Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 8

天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú] #8

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, 墨香铜臭

A BATTLE FOR FREEDOM, A LOVE FOR THE AGES

White No-Face's mask is off, and the final conflict has begun. Deep in the ancient caverns and lava flows of Mount Tonglu, Xie Lian must face the one whose hatred has plagued him for centuries--but this time, he won't have to do it alone. His beloved, Hua Cheng, has spent his long existence amassing the power to protect him, and now with their feelings for each other out in the open, they have all the more reason to fight for survival.

In this thrilling conclusion to Heaven Official's Blessing, can Xie Lian and Hua Cheng triumph against an all-powerful foe?

Also included in this final volume are five bonus tales of romance, celebration, and adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Historical, Fiction, China

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Associated Names:
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)

Reviews

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calificación total para toda la serie: 5 estrellas

Días después de leerlo: He decidido que Xie Lian y Hua Cheng inventaron el amor. Antes de ellos no existía. Era un concepto desconocido.

No puedo dejar de pensar en Hualian y en lo mucho que amé toda la historia. Y no me hagan hablar de el final tan SUBLIME que tiene y ¿las historias extra? Son oro puro.

También amo a Feng Xin y a Mu Qing. Pei Ming se ganó mi corazón y Lord Wind Master merecía algo mejor.

[rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

and just like that it’s all done. what do i do with my life now

[L Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful conclusion to Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s story! I loved it so much! Probably my favorite series this year… most definitely, my favorite couple. 

“My beloved is a brave, noble, gracious special someone... He saved my life, and I’ve looked up to him ever since I was young. But I wanted to catch up to him and become even stronger for his sake. Although he might not remember me well - we never really talked - I want to protect him.”

I’m surprised by how often I think about this series, considering how I felt about the first book. I wasn’t really impressed with it and only started book two because of how much I liked the donghua.  By the end of that second book, I was completely hooked. I binge read the next five books, then eagerly awaited the release of book eight. The story placed so much emphasis on figuring out who Xie Lian was and how, throughout the last 800 years, he impacted the various characters around him that I didn’t really think of this series as being a romance until halfway through. Lurking in the background of those 800 years was Hua Cheng. From the first time he interacted with Xie Lian, he was entranced. 

His devotion to Xie Lian was mind-boggling. Everything he did in life and in death was for him, his thoughts were always focused on him, his relentless pursuit of power and influence was fueled by his desire to protect him, nothing existed but him, and he would literally raze every city to the ground if it meant keeping him safe. It was truly something, and I was completely addicted. And don’t even get me started on the GORGEOUS manhwa for this series. My God, Hua Cheng is depicted as everything sensuous in this world. 🥵🔥

“If I like something, then my heart will not have room for any other, and I'll always treasure it. A thousand times, a million times, no matter how many years this will not change.”

“If your dream is to save the common people, then my dream is only you.”

SPOILERS AHEAD❗️
My only complaint is that there were a few loose ends that weren’t tied up. For example, who replaced Jun Wu as the heavenly emperor? What happened to Banyue, Pei Xiu, and Guzi? Did Pei Ming ever get over his embarrassment about being saved by the Rain Master? What became of Shi Qingxuan? What happened to He Xuan a.k.a Ship-Sinking Black Water? And Qi Rong, for that matter? Technically, his ashes weren’t destroyed so is there a chance he’ll be back? Now that Mount Tonglu has been destroyed, does that mean there won’t be any more supremes? Or does its destruction only slow down the process? I cared so deeply about all of these characters that leaving them without closure felt wrong.

*****
In addition to the main story, book 7 also contains five extra short stories, my favorite being Oh Goodness! The Cave of Ten Thousand Gods. The idea of giving each of the animated divine statues its very own version of Hua Cheng was so heartwarming, turning what would have been a sad situation into something joyous and beautiful. All of those extras really emphasize how much Hua Cheng couldn’t keep his hands off Xie Lian, how much Xie Lian liked it, and just how, um, ‘spirited’ their love making was. 😏 My heart soared with how in love they were. After 800 years of being apart, they truly deserved it. 💘

...everyone from the Heavens above to the Earth below learned that Xie Lian was truly head over heels - he was absolutely, totally in love with Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are cordially invited to my fucking funeral cause this book killed me.

And we're not talking peacefully and painlessly, no, no, no - Volume 8 really said (in a Mortal Kombat voice) "FINISH HER!!" And it did...it really did. I am finished. My eyes are swollen from crying and I don't know what to do with my hands.

Hualian is the peak, the pinnacle, the apotheosis of love.

There is literally nothing I can say that can summarize how fucking extraordinary this series is, so I won't even try.

If you'll excuse me...I need to go cling to my books like I'm in the middle of the ocean and they're the only life raft for miles.

[lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

i will never know happiness again.

[anmol]

i didn't think it could be possible after so many gorgeous covers but this cover is so beautiful 😭😭😭😭

[Idk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Last time, they spent eight hundred years running towards each other. This time, it only took an instant to fall into each other's embrace. "- crying screaming throwing up knowing i will never experience a love like this

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was worth every minute of my life to reread this series. I am aware of my next course of action; HOB anime S2 here I come.

[Izabella 🪐 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this review gonna have anything substantial in it? No. Will this review just basically be me word-vomiting on the page about my feelings and emotions? Yes. Do I care? Pftttt no.

I don’t think anyone is gonna be surprised when I say that I cried, and laughed, and annoyed the ever-loving f*ck out of my mom who had to listen to me rant. This volume had some of my favourite things; of course there’s HuaLian (just existing thank you very much), and there’s the Xianle trio (not breaking our hearts for once), a little bit of Shi Qingxuan (not enough in my opinion), and just all of the feels.

☆☆☆

Let’s start with the Xianle trio;

Unexpectedly, Mu Qing continued with, "But more often than not, I'm still... kind of in awe of you."

Xie Lian was taken aback.

Mu Qing gathered his courage. As though someone were choking him, forcing him to speak, he stiffly said, "Isn't that normal? You.. are rather amazing. You're...also...a better person than I am. In short, I..very much wanted...to become your f-f-friend."

Oh. Mu Qing. There’s just something about him that makes me want to explode due to the overwhelming emotion he brings me. I feel like he’s just so misunderstood, by the other characters, and by the fandom honestly. I was first just enraged that people seemed to be ganging up on him in the beginning, but then Xie Lian extended a helping hand, and the Xianle trio that we know and love was truly together again. After all, Mu Qing is just an emotionally constipated guy who wanted to be Xie Lian’s f-f-friend.

Like Xie Lian himself said, after they cleared the air, the trio just felt so much lighter than before. I asked, and mxtx delivered. We finally got the type of Xianle trio content that we wanted to see. Just teasing each other, protecting each other, and even if all of them are too emotionally constipated to admit it, loving and caring for each other. This book really cured my Xianle trio depression. I can’t tell which relationship I love more, the Xianle trio, or HuaLian. I guess both just give me the different types of angst and joy that I both dread and want.

☆☆☆

So we’ve come to the final confrontation. The final showdown against J*n W*. The action. The fighting. The edge-of-my-seat anticipation. Xie Lian finally being at his highest power potential. This volume had me on the brink of insanity. You know, I gotta say, as I much I hate hate hate J*n W*, his whole character has gotta be one of the best. Just because mxtx manages to make me feel nauseous, nervous, and absolute rage towards this man. He’s constantly hurting my baby Xie Lian just because he’s kinning too hard. It makes me flabbergasted when I just sit and think about the fact that 800 years ago, J*n W* saw this kid that reminded him of himself, and decided to torment and torture him for centuries just to prove a point.

Like the emotional whiplash that J*n W* gives me is jarring. His character is just teetering between a thousand different temperaments. In this book alone, he went from bashing Xie Lian’s head against a rock wall, to gently and affectionately wiping the blood from his face and talking to him like a concerned, disappointed father. It honestly makes me sick. He’s the reason Xie Lian’s life fell apart, and he’ll hug and comfort him… Like… it's sickening. His actions are so disturbing that even Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and Mei Nianqing were floored with bafflement. Just thinking about J*n W* in the first books, how seemingly nice and gentle he was, is so heartbreaking and eye opening compared to learning the truth.

The rain was coming down harder now. It scoured Jun Wu's resting face, washing away the blood that flowed from his wounds. As it poured across his skin, Xie Lian thought that the three lesions on his face had faded somewhat. Maybe it was his imagination.

After a moment of silence, Xie Lian took the bamboo hat from his back and lowered it over Jun Wu's face to shield him from the rain.

Maybe I’m just so easily entertained, but this scene was absolutely f*cking genius. In a way, it completes this cycle of parallels between J*n W* and Xie Lian. They were raised in similar upbringings, they lost their kingdoms and friends and families, and Xie Lian almost travelled the same path as J*n W*, but J*n W*’s plans were all felled by a single bamboo hat. When Xie Lian was at his lowest, just one person who showed him kindness was enough to make him see the good again, and so Xie Lian gives J*n W* that same hat, despite all of the agony he put him through. It was really the cherry on top, the final reminder to J*n W* that he failed, that he was defeated… Chills guys, literal chills.

☆☆☆

Fair Warning: Prepared to be bombarded with HuaLian quotes…

He knew everything. He had seen everything. He had been there all along!
All at once, thousands of emotions and millions of words swarmed into his head. There was gratitude, there was shame, there was heartache, there was wild joy, but above all else, there was incurable love.

Perfect. Finding out that Hua Cheng’s been there for him all along. For 800 years, he’s been watching out for him. Xie Lian just fell even harder, which I didn’t think was possible.

"My beloved is a brave, noble, gracious special someone" Hua Cheng continued. "He saved my life, and I've looked up to him ever since I was young. But I wanted to catch up to him and become even stronger for his sake. Although he might not remember me well—we never really talked—I want to protect him."

He gazed at Xie Lian. "If your dream is to save the common people, then my dream is only you."

Just thinking about what Hua Cheng had to go through as well for 800 years breaks my heart. He’s seen Xie Lian at his lowest, and couldn’t even help him. Xie Lian really gives this man PTSD and constant heart attacks. It’s kind of treated as a joke sometimes, but Hua Cheng has major self-esteem issues and so many insecurities. He doesn’t think he’s good enough, attractive enough, and he probably never will, at least not compared to Xie Lian, but his one mission, his one goal, is to protect his beloved, his true god, and if my future partner isn’t like that, I don’t want ‘em.

This is the reason I so desperately want this whole series rewritten in Hua Cheng’s pov. I want to hear the story from his perspective (and I’d kill to see what his thoughts are around Xie Lian because I know it would be enough to get absolutely anyone who reads flustered and awestruck). But also I’d love to learn more about him. One thing I’m a little disappointed with is that we don’t really know much about him as a child or what he did during those 800 years. I mean we know some things, but I’d like to know more personal details about him. So yeah, I would sell my soul for Hua Cheng’s pov, I’d kill for it.

"Your Highness, I understand your everything," Hua Cheng said quietly. "Your courage, your despair. Your kindness, your pain. Your resentment, your hate. Your wisdom, your foolishness.

"If I could, I would have you use me as your stepping stone, the bridge you take apart after crossing, the bones you need to trample on your climb, the sinner who endures the agony of a million knives. But I know you won't allow it."
But Hua Cheng only replied, "To die in battle for you is my greatest honor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He believed this man would die for him again and again and would be reborn for him over and over; even if he fell into the depths of hell, he would break through the abyss in the name of his faith.

Last time, they spent eight hundred years running toward each other
This time, it only took an instant to fall into each other's embrace.

And we’ve officially reached the end of the main story. You truly cannot outdo the doer. HuaLian is the epitome of love. They invented it in fact. Their devotion, their care, their love, their loyalty, their passion, they are quite simply the most beautiful couple to ever exist. They’re relationship is poetic. It’s tragically beautiful. They’ll make you smile, they’ll make you cry, they’ll haunt your every waking thought for the rest of your life. They are my religion. They are everything.

☆☆☆

Yep. This ending was perfect. And the extras were a fun addition. We could see some sweet domestic married HuaLian. And I was lowkey surprised to see that there was not a one smut chapter. If you’ve read mxtx’s last two series (especially mdzs with that one *shudders* extra), mxtx is not afraid to write smut. I mean I’m not complaining much, I’m not the biggest smut fan, I’ll read it if it’s there, but all the better if it’s not. But that certainly didn’t stop the multitude of sexual innuendos 👀

Shi Qingxuan was the only one who couldn't wrap his head around it. "What is it? What happened? What's going on? Your Highness, are you really sick? Does Crimson Rain Sought Flower know? Is he not taking good care of you?!"

No, no, no. Xie Lian was like this because Hua Cheng had taken care of him so thoroughly!

Yeah, I already mentioned this in an update, but I’m bringing this quote back because it is hilarious. But it’s good to know you’re taken care of so thoroughly Xie Lian 😏 And I seriously need to know, does Shi Qingxuan know that HuaLian are a couple. Everytime they’re in HuaLian’s vicinity, they cannot pick up on the romantic and sexual tension, so I seriously NEED to know 😭 but I still love my beautiful, dumbass spouse.

The Scrap Immortal had two good friends. Because one was ornery and one was petty, they were called the Ornery Immortal and the Petty Immortal.

HAHAAWHDHWHAH! This folktale extra about the Great Ghost King and the Scrap Immortal was adorable, but my favourite part is the disrespect thrown at Feng Xin and Mu Qing (I love them)

Over the endless centuries, no matter how painful it got, Hua Cheng had never even considered giving up on him.

It was Xie Lian, who had discovered that fact, who was truly the happiest.

I genuinely thought that the extras would be sweet, fluffy, and wholesome, but there was so much unnecessary angst in them (but I love angst). The amnesiac Xie Lian extras really puts into perspective how much he’s changed over the 800 years of pain, and it hurts me to see it. Hua Cheng’s birthday extra (which can we talk about how misleading that title is, I thought it’d be wholesome) just put Xie Lian through MORE pain. You know, I’m starting to wonder if mxtx simply enjoys putting Xie Lian in pain, cause he cannot catch a break (I’m stealing him from mxtx and keeping him nice and safe in my arms)

☆☆☆

I sound like a broken record in these reviews, I know, but it seriously means everything to me. All of these characters, the relationships, the story, they just mean so much to me if I could I would’ve written more on each individual character but we’d be here all day and no one has that time. I haven’t been following this series for years or anything, only since these physical copies started getting published but in such a short time this series managed to burrow itself into my heart and my mind and make its home there. To put it simply, I’m obsessed with it. I’m so so so happy I picked up this series (and thank you to whatever random TikTok gave me the inspiration to start it). Tgcf was literally the gateway drug to the danmei world for me. I’ve found so many new favourite characters, ships, and worlds all because of tgcf. It’s introduced me to new wonderful fandoms, and I’m so grateful for it.

Woah! That was sappy as heck, but tgcf will always always have a place in my heart <3

By the heaven official's blessing, no paths are bound!

☆☆☆

I cannot believe I am finished. This series was everything to me, and I’m literally just sobbing over the fact that it’s over 😭😭

Rtc really really soon <3

☆☆☆

Cover Reveal
Once this ✨gorgeous✨ book is in my hand, trust I’ll be a sobbing, uncontrollable mess. I can’t believe it’s almost over 😭😭😭😭

[Nel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not religious, but I'd join the church of Hualian in a heartbeat.
I'd highkey read another 8 volumes of Hualian and their domestic shenanigans.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry, I can't be reached right now; for I am in CLOUD 9 experiencing the happy ending that I (ahem) Xie Lian and Hua Cheng deserve... 😇😇

What else can be said, now that the curtains are drawn on this epic fantasy danmei series that has established itself as the icon of its genre? I am left book-hungover, and my mind is still wandering somewhere close to my cinnamon roll and his ghostie boi.

Long live the Flower-Crowned Martial God and his Devoted Ghost King!!

[soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK EMOTIONALLY CHANGED ME. I’ve been reading since i was little, but no book has ever had such a lasting presence on me than this one. This is my reread of this series AND IT STILL MAKES ME CRY. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I love MXTX and their way of putting so much feeling into words. IM SO GLAD I GOT INTO THIS SERIES.❤️😭

P.S.
Xie Lian I love you so much.

Now onto my reread of MDZS. Wish me luck everyone🫶😋

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part one made me cry. Part two made me embarrassingly happy.

This series is my Roman Empire. I don’t know what I’m going to do now I’m done … probably go walk into the sea I guess.

5⭐️ No 🌶️

[lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so the misfortunate martial god and the ghost king of good luck lived happily ever after. But can I? Can I make my peace and join them in the epilogue? I feel like I’ve been invited to a wedding, but I’m running hopelessly late because I’m stuck in a mire of quicksand called Unanswered Ethical Questions.

But let’s back up. The most powerful thing this story says, to me, comes by way of rejecting its own core question. Ages ago, the state preceptor asked Xie Lian how he would decide, as a god, which of two men dying in the desert he would save if there was only one cup of water; Xie Lian said he would “give them another cup.” They’re both wrong. We see this metaphor play out a dozen different ways—with Jun Wu and his people, Xie Lian and his, twice with the black water trio, the Yong’an water merchant, etc.—and every time, no matter the outcome, I would argue the point is that there is no such thing as a removed position of godly arbitration. We are all here in the desert. All you have to give is your own cup.

When Xie Lian suffers to spare others suffering, it’s not because he’s not clever or strong enough to create a way where no one suffers, it’s because often somebody has to. Learning that lesson in his youth and continuing to selflessly do good for the rest of his life, knowing the cost, is what makes him a good person. But a key part of his character arc is learning to forgive himself for his past failures—that he isn’t undeserving of happiness simply because he, like anyone else, only has so much to give.

So what the fuck does it mean, then, that Hua Cheng has endless power? Nearly limitless spiritual energy to share with Xie Lian, and, beyond that limit, endless willpower to survive death after death after death and come back more powerful than before? That’s the quicksand. Not even a god, not even the emperor of gods, can give and give and keep on giving... but a ghost can, because he’s just so in love?

And it’s not only that Hua Cheng is exempt from this core theme of finitude, it’s that he’s Xie Lian’s key (or loophole, more like) to making peace with it. Hua Cheng’s inexhaustible power shatters Xie Lian’s cursed shackles, ending his self-destructive penitence. And it gives him the security to break his daoist abstinence vows for the sake of his own happiness, losing his cultivation, because he can always mooch Hua Cheng’s spiritual juice to fight monsters and answer prayers. I find myself desperately wondering, What would this relationship look like if they were both fallible??

Like, what if Xie Lian had had to save Hua Cheng from oblivion in the end? Put him back together instead of waiting around for him to rematerialize like the poster boy for self-sufficiency? Idk. Enough about the quicksand. I live here now. My sneakers are full of sand goop, but that’s fine. I’m happy the husbands are happy.

In terms of characters, I think comparing TGCF to MDZS is a contrast of depth vs. breadth, respectively. TGCF has a lot of distinct side characters for sure, but seeing them always felt like glimpsing through their windows—learning about their lives, rather than living them. TGCF goes deep in on HuaLian; it’s their story, through and through, and their relationship is much more emotionally developed and well-paced than WangXian’s for that reason. Whereas MDZS chronicles a sprawling, intricate web of social politics, with at least six supporting characters who are so central the story could be told from their POVs without losing any impact. Broad.

I’ve gotta say I prefer the wide angle view. Here at the end of TGCF, all the side characters’ resolutions are uniformly melancholy—not too happy, not too sad. Go girl give us neutral. I wanted moments of real joy and growth with them (where is my baby, Banyue??), and if not joy, then heart-rending, cathartic tragedy!!! (And do NOT say the black water arc! It’s profoundly unsatisfying and ik that’s the point but I don’t like it!) Simply put, TGCF has no Jiang Cheng.

Be honest with me. Am I complaining far too much about this book after I’ve so delighted in cracking open each volume like a geode and examining its lil crystal structures? Yeah?

Well, if I were gonna blurb this novel, I would call it “A testament to the worth of human life no matter its circumstances” and also “A masterclass in narrative foreshadowing.” To that point, and to make one last comparison, it’s neat to me that the flashback sections of MDZS and TGCF connect to their present-day storylines in opposite ways: the former blindsides, the latter foreshadows. MDZS splits the apple down symmetrical lines, revealing slice by surprising slice that it’s rotten right to the core from all the things passed down from all the apples coming before. TGCF nurtures it from bud to blossom to fruit and says that the apple is worthy of love.

[gi · Rating 5 out of 5]

im gonna tell my children hualian invented slowburn

[Marina ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮TGCF Vol. 8 Review 😭ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 𝙰 𝙱𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚘𝚖
𝙰 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚎𝚜

The Final installment to the translated novels ‘Heaven Official’s Blessing’
This book had me falling off my bed dramatically…ehm ( Make sure to look at the quote at the very bottom, before I wrote my review����).

In the deep caves of Mount Tonglu, the final challenges and battles with White No-Face occur. Xie Lian and his love, Hua Cheng fight the physical and internal battles together. This book ended absolutely PERFECTLY. And I really can’t ask for more…..although I would not be mad if we had a vol 9 and 10 and 11….👀

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 “He and his beloved have both tied red strings to their fingers, and many people have followed suit in the hope of finding their future spouse or as a symbol of love.”

I want to start by saying that this review is going to be focused on the series as a whole. This book was amazing and made me cry- mostly because it was over. In this specific volume, only about half of the book is about the main story. After that we get sweet messages and little extra random bonus stories (That absolutely made me melt 💓) The story concluded with a perfect scene of the defeat of White No-Face and some events that would have made me cry if not for the several spoilers I’d seen before hand. I won’t talk too much about the ending tales/ extra stories because I feel like everyone should experience those for the first time without really knowing what it’s going to say 🥺

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 “Remember? The one basking in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is you, not the state of you.

Starting off with Xie Lian x Hua Cheng. I don’t think it possible for me to love any other fictional couple more. Xie Lian was amazing and one of my favorite MCs ever. He was super smart and could easily dish out secrets…..but was totally oblivious to like everything. I loved him. Both his and Hua Cheng’s backstories broke my heart. Although we didn’t get a legit backstory for Hua Cheng, throughout the series, we got glimpses of it through Xie Lian’s past. You are able to piece it together book by book. Xie Lian went through so so so much and Hua Cheng was there with him the entire time, even if Xie Lian was unknowing. Hua Cheng’s loyalty and possessiveness is unmatched. I will forever miss the Crown Prince of Xianle and his love, Crimson Rain Sought flower. ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 “So what? They’re millions of fools; they’re all useless trash! But for you, one person is enough!”

The Fact that they were so much more powerful when they were with each other and in moments like this I really wanted to get up, go to the store, and buy myself my own Hua Cheng.

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮…leaning in to kiss some more, but Hua Cheng cradled Xie Lian’s face with swift hands and gave him a small peck with smiling lips.
”although I’m happy gege is so forward, there’s no need to give me any more spiritual power—if he simply wanted to kiss me—I don’t mind at all. In fact, the more the better. I welcome it with open arms.”
Xie Lian gripped him tightly, on the brink of falling apart. “What’s going on…?!”
“I’m just taking a break, that’s all,” Hua Cheng replied.

Legit crying ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 “He saved my life, and I’ve looked up to him ever since I was young. But I wanted to catch up to him and become even stronger for his sake. Although he might not remember me well—we. never really talked—I want to protect him.”
He gazed at Xie Lian. “If your dream is to save the common people, then my dream is only you.”

Like MXTX is out here really trying to kill us with emotion.

ཐི༏ཋྀ󠀮 “To die in battle for you is my greatest honor.”
Now the side characters absolutely ate this up. Starting off with Qi Rong- he was annoying as all heck but we all have to admit….he absolutely hilarious. My favorite quote by him is when he always says ‘DOG FUCKED XIE LIAN’. Has me rolling on the ground laughing. His place in the story was great. He was that character that you brought in for a little bit of the story and some humor and then that’s it.

Mu Qing/ Feng Xin - loved these guys. They added that specialness to the series. I loved how they were constantly bickering and how they pretended to not like Xie Lian anymore but were secretly helping him the entire time.
Jun Wu can go kill himself.
I liked Ling Wen then I didn’t, then I did again.
He Xuan and Shi Qingxuan can both have my heart. I loved both of them sm. Black water was lowkey hilarious and Shi Qingxuan gave off bestie vibes the entire time.

This series was beyond amazing. It was clever, hilarious, and held a lot of high tension. I wish I could read it for the first time once more. I’m so happy I came upon this series and these characters will literally be in my heart forever ❤️😭

P.S. MXTX I blame you for my now increasing Danmei addiction.

Body in Abyss, Heart in Paradise
𝓑𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵’𝓼 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭!

Review By:
~Marina 😘

~ also, I think it took me so long to write this review because it almost signals the official ending of the series 😭

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And once the full story got out, everyone from the Heavens above to the Earth below learned that Xie Lian was truly head over heels—he was absolutely, totally in love with Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

But that was a story for another time!

kill me nowwwww 😭 gosh i fcking loved this entire series and i wish I could rate this book 1,000 stars. FULL RTC 🫶🫠💓

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i will tell my grandchildren and great grandchildren that this is the romeo and juliet in our lifetime

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

No tengo palabras para explicar lo mucho que amo esta historia y a sus personajes. Valió totalmente la pena este camino tan largo. Disfruté, lloré y amé cada página y ni hablar de los extras que son oro puro.

Hua Cheng y Xie Lian siempre van a estar en mi corazón.


Algunas de mis frases favoritas:

«Cuerpo en el abismo, corazón en el paraíso»

«Si tu sueño es salvar a la gente común, entonces, mi sueño, eres solo tú.»

«Mi amado es alguien especial, valiente, noble y amable. Me ha salvado la vida, lo he admirado desde que era joven. Pero, quería alcanzarlo más y convertirme en una persona aún más fuerte para él. Aunque, él podría no recordarme bien. Además, nunca hablamos realmente pero, quiero protegerlo.»

«Soy para siempre tu creyente más devoto.» 🪷

[trice (semi ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

为你，明灯三千；为你，花开满城；为你，所向披靡！

wow, i finally finished this!! this took me longer than mdzs, but admittedly i liked tgcf more. this really hit with the angst, especially the legendary chapter 190. (it's not a good feeling tearing up during bio class btw!) the action scenes were not that good, it's one of the only pitfalls of mxtx. but everything else - the humor, the angst, the romance, the characters, were on point.

it's like a 4.75 if i take the average, but ofc i'm rounding it up <3

[valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

HUA CHENG ERES EL AMOR DE MI VIDA

[Aathira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished TGCF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't finish this series. This series finished me.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think more books need to end with a bunch of silly goofy bonus chapters that are really just tropey fanfic AUs where the MCs make out and talk about how obsessed they are with each other

[kay! ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✰*ੈ✩‧₊˚ five ✰’s

it took me around a year to finish tgcf simply because i was way too attached to the characters and story to say goodbye…it also didn’t help that i was already spoiled on just how angsty it gets in this volume.

Last time, they spent eight hundred years running toward each other. This time, it only took an instant to fall into each other’s embrace.

it’s fully understandable why tgcf is a cult danmei fav. while svsss remains at the top of my mxtx (look…moshang, okay? MOSHANG! they occupy my thoughts all the time) tgcf for sure comes at a close second. i don’t think i’ve read something as long as this series without feeling bored or stressed because of all the characters/plots that are going on. xie lian is such a wonderful character to guide us on this journey and i love him sooooo much. like!!!! he’s so cool and badass and genuinely kind—one of my favorite parts of tgcf is how complex xie lian’s characterization is. alsooooo!!! hua cheng’s characterization is 🤌

the plot is also nothing to balk at! there were certain arcs I enjoyed more and side characters that i found more intriguing but as a whole tgcf will remain a comfort series for me. hualian are so sweet in a very nauseating way…like…no offense because i ADORE them but every character that comes in contact with hualian is essentially just like:



anyways!!!! i’m now off to download a bunch of hualian fics to my kindle as a very poor attempt at healing the tgcf shaped size hole in my heart. go read tgcf!! please, it’s so good.

“By the heaven official’s blessing, no paths are bound!

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Soy, por siempre, tu creyente más devoto"❤

Cómo escribir una reseña que resuma una historia tan preciosa y que me ha hecho sentir tanto. Es imposible estar a la altura.

Solo puedo agradecer de corazón haberme topado con estos libros y haber conocido a estos personajes que son inolvidables. Xie Lian y Hua Cheng inventaron el amor, y ningún romance que lea alguna vez estará a la altura.

[hannah⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO???????? I actually can’t process that it’s over…… I can already feel the reading slump coming on

but omg this volume was so good I really loved that half of it was the conclusion to the main arc and the rest was just short extra stories. MXTX I love u so much and you’re so brilliant even tho u make me cry but it was so worth it

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much, and am so sad it's over.

The love story is perfection. The unconditional love between these two was breathtaking. It was epic, intimate, and joyous. Yes, my heart broke a bit, but it was more than healed by the end.

Even beyond the romance though, this is a fantastic story of growth, conviction, and morality. The journey Xie Lian goes on is complex while still being relatable. He may be a god, but he's just so human.

I also adored the side characters and appreciated the friendship, drama, and humor they brought.

I don't reread often, but I'm already planning my reread of this. It was a full experience and I adored it.

[Natalya Voronina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was waffling how many stars to give until the end. Because I didn't like a lot here (some stuff purely subjective, some - I feel - more grounded), but what I liked - I liked A LOT. And my "didn't like" is still relative to how much I like MXTX's other stuff.
What makes the book for me is Xie Lian. He's an amazing character. Somehow he and his situation shouldn't be relatable at all, but MXTX's talent strikes again. And flashbacks work really well here, his arc is beautiful and weirdly not-arc-shaped because of the out of order storytelling: we think we get introduced to him at the low point, then we see him as high as it gets, then we find out just how low it can get. And all his falls are so incredibly written, without any caveats like "for genre fiction", just simply incredible. (I really think that - writing falls from grace - is MXTX's ultimate power; that, and awkward moments with second-hand embarrassment :D)
What I didn't like will make me seem crazy in this fandom: I don't like Hua Cheng, neither as a person, nor as a character. As a person - well, he's a dick, and not that much of a green flag, I think; that's not usually a deal breaker for me, but I guess it's more that he's just not interesting enough to me: he's gone through all his arcs and conflicts off screen, if there even were any. And as a character - he's such a deus ex machina.
And I already have problems with the plot in this book: not on the grand scale, there it's amazing, but more on the smaller scale: I felt like whole arcs and characters could be cut out without losing much, I was often bored. But HC's overpoweredness just adds to this. Also, I hate that "plot by comms" feature of his. There was something similar in every MXTX book, and I feel like it gets progressively worse: dreams in SVSSS were fully part of the story, empathy in MDZS kind of worked for some reason, maybe because it was the POV character who controlled it, and there were at least some stakes. But here XL just stands there idling, watching TV, in the middle of major events happening, it's ridiculous to me.
I think a big part of it was an editing problem, and from what I know about the revised edition - some stuff is fixed, or at least goes in the direction that I like.
That said, I love HC specifically for XL, and get why their story is so loved. It's just for me it's not enough for a romance book. If I felt that plot was strong enough to stand on its own, and love story - an afterthought, I would not have the same problems with him. But that's not what's going on here.
What I do like of their love story is also XL's half of it: I like the organic feel of his emotions, the lack of "fated lovers" stuff and grand gestures, and how he just simply found the guy attractive, started talking to him more and eventually went for it.
Now it probably seems like I hate the book, but it's just easier to talk about the stuff you don't like. Also it's not like TGCF needs protection :) And I would still recommend it, purely statistically I feel you're more likely to love it than not :D

[灰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

From now on I only pray to my lord and savior Xie Lian. STRIKE ME DOWN IF YOU WILL <(￣︶￣)>

Dear God, (Xie Lian AND Hua Cheng of course), please grant me the strength to reread this a million more times in your name? Please allow me to share this blessed creation to the largest depths of the world and be one of your best soldiers in my efforts to spread awareness to this beautiful work of art.

Yall I’ve never been through so much pain reading a novel like this before. AND ID DO IT AGAIN LIKE HURT ME SOME MORE PLEASE??!!!!!! On a series note, I’ve been trying to make my way through this series for about a year (I’ve had a really bad book burnout for about 2 years now) and let me tell you something … I’ve never jumped out of a book burnout so fast in my life. FOR XIE???? FOR HUA CHENG???? FOR SAN LANG??? FOR HIS HIGHNESS??? ID DO ANYTHING IM ON MY KNEES FOR LIFE BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

Right now I’m smiling from ear to ear and I’m floating on a never ending sea of sunshine and rainbows. honey buns, read this if you haven’t. You’ll love it here. That’s it, that’s the review.

[avni · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I do with my life now?