Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN)

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 4

Posted February 11, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 4

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by M貌 Xi膩ng T贸ng Xi霉

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 377
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #4
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

THE LONG WAY HOME

History stands poised to repeat itself as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are besieged by walking corpses atop the Burial Mounds. It is here fate offers them a second chance to protect their loved ones and unmask the true instigator of this grisly onslaught. As shocking revelations shake the cultivation world to its very core, the unlikely couple becomes preoccupied with other matters鈥搇ike an evening of drunken impulse that may push their budding relationship into bold new territory.

Volume four of MXTX’s聽Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has a looot of fun stuff, like A-Yuan (and of course, discovering who he is now, and what he is to Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji). The drunk scene is excruciating (please, Lan Zhan, noooo, don’t do that) but also kind of sweet, and we also get some development on Wei Wuxian’s side. He’s not going to be clueless all the way to the end! Woooo! The scene with him in the tree is adorable.

It is of course also painful as heck: Wei Wuxian giving up his Golden Core and Jiang Cheng repeatedly just trash-talking him not knowing what he’s done, and the whole bit with the survivors of the Wen family, and knowing that everyone will always blame Wei Wuxian no matter what he does… arrghhh. And, of course… Jiang Yanli…

I am losing track of what happens in which volume because it’s written as one continuous story without obvious breaking points, dodging forward and back between the present and the past, but I’m pretty much used to it at this point.

At this point I’m already reading fic, though, so you can see I’m solidly sold on the whole thing.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol 3

Posted January 31, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol 3

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by M貌 Xi膩ng T贸ng Xi霉

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 379
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

SHOOT DOWN THE SUN

The bloody war against the Wen Clan once led Wei Wuxian to seek power in demonic cultivation, and the dark acts he committed drove a wedge between him and Lan Wangji. Now, those old sins come back to haunt him as his reincarnated identity is revealed to the cultivation world. But even as the other clans call for Wei Wuxian鈥檚 death, Lan Wangji stands by him, making Wei Wuxian realize what he took for disapproval in the past might have been a much deeper emotion.

The third volume of MXTX’s聽Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation flew by for me, with just a little pacing mismatch for me because of the rapid flips between the two timelines. It’s true that the long interludes in the past in聽Heaven Official’s Blessing weren’t always appealing either, but it’s weird and disorientating to flip back and forth quickly between chapters. I guess there’s no perfect answer there.

I loved seeing a bit more of young Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, all the same, especially Wei Wuxian’s first kiss, and all the tragic goings on of the fall of the Jiang Clan. I’m curious how much we ever learn about Wei Wuxian’s time in the Burial Mounds, and how he got back out: it might be one of those cases where less is more, much as in聽Heaven Official’s Blessing we never learn exactly how much Xie Lian has been poisoned, tortured, nearly killed, etc.

There are still a聽lot聽of characters and a lot going on, but I feel like I’ve got hold of most of the important things now. I’m curious how everything comes together, and — unusually for me — very tempted to start on the next book right away.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 2

Posted January 22, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 2

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by M貌 Xi膩ng T贸ng Xi霉

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 403
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

HAUNTED BY SIN

Following the trail of a dismembered corpse, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at the gates of Yi City: an old, abandoned town shrouded in mist and restless spirits. A fiendish foe awaits them in the shadows, heralding a tale of heartbreak and tragedy. When the mysterious corpse鈥檚 identity is finally revealed, the hunt for its killer plunges Wei Wuxian back into the depths of the cultivation world's politics, where he must keep his enemies close and Lan Wangji even closer.

Volume two of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s聽Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation contains the Yi City arc, which takes up most of it and is absolutely heartbreaking. It takes a while for the full story to unfurl, and features a long flashback of seemingly limited relevance to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s current story, but nonetheless it’s completely worth it. Son Lang and Xiao Xingchen’s story is so heartbreaking but lovely.

There is also some development between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, of course, including a kiss — though Wei Wuxian seems pretty oblivious to the full weight of his and Lan Wangji’s feelings, sigh. The bit where Lan Wangji gets drunk is, aaahhh, so ridiculous.

I’m still suffering a bit from the barrage of names, clans, sects, and relationships, but I have the character and name guide in the back to help, and of course a wiki. I’m getting there! Slowly. I’m gonna head straight into volume three to keep up the momentum.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Posted December 18, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (light novel), vol 1

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

by M貌 Xi膩ng T贸ng Xi霉

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 395
Series: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (LN) #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world鈥檚 respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he鈥檒l face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

The first volume of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s聽Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has a lot of fun elements, and I did enjoy the interactions (past and present) between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji — it’s really funny how Wei Wuxian teases him and gets under his skin in the past, and how he turns the tables in the present. I can see a lot of potential in that relationship, especially if I’m reading clues about their past correctly.

That said, this book does the mother of all infodumping, and the transitions between past/present aren’t that well managed. I’m not sure I quite followed all of the infodumps, if I’m honest: I’m kinda letting it wash over me, in hopes it’ll start to come together later (as has often happened to me with danmei, and with other non-English-language works with a large cast or complicated stories in the past). In some chapters there are pages of pure exposition, and it’s a聽lot.

I am intrigued by some of the other characters, too, and by some of the worldbuilding; I’m curious to know more about why Wei Wuxian became so reviled (and why some people still clearly think he did good things), and what the bigger story is going to look like. So I’ll definitely read more, but with the caveat that volume one (at least) isn’t the most polished.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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