Third Prize Possible: [Appraising Tianyuan]

Third Prize: Possible

Winning Review: [Period Cup - Reviewing Tianyuan]

First off, why did I choose a book like Tianyuan? Is it because Tianyuan is the best? Of course not! It's simply because so many other books have been written about it!!

Thinking back to those years, I was also a vibrant young man, but after being influenced by a classmate, I read "The Journey of the Misty World" and haven't stopped reading webnovels since. Heh, I really do ramble!

Tianyuan officially updated in '09, and from the start, it was met with a flood of praise. Especially during the parts written about "Zhang Bingyun," epithets like "wicked daughter writer" and "heartless writer" were thrown around. Readers seek excitement when they read webnovels, so novels with such plotlines are usually close to being abandoned. Readers are too lazy to even criticize the author, but Tianyuan was different. Besides expressing some dissatisfaction and feeling like their hearts had been stabbed, readers didn't say the author wrote it wrong. Why?

Because of the overall tone of the book! Firstly, Xue Da created a "prosperous Tang Dynasty" that, while appearing calm on the surface, was actually rife with hidden dangers. Secondly, the protagonist Jiang Yu's background destined him to be an outcast from the Daoist Sect, Demonic Sect, or Buddhist Sect. The Daoist and Buddhist Sects joined forces to destroy the Demonic Sect, but afterward, endless internal strife ensued. What the Buddhist and Daoist Sects displayed wasn't the grace of immortals or boundless compassion, but greed and cunning no less than the Demonic Sect. They had completely abandoned the truth, goodness, and beauty of humanity, leaving only a group of people driven by "profit." Cultivation, cultivation—it's not about cultivating truth, but about cultivating away the truth. How could a heroine like Zhang Bingyun, who is like a true celestial maiden, navigate the trials and tribulations with the protagonist in this world of deceit and intrigue?

Tianyuan, in my personal opinion, is the darkest book Xue Da has ever written. It's not that the protagonist is dark, but that the world is too dark. Almost everyone in the entire world is trying to scheme against Jiang Yu. The good people in the entire book can be counted on one hand; besides the protagonist and his few close brothers, there isn't a single good person. It's as if the entire world is sinking into depravity.

What's most hateful is the description of Zhang Bingyun's later fate. Just when the wound Xue Da carved into our hearts was about to heal, he had to tear it open again, sprinkle salt on it, and make sure we'd never forget. Then he tells us: this is just how dark the world is, and who can change it!!! (This cemented the protagonist's tragic destiny for the entire book.)

The depiction of "Zhang Bingyun," the quasi-heroine, is no better than the heroines in "Witchcraft."

Li Heng, whose wisdom was blinded by power; Li Longji, who possessed great wisdom but always used it in the wrong places; Li Linfu, who was cunning and treacherous but also deeply emotional; Zhang Shuo, who rigidly adhered to dogma; Gao Xianzhi, a blockhead who believed himself to be the greatest under heaven; the seemingly foolish yet incredibly cunning Demonic Sect infiltrators, An and Shi; Yang Guozhong, who considered himself clever; all together they formed the last prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, there's also that guy with little ability but who's a cockroach that just won't die—Chai the Official. Actually, his life is also a great tragedy. Besides indulging in pleasure, he never did anything meaningful. If he hadn't become involved with the quasi-heroine Zhang Bingyun, he would have been just a passerby. Not just a passerby in this book, but a passerby in his entire life.

Among all of Jiang Yu's enemies, Gao Xianzhi is the most pathetic. He clashed with Jiang Yu multiple times, winning some and losing some. But if you think about it carefully, Jiang Yu never really considered him a major opponent. And he probably died without ever knowing he was just a dispensable pawn of the Buddhist Sect. His opposition to Jiang Yu brought him no substantial benefits. It would have been one thing if he had died at Jiang Yu's hands; that would have been a death with some reason. But he died tragically at the hands of the Daoist Sect during a major Demonic Sect invasion, which speaks volumes about the nature of the Daoist Sect.

Those high and mighty immortals and gods had long forgotten why they cultivated. Each of them only pursued greater power, greater benefits, and better magical artifacts. In their eyes, humans were merely tools that could talk, be exploited, or be sold. No one cared about "human" interests; they only thought of eliminating the other two sects and ruling the world alone. They had long been blinded by power and had forgotten why the first Tianyuan Master sealed the Heavenly Court. They were repeating the mistakes their ancestors had made. Perhaps they knew they were making mistakes, but they couldn't stop themselves, only sinking into an endless darkness that appeared to be light. They were not as direct as the Demonic Sect. The Daoist and Buddhist Sects were thieves, while the latter was a robber. Neither of them was good.

The most tragic is Li Heng. Li Linfu helped him ascend to the throne of Crown Prince, and Jiang Yu gave him the power to contend with cultivators. Yet, he still possessed a mortal heart, always thinking only of the throne and power. Knowing that taking one more step might lead to immortality and adoration, he clung to the mortal world and made a grave mistake, not even knowing who had crippled his cultivation. It's laughable that he thought Jiang Yu and the others were as greedy for mortal power as he was, leading his once wise heart to become dull and foolish, completely unaware of being sidelined.

I remember someone once said that helping someone a little will earn you gratitude. Helping them again will also earn you gratitude. However, when that person realizes they can never repay the debt of gratitude, perhaps it's time for them to turn against you. There are too many such examples in reality.

Finally, let's talk about Tianyuan Power. Firstly, those ancient great beings were indeed formidable. They calculated that someone would become the second Tianyuan Master at this time, so they left many contingency plans. However, human calculations cannot overcome heavenly calculations. The one who obtained this Tianyuan Power was not someone from the Daoist Sect, but an anomaly within the Daoist Sect—Jiang Yu.

Why does Tianyuan Power exist? Is it simply to grant someone invincible power at a specific time? Of course not. How is Tianyuan Power generated? It's not obtained through cultivation, but through the collective will of sentient beings—their lingering attachments, pain, hatred for enemies, and disappointment with society at the moment of their passing. Thus, the first Tianyuan Masters were born. They hoped this world would no longer suffer from pain and war, and that the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demonic Sects would all be swept aside. Therefore, the first Tianyuan Masters sealed the Heavenly Court, the Western Pure Land, and the Demonic Realm. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the first Tianyuan Master was also a member of the Daoist Sect.

Clearly, Tianyuan Power does not choose its master lightly. It only recognizes those who truly care for the common people as their master, not those hypocritical Daoist Sect members. Thus, human calculations cannot overcome heavenly calculations. The contingency plans left by the Queen Mother of the West, besides helping Jiang Yu overcome tribulations and delaying his sealing of them, were almost useless.

In fact, if those Heavenly Court members in the lower realms had remembered the lesson of being sealed by the first Tianyuan Master and treated the common people kindly, there wouldn't have been any subsequent events. But would they do that? Would they treat the common people, whom they saw as no different from ants, kindly? Of course not. It's easier to change mountains and rivers than the innate nature of people.

From Jiang Yu's debut, from his initial immaturity to his later maturity, he did many things, both right and wrong. But he can honestly say that he has no regrets and has wronged no one. Trouble mostly found him, and he had his wins and losses, with more losses than wins. If Jiang Yu didn't have Tianyuan Power, his ending would have been destined to be a tragedy. In fact, even this ending is quite tragic. Besides Jiang Yu remembering Gongsun's aura, which allowed him to find her after her reincarnation, providing us with a small comfort, there were almost no satisfying plot points. Even when he used Tianyuan Power to silently re-seal the Heavenly Court and countless cultivators, immortals, and demons, there was no sense of exhilaration, only a deep sadness.

Life is like a swift river. Ordinary people can only drift with the current, while those in power sit in grand ships, enjoying the scenery on both banks, completely disregarding the lives of ordinary people. The Daoist, Buddhist, and Demonic Sects, however, are rowing upstream, smashing anything that stands in their way, be it people or boats, without any thought of avoidance. Jiang Yu, however, must cross to the other shore on a river filled with immortals and gods. How could those immortals and gods let him succeed?

After the story ended, I kept wondering why Jiang Yu didn't announce his sealing to the world, at least to flaunt it in front of his enemies and complete the sealing amidst their terror? Wouldn't that have been more satisfying? Later, I realized—Xue Da wasn't writing a wish-fulfillment novel, but a tragic one. The entire world was against the protagonist; what else could it be but a tragedy!

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Pig Head's Review: Regarding Tianyuan, Pig Head has always been reluctant to say much because writing about it is exhausting.

Since the book describes the world as dark, it resonates quite a bit with my state of mind back then. That's how it is.

Is Jiang Yu a tragic figure? At least he left behind a sliver of hope. At least he still had the power to change some things he wanted to change. Whether they are immortals, gods, or demons, their actions are essentially just expanded versions of human emotions and desires.

Some say that gods, immortals, and demons desire nothing. That's too false.

If they truly desired nothing and had reached a state of inaction, why would they still cultivate for longevity?

As for Miss Zhang Bingyun... I'm very sorry... I can even remember the character 'Wei' who was killed with a single sword in "Gods and Demons," but my memory of her is already blurry. A character destined to be sacrificed, a character unable to resist, is truly pathetic. (To be continued)