In Xianxia dramas- this one is properly the LEAST convoluted among the top faves from the recent years (think Ashes of Love, L & R). That's not a criticism in fact, I appreciated a less than complicated and overly messed up triangles and relationships. The beginning didn't start out strong. It impacted me in feeling that chemistry/connection between the main leads. First 15 episodes were the foundation for the rest of the storyline which isn't overly long but with that length- I expected more interaction/obstacles to overcome to flourish this everlasting romance. To no fault of Xu Kai- I don't get how his character falls for Shanggu to the point that he makes a lifetime of sacrifice for her. It wasn't until the 2nd lifetime storyline started that things got interested- there were more incidents to bond the romance between their 'other' lives. It got more complicated as there were more characters involved and the interplay of various realms.

For someone who never read the novel- I found it hard to understand the importance of Shanggu and her sacrifice from the foundation episodes. All I knew was that she was the 'top' person but weak. I didn't understand the mechanics of how true gods were to live, function and to serve what purpose - or the cycle of life for a true god. I'm now rewatching the first 15 episodes after I've seen it all to the end just to be able to understand it better again.

So many haters for this series without reason- I love Xu Kai. Not from Yanxi Palace where he grew to fame but from The Legends. I loved his stoic character, say one thing and do another. I yearned for him to get another role like this. I saw that in Xu Kai's portrayal of Bai Jue. Countless times, Bai Jue had those 'turning around look' expressions that just changes by the second- it always captivates me. Not many actors can nail those microexpressions and yet be noticeable down to the very second by second frame. He really makes you feel for his sacrifices and his agony.

ZDY-I don't dislike her portrayal of his character. I don't find her annoying or hard to watch. At the same time, I don't have a lot of love for her portrayal of this character. I honestly expected more agony or reaction of her mixed feelings after the big reveal. That is, realizing what Bai Jue has done in the last 60,000 yrs and all the misunderstandings she had for him. Face it, he died alone! Whereas everyone witnessed Shanggu's ultimate sacrifice which made it beautiful but Bai Jue's was of solitude. The entire journey was solitude.

The biggest disappointment for me was not seeing Jian Zhou (princess) being punished. Her eldest brother recognized the error of his ways and he was really stubborn about it for most of the episodes and yet he had to atone for his sins. The princess who has equally done bad - corroborating with her mother to kill Bai Jue and even in the very end- tries to curse Shanggu - she didn't get any punishment. The entire family paid for the sins of the mother and the princess just ends up spending her life taking care of her mother with no real meaning.

Overall- I prefer this drama over L&R. CGI is just mind blowing that adds depth to this drama- it's elegant just like their outfits. OST is spot on and not overly played to the point that it's just white noise. Definitely stick it to the end.