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No Paths Are Bound: Part Five
Part 5:
Book Three Content (Seven Seas Vol. 3-6): Chapters 67 - 113
A re-telling of TGCF where Xie Lian has his cursed shackle placed in his eyes, blinding him. And yet, through all of his struggles; there is always someone watching over him.
Book Three Content (Seven Seas Vol. 3-6): Chapters 67 - 113
A re-telling of TGCF where Xie Lian has his cursed shackle placed in his eyes, blinding him. And yet, through all of his struggles; there is always someone watching over him.
- GenresFan Fiction
1442 pages, ebook
Published September 8, 2022
8 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 19, 2025
"Monsters don't exist... Only people who make monstrous choices."
Reread August 19th, 2025
What a story, damn. I love how the author connects all the dots that were left in canon and also doesn't let anything hang from her OG characters and storylines. One of the best fanfictions I've ever read, I stand by that.
First read March 21st, 2025
It's a long part filled with lots of painful events and memories. But it's still amazing. The way the author expands the story will never cease to surprise me, I think.
I cannot say much without spoilers, but there are a lot of great moments and quotes.
I want to write one more down. For it is something that resonated with me a lot. And made my hope for our world a bit stronger:
"But just as a beloved king will wither and fade with old age, so will a tyrant."
Reread August 19th, 2025
What a story, damn. I love how the author connects all the dots that were left in canon and also doesn't let anything hang from her OG characters and storylines. One of the best fanfictions I've ever read, I stand by that.
First read March 21st, 2025
It's a long part filled with lots of painful events and memories. But it's still amazing. The way the author expands the story will never cease to surprise me, I think.
I cannot say much without spoilers, but there are a lot of great moments and quotes.
I want to write one more down. For it is something that resonated with me a lot. And made my hope for our world a bit stronger:
"But just as a beloved king will wither and fade with old age, so will a tyrant."
March 22, 2024
- Love the incorporated use of Zidian here to remove Qi Rong's soul from the mortal body!
- I am all for the clueless Lang Qiangqiu and mischievous Ren Song dynamic. Loooove them!
- I respect the "Get-Xie-Lian-to-fucking-dress-better" agenda. Dude's humble and poor but not a style novice, so if he can sow in this version, why SHOULDN'T he make himself pretty clothes for fancy occasions? (Still, I'm just waiting for Hua Cheng to start obsessively dressing him up like a doll.)
- This fic somehow managed to make Jun Wu even more fucked up... I never liked the guy, but dayum.
- What's even more fucked up is getting blindsided by the pre-lantern show banquet's plays, expecting the funny flirty story of XL and HC but instead getting the MOST TRAUMATIZING SCENE IN ALL OF MXTX HISTORY. Literally what the fuck. -10 points.
- I'm torn between being frustrated by how much of a simp for HC Xie Lian is, and understanding the power HC holds and the fact that love is a two way street so XL's gotta fall in love eventually and it's just more overt than in the novel. Still, I miss clueless, unruffled XL who didn't get more nervous until much later.
- ThAT KISS?? UM. OKAY. I THINK IT'S GETTING A BIT TOO STEAMY IN HERE. I'm curious though with how this affects their dynamic later because... there is no plausible deniability there.
- I think He Xuan is one of the most OOC characters... He's so arrogant around HC and talkative around SQX... Really takes away from what makes him Black Water.
- Gotta say, the author knows how to make things more significant... The butterflies, the string on HC's finger, the Kiln, Zidian, among many others.
- lololol everyone assuming Mu Qing has changed cultivation methods (because of his sexual tension with FX) but neither MQ nor FX understanding why everyone thinks that.
- I am SO FRICKING HAPPY HC ASKED ABOUT THE PROPOSALS HAHAHAHA. I just knew he was going to be annoyed about LQQ bringing it up, so jealous...
- The, uh, "missionary" demonstration was a bit, uh... uncomfy, to be quite honest. I an uncomfortable with the energy we have created in this room.
- Idk, I don't buy He Xuan's motivations in the Black Water Arc. The real Beefleaf dynamic is the blinding hate for Shi Wudu and the resentment for Shi Qingxuan that he carries, but here it's just a dislike of Shi Wudu, it feels like. Trying to "protect" SQX while still going forward with this ludicrous plan is... ludicrous.
- Man, the scene with the Soul-Shifting Spell and the Reverend of Empty Words is one of my absolute favorites in the novels because it's so fun and cool, but it got really depressing here :(
- Nah bro, ain't no way the coffin scene had no effect on HC until XL turned into a woman. What is this ludicrousity.
- Uggggh again, He Xuan's revenge plot doesn't really make sense because he genuinely cared about SQX, it just doesn't WORK.
- HOLY BALLS HOLY DEMON BABIES I WAS WONDERING WHY SQQ SPENT SO MUCH TIME AS A WOMAN, SINCE THERE WERE PLENTY OF SCENES WITH HER MALE FORM IN THE NOVEL, AND I FIGURED THE AUTHOR JUST LIKED HER BETTER THIS WAY BUT THEN BUT THEN BUT THEN AS SOON AS IT WAS BROUGHT UP I WAS LIKE NO WAIT A DAMN MINUTE AND MY SPIDEY SENSES WERE LIKE SHE'S PREGNANT SECONDS BEFORE THE BIG REVEAL. HOLY DEMON BABIES. WAIT THIS REALLY IS A DEMON BABY HAHAHAHAHA HE XUAN IS SO CONFLICTED OMFGGGGG you know, since HX and SQX was so established in this fic, and Shi Wudu's death continuously foreshadowed, I was really wondering how BeefLeaf would ever come to be in light of The Horrors. But with a mothafrackin BABY in the mix??? Aw hell, this is gonna be ONE HELLUVA custody arrangement.
- It feels like every character has spoken some iteration of XL's "it hurts it hurts IT HURTS" and it is REALLY lessening its impact...
- Speaking of which, "gege" is seriously overused. It's meant to be very childish and cute. I am not buying that the Water Demon He Xuan, Ghost King and psychopath, unironically calls Shi Wudu, his old mortal enemy, "gege."
- Damn HX ascended?? What will this mean???
- Still not buying Pei Ming as such a deep, thoughtful character lol
- SQX really stops feeling like SQX. She's so serious and not nearly dramatic enough. I also can't see her referring to sleeping with HX as "fucking" so casually and bitterly.
- Getting excited about HX showing up in the heavens to talk to SQX when she still thinks he killed her brother.
- AAAHHH SHI WUDU'S STORY IS SO TRAGIC. Kinda love it though. You know me, always obsessed with a good secret identity story, and the fact that his is forced upon him just makes it juicier. Can't wait for him to get hia identity across to Pei :)
- Don't think I didn't notice the mortal boy helping mortal Shi Wudu being called "Jin." Predecessor of Jin Ling, perhaps...
- I really do love Ren Song and Lang Qingqiu. When they show off their new "system"--
"We've developed a nice little system. Observe." He clears his throat. "Hey, asshole! I'm about to commit a sin!"
To which the cultivators look at Lang Qianqiu, who probably would have screamed something about being scandalized a few months before, but now—
He rolls his eyes, then turns around, covering his ears.
LOVE.
Ren Song really feels so naturally integrated in this world, and while I stand by what I said about being on the fence about HC having someone so close to him that he cares so much about, his character is still an awesome addition to the story. And really, I'm happy that LQQ gets a happy ending (I presume).
- NAH REN SONG AND HEAVEN'S EYE FUCKING SENT ME. WHO'D A THOUGHT.
- XL gets embarrassed too easily. What happened to his thick skin?? For real, he feels like such a weak character here because he rarely has control of any situation or possesses his typical levels of adorable cluelessness and/or sagacity.
- This kinda shit is so funny:
Shuo looks back at Pei Su, hands on his hips, "And for fuck's sake, if you watched her put the snake in the pot, why did you EAT IT?!"
Pei Su moans, half curled into a ball, "But...she...she made it..."
Behind Xie Lian, Hua Cheng nods with approval.
Perfectly logical.
I loved the whole grouping during the beginning of the Kiln Arc, it's such a chaotic bunch. XL, HC, RS, and LQQ were already fun. Then you throw Pei Ming into the mix and the tension from his secretly being HC's dad, plus Pei Su and Banyue who are just so funny. And then Ling Weng gets added into the mix. What chaos.
- Honestly, the author does the comedic scenes so well! I wish there were more. I do like the idea of addressing some important issues and dark topics that go overlooked, but we delve into really dark and unnecessarily dramatic territory too often.
- Okkk the big confession scene? Kinda slapped. It was actually really well done. I would've felt way too much pressure delivering after working up through a 900K slowburn.
- HC going angry dragon mode when XL got shut inside the kiln was BALLER.
- I am all for the clueless Lang Qiangqiu and mischievous Ren Song dynamic. Loooove them!
- I respect the "Get-Xie-Lian-to-fucking-dress-better" agenda. Dude's humble and poor but not a style novice, so if he can sow in this version, why SHOULDN'T he make himself pretty clothes for fancy occasions? (Still, I'm just waiting for Hua Cheng to start obsessively dressing him up like a doll.)
- This fic somehow managed to make Jun Wu even more fucked up... I never liked the guy, but dayum.
- What's even more fucked up is getting blindsided by the pre-lantern show banquet's plays, expecting the funny flirty story of XL and HC but instead getting the MOST TRAUMATIZING SCENE IN ALL OF MXTX HISTORY. Literally what the fuck. -10 points.
- I'm torn between being frustrated by how much of a simp for HC Xie Lian is, and understanding the power HC holds and the fact that love is a two way street so XL's gotta fall in love eventually and it's just more overt than in the novel. Still, I miss clueless, unruffled XL who didn't get more nervous until much later.
- ThAT KISS?? UM. OKAY. I THINK IT'S GETTING A BIT TOO STEAMY IN HERE. I'm curious though with how this affects their dynamic later because... there is no plausible deniability there.
- I think He Xuan is one of the most OOC characters... He's so arrogant around HC and talkative around SQX... Really takes away from what makes him Black Water.
- Gotta say, the author knows how to make things more significant... The butterflies, the string on HC's finger, the Kiln, Zidian, among many others.
- lololol everyone assuming Mu Qing has changed cultivation methods (because of his sexual tension with FX) but neither MQ nor FX understanding why everyone thinks that.
- I am SO FRICKING HAPPY HC ASKED ABOUT THE PROPOSALS HAHAHAHA. I just knew he was going to be annoyed about LQQ bringing it up, so jealous...
- The, uh, "missionary" demonstration was a bit, uh... uncomfy, to be quite honest. I an uncomfortable with the energy we have created in this room.
- Idk, I don't buy He Xuan's motivations in the Black Water Arc. The real Beefleaf dynamic is the blinding hate for Shi Wudu and the resentment for Shi Qingxuan that he carries, but here it's just a dislike of Shi Wudu, it feels like. Trying to "protect" SQX while still going forward with this ludicrous plan is... ludicrous.
- Man, the scene with the Soul-Shifting Spell and the Reverend of Empty Words is one of my absolute favorites in the novels because it's so fun and cool, but it got really depressing here :(
- Nah bro, ain't no way the coffin scene had no effect on HC until XL turned into a woman. What is this ludicrousity.
- Uggggh again, He Xuan's revenge plot doesn't really make sense because he genuinely cared about SQX, it just doesn't WORK.
- HOLY BALLS HOLY DEMON BABIES I WAS WONDERING WHY SQQ SPENT SO MUCH TIME AS A WOMAN, SINCE THERE WERE PLENTY OF SCENES WITH HER MALE FORM IN THE NOVEL, AND I FIGURED THE AUTHOR JUST LIKED HER BETTER THIS WAY BUT THEN BUT THEN BUT THEN AS SOON AS IT WAS BROUGHT UP I WAS LIKE NO WAIT A DAMN MINUTE AND MY SPIDEY SENSES WERE LIKE SHE'S PREGNANT SECONDS BEFORE THE BIG REVEAL. HOLY DEMON BABIES. WAIT THIS REALLY IS A DEMON BABY HAHAHAHAHA HE XUAN IS SO CONFLICTED OMFGGGGG you know, since HX and SQX was so established in this fic, and Shi Wudu's death continuously foreshadowed, I was really wondering how BeefLeaf would ever come to be in light of The Horrors. But with a mothafrackin BABY in the mix??? Aw hell, this is gonna be ONE HELLUVA custody arrangement.
- It feels like every character has spoken some iteration of XL's "it hurts it hurts IT HURTS" and it is REALLY lessening its impact...
- Speaking of which, "gege" is seriously overused. It's meant to be very childish and cute. I am not buying that the Water Demon He Xuan, Ghost King and psychopath, unironically calls Shi Wudu, his old mortal enemy, "gege."
- Damn HX ascended?? What will this mean???
- Still not buying Pei Ming as such a deep, thoughtful character lol
- SQX really stops feeling like SQX. She's so serious and not nearly dramatic enough. I also can't see her referring to sleeping with HX as "fucking" so casually and bitterly.
- Getting excited about HX showing up in the heavens to talk to SQX when she still thinks he killed her brother.
- AAAHHH SHI WUDU'S STORY IS SO TRAGIC. Kinda love it though. You know me, always obsessed with a good secret identity story, and the fact that his is forced upon him just makes it juicier. Can't wait for him to get hia identity across to Pei :)
- Don't think I didn't notice the mortal boy helping mortal Shi Wudu being called "Jin." Predecessor of Jin Ling, perhaps...
- I really do love Ren Song and Lang Qingqiu. When they show off their new "system"--
"We've developed a nice little system. Observe." He clears his throat. "Hey, asshole! I'm about to commit a sin!"
To which the cultivators look at Lang Qianqiu, who probably would have screamed something about being scandalized a few months before, but now—
He rolls his eyes, then turns around, covering his ears.
LOVE.
Ren Song really feels so naturally integrated in this world, and while I stand by what I said about being on the fence about HC having someone so close to him that he cares so much about, his character is still an awesome addition to the story. And really, I'm happy that LQQ gets a happy ending (I presume).
- NAH REN SONG AND HEAVEN'S EYE FUCKING SENT ME. WHO'D A THOUGHT.
- XL gets embarrassed too easily. What happened to his thick skin?? For real, he feels like such a weak character here because he rarely has control of any situation or possesses his typical levels of adorable cluelessness and/or sagacity.
- This kinda shit is so funny:
Shuo looks back at Pei Su, hands on his hips, "And for fuck's sake, if you watched her put the snake in the pot, why did you EAT IT?!"
Pei Su moans, half curled into a ball, "But...she...she made it..."
Behind Xie Lian, Hua Cheng nods with approval.
Perfectly logical.
I loved the whole grouping during the beginning of the Kiln Arc, it's such a chaotic bunch. XL, HC, RS, and LQQ were already fun. Then you throw Pei Ming into the mix and the tension from his secretly being HC's dad, plus Pei Su and Banyue who are just so funny. And then Ling Weng gets added into the mix. What chaos.
- Honestly, the author does the comedic scenes so well! I wish there were more. I do like the idea of addressing some important issues and dark topics that go overlooked, but we delve into really dark and unnecessarily dramatic territory too often.
- Okkk the big confession scene? Kinda slapped. It was actually really well done. I would've felt way too much pressure delivering after working up through a 900K slowburn.
- HC going angry dragon mode when XL got shut inside the kiln was BALLER.
September 30, 2025
can't believe it's almost done 😔😔 they're in love your honour
April 12, 2025
angst terrified me so bad that ill never reread
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews