starring Luo Yunxi, and I recognized his pretty visual from seeing his picture in one of the food/snack packages in my local Chinatown supermarket (no, really).

Having heard of LYX's talents in passing, I was still very much floored by his performance. It was less about expectation than hope when entering this drama, because there's nothing quite as disappointing when a work is set up so highly for success. But the introduction to his character as the devil god is so strongly portrayed, that his presence practically commands the screen in just brief seconds. His vacant and chilling expression is impossible to overlook, and there is an unnerving aura tied to his role that makes one extremely uncomfortable and allured at the same time. His silence is terrifying. Toward the very end of Ep1, it is without a doubt LYX possesses extreme versatility to embody the characterization of Tantaijin, where your feelings are shifted just from the slightest break in expression. He truly is excellent.

The action scene in Ep4 ia surprisingly impressive, the CGI is incredibly three dimensional, the visuals are lively and vivid, and costumes are great. It seems to check mark a lot of things but since I'm still very early into the drama, this rating will be reviewed past the half mark at Ep20 (I am at Ep5). The only con is the dubbing, but it's commonly done in cdramas so it's only a minor issue. I was pleasantly suprised that TTJ was not a voice over but LYX's natural soft spoken voice, which is very fitting for the character. At present, the drama very favourable and opens a lot of opportunities for where the plot could lead to. But for a drama of 40 episodes, there are a lot of ways it could potentially go south. Until that's confirmed, I'd highly give it a try.