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Reverend Insanity Book 1
If you were reborn five hundred years in the past, knowing everyone’s fate and destiny, how would you use that knowledge?
Fang Yuan, armed with five centuries of memories, returns to his youth in a world ruled by Gu worms, where the strong dominate and the weak perish. No longer an ordinary man, he understands the ruthless law of survival and is determined to rise on the path of Gu Immortality—no matter the cost.
From the moment he refines his first Gu worm, Fang Yuan embarks on a journey filled with betrayal, schemes, and bloodshed. Manipulating every opportunity, he deceives his family, slaughters his sect, and coldly eliminates anyone who stands in his way, all to grow stronger. But as he climbs toward the peak of power, Fang Yuan discovers his true enemy is not merely other cultivators, but the omnipotent force of Heaven itself. With each step he takes, the battle between him and Heaven intensifies, and hidden secrets about the False Immortal Body and the Reincarnation Prison begin to unravel.
In this world where strength is everything, Fang Yuan's path is soaked in blood and intrigue. His enemies are not just powerful individuals, but the invisible will of Heaven. As his power grows, the chains of destiny tighten, the forbidden forces of the Reincarnation Prison awaken, and the mysteries of the False Immortal Body come to light. Can Fang Yuan shatter every shackle and seize control of his fate?
Fang Yuan, armed with five centuries of memories, returns to his youth in a world ruled by Gu worms, where the strong dominate and the weak perish. No longer an ordinary man, he understands the ruthless law of survival and is determined to rise on the path of Gu Immortality—no matter the cost.
From the moment he refines his first Gu worm, Fang Yuan embarks on a journey filled with betrayal, schemes, and bloodshed. Manipulating every opportunity, he deceives his family, slaughters his sect, and coldly eliminates anyone who stands in his way, all to grow stronger. But as he climbs toward the peak of power, Fang Yuan discovers his true enemy is not merely other cultivators, but the omnipotent force of Heaven itself. With each step he takes, the battle between him and Heaven intensifies, and hidden secrets about the False Immortal Body and the Reincarnation Prison begin to unravel.
In this world where strength is everything, Fang Yuan's path is soaked in blood and intrigue. His enemies are not just powerful individuals, but the invisible will of Heaven. As his power grows, the chains of destiny tighten, the forbidden forces of the Reincarnation Prison awaken, and the mysteries of the False Immortal Body come to light. Can Fang Yuan shatter every shackle and seize control of his fate?
733 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2024
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October 3, 2025
Reverend Insanity, Book 1 by Gu Zhen Ren
Book 1 of Reverend Insanity introduces a cultivation world where power stems from taming mystical insects called “Gu,” each with a precise function, cost, and counter. From page one, we inhabit the mind of Fang Yuan, a five-hundred-year-old monster reborn into his teenage body—an antihero who treats morality as a superstition and life as arithmetic. If that descriptor makes you bristle, good: this novel wants the friction.
Worldbuilding & System Design: The Gu system is the star. Every Gu has inputs (primeval essence, materials), outputs (abilities, efficiencies), and a lifecycle. The “aperture” as an internal pocket realm turns cultivation into agriculture: you plant, harvest, upgrade, and calculate margins. The result is a rare blend of economy sim and fantasy—procurement chains, depreciation, even opportunity cost. It’s crunchy in the best way, and Book 1 communicates the rules with clarity without drowning the reader—though it does love a good ledger.
Character & Theme: Fang Yuan is not a “misunderstood cinnamon roll.” He is a shark. The text refuses to soften him with secret kindnesses. That commitment transforms standard coming-of-age beats into a cold laboratory of Social Darwinism, fatalism, and agency versus destiny (the Spring Autumn Cicada is less a cheat than a thesis: even time travel only gives you more variables to exploit). Secondary characters—clan elders, classmates, and merchants—are sketched through incentives rather than backstory; they feel like moving parts inside a political machine. It’s thematically coherent, if emotionally austere.
Plot & Pacing: Book 1 is a sequence of tactical problems: acquire X, refine Y, avoid Z, all under clan scrutiny. The conflicts escalate through resource scarcity and reputation management rather than grand battles. The pacing is measured—sometimes too measured. When it clicks, it’s compulsive: each chapter ends with a micro-gain or setback, and the math compels the next page. When it drags, it’s because the novel pauses to tabulate inputs we’ve effectively already understood.
Prose & Tone: The prose (in translation) is functional and didactic, delivering maxim after maxim with a cool detachment. You won’t come here for lyricism; you come for the precision. The tone is consistently icy—refreshing for readers tired of moral hand-holding, alienating if you need warmth.
What it excels at: rigorous power-system logic, ruthless strategic thinking, political ecology of a clan, consequences that stick.
What may test you: thin affect, limited emotional color, occasional repetitive exposition inherent to serialized pacing.
Imagine a cultivation story where spreadsheets bite. Every choice has a price, every price is paid, and the receipt is stapled to someone’s fate.
Comparisons to Contemporaries
I Shall Seal the Heavens (Er Gen): Both build intricate systems and long-game payoffs. Er Gen counterbalances grind with whimsy, poignancy, and a protagonist who evolves morally; Reverend Insanity offers the colder mirror—less heart, more calculus. If ISSTH is a pilgrimage, RI is a heist that never stops.
Warlock of the Magus World (Wen Chao Gong): The closest cousin. Both feature rational, self-serving leads. Yet WMW’s “AI chip” externalizes optimization, while RI grounds optimization in the ecosystem of Gu and economics. RI feels more organic and less game-ified; its cause-and-effect chains are tighter.
Lord of the Mysteries (Cuttlefish of the Sky): LotM marries system rigor with mystery, cosmic horror, and character empathy. RI lacks the warmth and wonder but surpasses in micro-economics of power. Choose LotM for atmosphere and ensemble; choose RI for ice-cold agency and resource chess.
A Will Eternal (Er Gen): AWE uses comedy and reluctant heroism as its engine; RI uses predation. Both are page-turners, but for opposite moods.
Renegade Immortal / Way of the Devil (dark-path peers): These share bleakness, yet RI is the most methodological: fewer rants about fate, more procurement schedules and supply lines.
Who will love it?
Readers who enjoy systems as systems—min-maxing, crafting, logistics, political leverage.
Fans of antihero narratives that never blink.
Anyone curious how far a cultivation story can go by swapping sentiment for strategy.
Who might bounce off?
Readers seeking found family, redemption arcs, or moral catharsis.
Those allergic to serial exposition and meticulous accounting.
Verdict: Reverend Insanity, Book 1 is a stark, tightly engineered engine of consequence. It’s not here to console you; it’s here to prove that a fantasy world can run on incentives, scarcity, and nerve. When it leans into its strengths—systemic rigor and strategic tension—it’s electrifying. When it over-explains, the ice frosts a bit too thick. Yet few web novels commit so fully to their thesis.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
Reverend Insanity Book 1 Chapter Briefs
by Gu Zhen Ren
The heart of a demon never has regret even in death: Fang Yuan faces death but prepares for rebirth with 500 years of memories.
Going back in time with 500 years of knowledge: Fang Yuan awakens in his youth, beginning his cultivation anew armed with knowledge.
Please go aside and scram: He asserts his presence, demonstrating early confidence and cunning.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan: Introduction to Fang Yuan’s clan and heritage.
The First Human and 3 Gu, Hopes Awakening: The legend behind Gu and the cultivation system unfolds.
The road to the future will be interesting: Fang Yuan contemplates the opportunities ahead.
A Gu Master has 9 ranks, Flower Wine leaves behind treasure: Cultivation ranks explained, inheritance hinted.
Things will always be things, but humans will change: Fang Yuan’s cold philosophy on human nature.
Two people who start on the same road, gradually becoming distant: Growing divergence between Fang Yuan and his brother begins.
A storm may arise from a clear sky, refining Gu is full of hardships: The dangers and hardships of Gu refinement are revealed.
It’s just power play: Fang Yuan starts to manipulate peers and clan politics.
Green Bamboo Wine is fragrant, Gu Master flaunts power: Building influence and demonstrating power.
The bamboo forest under the moon, a bead of snow: A secret or turning point unfolds poetically.
In the mountain crevice hides a profound theory: Fang Yuan discovers a key inheritance site.
History is written by the victorious: Fang Yuan rationalizes his ruthless methods.
Taking as much as possible that one can take: Grasping resources from the inheritance.
Starting to refine the Liquor worm: Refining a critical Gu species.
Let the past disperse away like smoke: Fang Yuan mentally sheds his past failures.
Rank six vital Gu, The Spring Autumn Cicada: A powerful, dangerous Gu is introduced.
The academy elder is speechless: Fang Yuan’s unprecedented progress bewilders clan leadership.
These chapter briefs outline the foundational journey of Fang Yuan’s rebirth, cultivation, and initial clashes that shape his ruthless path toward power.
February 13, 2026
Upon using the rank 6 Spring Autumn Cicada Gu, Fang Yuan is reincarnated into his 15 year old past self. As such, he starts the journey to regain his past strength from the ground up, using his deep knowledge accumulated throughout his 500 years life experience as a demonic Gu master. The chapters act as minute setbacks or opportunities to be explored, all walking linearly towards the climax, which happens around chapter 200.
The protagonist is, without a doubt, a villain. He cares little for others lives and for relationships, and focuses instead only in his personal gain. I thought this was bound to result in an unlikeable character, but fortunately, Fang Yuan ends up being a fairly interesting character. That is mainly because the author constantly flashes out this character's worldview through a philosophical lens. He subverts Buddhism's teachings into his own warped individualistic framework. For instance, Buddhism states that all beings are equal, be it humans, plants or animals, all beings share something: they are alive. Through this ontological equality, the protagonist subverts the expected conclusion to value all life equally, instead arguing that there is no difference in killing a human and an ant, their importance is equally the same: none.
This is certain to make a strong impression in young and immature readers, to the point that it is not surprising that the novel was banned in China. Through his individualistic worldview, Fang Yuan could be said to "corrupt" younger readers that can't distinguish what I believe to be the true intention of the novel: to criticize collectivistic society. His thoughts on the harsh exploration of the individual in the collaborative clan environment, allied to the ultimately shallow division into ranks, where the weak support the strong, are in fact detrimental to the organization of Chinese society, which further contributes to its ban. No matter how crooked the protagonist's worldview is, to justify it in a philosophical manner definitely raises it in my eyes, such that Reverend Insanity greatly surprised me in its themes and subjective approach.
As an originally Chinese webnovel, it naturally needed to be translation in order to reach an Occidental public. I must say that this translation is in fact awful. Sometimes phrases are arranged in a really uncommon way, and often there are subject-verb mismatches. Despite this, the novel remains a very interesting peak into xianxia, a genre which I previously had no contact with. I'd say it is very much worth reading, given that you don't take the protagonist's worldview too seriously.
The protagonist is, without a doubt, a villain. He cares little for others lives and for relationships, and focuses instead only in his personal gain. I thought this was bound to result in an unlikeable character, but fortunately, Fang Yuan ends up being a fairly interesting character. That is mainly because the author constantly flashes out this character's worldview through a philosophical lens. He subverts Buddhism's teachings into his own warped individualistic framework. For instance, Buddhism states that all beings are equal, be it humans, plants or animals, all beings share something: they are alive. Through this ontological equality, the protagonist subverts the expected conclusion to value all life equally, instead arguing that there is no difference in killing a human and an ant, their importance is equally the same: none.
This is certain to make a strong impression in young and immature readers, to the point that it is not surprising that the novel was banned in China. Through his individualistic worldview, Fang Yuan could be said to "corrupt" younger readers that can't distinguish what I believe to be the true intention of the novel: to criticize collectivistic society. His thoughts on the harsh exploration of the individual in the collaborative clan environment, allied to the ultimately shallow division into ranks, where the weak support the strong, are in fact detrimental to the organization of Chinese society, which further contributes to its ban. No matter how crooked the protagonist's worldview is, to justify it in a philosophical manner definitely raises it in my eyes, such that Reverend Insanity greatly surprised me in its themes and subjective approach.
As an originally Chinese webnovel, it naturally needed to be translation in order to reach an Occidental public. I must say that this translation is in fact awful. Sometimes phrases are arranged in a really uncommon way, and often there are subject-verb mismatches. Despite this, the novel remains a very interesting peak into xianxia, a genre which I previously had no contact with. I'd say it is very much worth reading, given that you don't take the protagonist's worldview too seriously.
April 6, 2025
Okay so Reverend Insanity by Gu Zhen Ren?? Yeah. I finally gave in after seeing people praise it like it’s the second coming of literature—and they were not lying. I usually stick to manhua and manhwa (visuals girlie 4 life), and this was actually my first full-on web-novel. Let me just say: it devoured me. Like I binged this so hard I was questioning my grip on reality. I haven’t been the same since.
Fang Yuan?? That man is terrifyingly real. Cold, ruthless, 200 IQ every move... but also a walking middle finger to everything fake and performative about "morality" and "justice." He doesn’t do that edgy tryhard villain thing either—he’s calculated, methodical, and disturbingly honest. And somehow, I was still cheering for him while he was ruining people’s lives. Like girl what??
The layers in this book?? Insane. Literal philosophy, power dynamics, systems of control, and human emotion all rolled into one. I’d be giggling one minute and then just staring at the ceiling like “damn… he really said that.” It slaps, but also makes you sit with your own beliefs. You start realizing how everyone else in the story is just flopping around in their little wells thinking they’ve seen the sky, while Fang Yuan’s already in another dimension playing 4D chess.
And this is just BOOK ONE. Book. One. Like bestie… what kind of sorcery is this?
Gu Zhen Ren, you’re a menace and I thank you. This is not just a novel—it’s a whole worldview shifter. Easily top-tier, 10/10, peak fiction, soul shattered. I’m never touching another cultivation story the same way again.
Fang Yuan?? That man is terrifyingly real. Cold, ruthless, 200 IQ every move... but also a walking middle finger to everything fake and performative about "morality" and "justice." He doesn’t do that edgy tryhard villain thing either—he’s calculated, methodical, and disturbingly honest. And somehow, I was still cheering for him while he was ruining people’s lives. Like girl what??
The layers in this book?? Insane. Literal philosophy, power dynamics, systems of control, and human emotion all rolled into one. I’d be giggling one minute and then just staring at the ceiling like “damn… he really said that.” It slaps, but also makes you sit with your own beliefs. You start realizing how everyone else in the story is just flopping around in their little wells thinking they’ve seen the sky, while Fang Yuan’s already in another dimension playing 4D chess.
And this is just BOOK ONE. Book. One. Like bestie… what kind of sorcery is this?
Gu Zhen Ren, you’re a menace and I thank you. This is not just a novel—it’s a whole worldview shifter. Easily top-tier, 10/10, peak fiction, soul shattered. I’m never touching another cultivation story the same way again.
February 7, 2025
Rating: [C-]
It doesn't surprise me that this book was banned in China because it definitely should be illegal to write something so repetitive.
Volume 1 of Reverend Insanity is the first 100 chapters of a 2000+ chapter webnovel. I didn't realise what I was getting myself into until I tried opening the ebook and it lagged out my Kindle because apparently the full book is 15,769 pages long.
I've read some pretty long series before but this really is next level. That being said if it's written well then I'd gladly read the whole thing.
Unfortunately while the writing can be beautiful in parts the vast majority of the time the translation is pretty rough. The book is filled with weird grammatical errors and words that are repeated multiple times in a sentence. A personal favorite was "The fat beetle worm moved it's fat huge body, walking extremely slow forward."
Combine that with the way every situation is overexplained in excruciating detail and then that overexplanation is repeated again and again every few chapters, it makes for an extremely slow and repetitive read.
I do feel like I can see the allure of the series though, the world building is very unique and there are some great moments. I think there's a hidden gem of a story here that just needs some major polishing before I'd commit to reading the whole thing.
It doesn't surprise me that this book was banned in China because it definitely should be illegal to write something so repetitive.
Volume 1 of Reverend Insanity is the first 100 chapters of a 2000+ chapter webnovel. I didn't realise what I was getting myself into until I tried opening the ebook and it lagged out my Kindle because apparently the full book is 15,769 pages long.
I've read some pretty long series before but this really is next level. That being said if it's written well then I'd gladly read the whole thing.
Unfortunately while the writing can be beautiful in parts the vast majority of the time the translation is pretty rough. The book is filled with weird grammatical errors and words that are repeated multiple times in a sentence. A personal favorite was "The fat beetle worm moved it's fat huge body, walking extremely slow forward."
Combine that with the way every situation is overexplained in excruciating detail and then that overexplanation is repeated again and again every few chapters, it makes for an extremely slow and repetitive read.
I do feel like I can see the allure of the series though, the world building is very unique and there are some great moments. I think there's a hidden gem of a story here that just needs some major polishing before I'd commit to reading the whole thing.
January 4, 2026
ch.1-100
I can see why it got banned in China. Not because of the cruelty of the mc but the rebellion against certain ideas. I would dare say it has a western/capitalist ideology but with absolute power is just get worse in a way. You end up needing no one, everything is permitted.
I want to see the world of it though. The pokemon-esque magic system is interesting but I can see it being similar to other systems with extra steps, perhaps to exacerbate the capitalist part of it. You need money more than talent. With enough money you could buy enough people to get in one way or another a rare worm. But it's not that simple, without respect and loyalty people may betray you but as there is power one can stand on their own. As the mc says if you lack resources snatch them.
Not only the translation but the text itseld could use some editing. I think it's ok to repeat past info because it's serialized so if you binge read it, it will feel repetitive.
Update January 03:
It turns out that book one is c1-199 (5, c.1100-1900? so long!).
taking into account 101-199. The bear chapter was brutal but there has been so many brutal deaths through the series. Not flashy or anything, just raw death scenes.
Now, in the last mini-arc things really got dire against our mc and the tension rose highly. Of course he won at the end with mind-blowing benefits but funny enough he ended up making an ally.
I can see why it got banned in China. Not because of the cruelty of the mc but the rebellion against certain ideas. I would dare say it has a western/capitalist ideology but with absolute power is just get worse in a way. You end up needing no one, everything is permitted.
I want to see the world of it though. The pokemon-esque magic system is interesting but I can see it being similar to other systems with extra steps, perhaps to exacerbate the capitalist part of it. You need money more than talent. With enough money you could buy enough people to get in one way or another a rare worm. But it's not that simple, without respect and loyalty people may betray you but as there is power one can stand on their own. As the mc says if you lack resources snatch them.
Not only the translation but the text itseld could use some editing. I think it's ok to repeat past info because it's serialized so if you binge read it, it will feel repetitive.
Update January 03:
It turns out that book one is c1-199 (5, c.1100-1900? so long!).
taking into account 101-199. The bear chapter was brutal but there has been so many brutal deaths through the series. Not flashy or anything, just raw death scenes.
Now, in the last mini-arc things really got dire against our mc and the tension rose highly. Of course he won at the end with mind-blowing benefits but funny enough he ended up making an ally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2025
Takes a whilleeee to get into it, but gets really good later on. Ovr a good volume and is getting very good, so it’s hard for me to give it a 3/5, but realistically it’s a high 3 and would prolly be like a 7.5/10 ovr.
March 1, 2025
ATEEEEEE
July 23, 2025
Eh, the clan deserves everything that's coming to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2025
El sistema de magia más complejo que leí en mi vida pero vale completamente la pena solo por la epicidad que maneja.
BAI NING BING AL FINAL.
BAI NING BING AL FINAL.
August 20, 2025
The way it is written in the original language does not translate well into English. Comes off as very boring though I thought maybe it'll improve hence I finished the first vol
September 1, 2025
i like the gu concept
September 29, 2025
that bear scene tho. Like wtf?!
February 7, 2026
Truly the epitome of human path!!!
July 20, 2025
من افضل الروايات الي قريتها حرفيا شخصية فانغ يوان مره حلوه وانا اقرا كل شوي اقعد افكر قد ايش هو ذكي كيف كذا يعني ممكن ناس راح يقولون اوه ترى شخصيته معفنه بس احس لا بالعكس شخصيته حلوه وقويه والي يعجبني فيه انو يخطط للمستقبل بطريقه مرتبه ويحط احتمالات كثير يعني مو بس خطط وخلاص اعرف انو كثير شخصيات زي كذا بس فانغ يوان احسه غير كذا شخصيه مميزه افضل بارت لي لما كان يضرب فانغ تشنغ ف الاختبار حق نهاية السنه وكيف انو حرفيا خلاه يرجع انسكيور وع غثيث اذا الفانغ تشنغ وازعجنا لما راح يطلب من فانغ يوان يرجع ورث امه وابوه الى عمته وعمه وع تراك انت خليتهم يتبنونك زي التبن وقعدت تناديهم الام الاب وهم يستغلونك كل هم كيف اصير اقوى من اخوي الكبير وازعجتنا انا موهبه A حرفيا موهبه على الفاضي م عندك ذكاء م تنفع لاي شي ف الحياه
January 21, 2026
finished reading book 1 of Reverend Insanity
the final stretch dead had me at the edge of my seat, solid 8/10 for my first webnovel
worldbuilding was rly good and Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing are amazing charas
the rough translation and the repeated explanations REALLY held it back though. so much unnecessary bloat, even among its other webnovel contemporaries.
the final stretch dead had me at the edge of my seat, solid 8/10 for my first webnovel
worldbuilding was rly good and Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing are amazing charas
the rough translation and the repeated explanations REALLY held it back though. so much unnecessary bloat, even among its other webnovel contemporaries.
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