The fight choreography is crisp. The scene where Chu Qing deflected three flying darts, parried a dagger, and then got a sword to the throat of the rope dart user was clear and fast. The use of the sword to cut the rope dart at its max length showed tactical thinking. The writing lets you see the moves without bogging down.
I'm slightly worried the story might get too complex. Setting up a thousand-year-old mystery, a bureaucratic underworld, and a "Legend Management Bureau" all in the first chapter is a lot of plates to spin. I hope the author is able to focus on one main thread and not get lost in trying to explain every detail of this world too quickly. A slow burn on the central mystery, while we learn about the day-to-day life of the underworld through Du Yu's eyes, would be my preferred approach. Dumping too much lore at once could bog down the snappy pace.
I really appreciate that the MC isn't immediately trying to butter up her new family or act super affectionate. She's stiff when her birth mother hugs her, she doesn't cry or show much emotion, she's just… calculating. It makes sense for someone who grew up alone and had to fend for herself. The author didn't force an instant emotional bond just because they're blood related. Family relationships take time to build, and it feels more realistic this way.
One thing that bothers me: Hinami never got to see Hana after the surgery. She just collapsed into darkness. That’s unresolved. We know Hana survived, but Hinami doesn’t get a reunion scene. That feels like a missing emotional payoff. Maybe it will be addressed later through the diary if Hinami writes to God asking about Hana, but for now it’s an open thread. The story is clearly focusing on the new world adventure, so the original world is probably left behind. But I would have liked at least a brief scene of Hinami looking at Hana sleeping or the parents crying with joy before the transportation. It would have made the sacrifice feel more complete. As it is, she leaves without closure.
1 Wang Kui’s character is so disposable that I’m not sure why the author even named him. He got, what, maybe two pages? His entire purpose was to drop the Sacred Hand Sect name and then get splattered. The part where he tries to bribe the MC with a bank card is laughable. “20 thousand yuan for a lifetime trip to the Underworld, five-star service” – that line actually made me chuckle. Dark humor, I guess.
I'm really curious about the protagonist's grandfather. He's clearly a legendary figure in this world. The way the rich guy with the glasses acts so respectful and even scared of him shows he's got some serious power or reputation. And he's the one who trained the main character, giving him those creepy pigskin dolls to practice on. But he died, and the protagonist buried him himself. So the main character is essentially carrying on a legacy, but alone. And now someone is using the same corpse stitching technique for evil, making spliced-together bodies. Is that a rival school? A former student gone rogue? The grandfather's past? I need more backstory on this old man. What kind of life did he live? Why is everyone scared of him? And why did he refuse to help the rich guy with his daughter? That's a hanging thread from chapter one that still feels relevant.
The part where Xi Yang comes home to that run-down house with weeds and no plaster on the walls really drove home his poverty. And the grandfather making him do chores for living expenses? That’s a harsh way to raise a kid. The world-building of his family situation was more compelling than the cultivation stuff at first.
The detail that only 30% of people actually have cheats makes the summoned class feel very special. It really highlights the weirdness of the teacher being dragged along without a proper combat role.