I was not expecting the whole “your master had a pair of Qilin kidneys.” So basically, Chen Xiaochuan not only got saved but got an upgrade from his stolen kidneys. That’s a classic xianxia cheat code, but I’ll allow it because the setup was so brutal. It makes the revenge feel more earned, like the universe stuck a bandaid on him.
The hospital scene is pure comedy gold. Qin Shu and Huo Zhenchuan faking a critical illness just to manipulate their son into getting married is so over-the-top but hilarious. The way she reapplies makeup on him to look paler, and he just takes it because he’s scared of his wife—classic. And then Huo Tingyan plays along by mentioning Dr. Fu, completely calling their bluff. You can tell he knows they’re acting but decides to go with it. It’s such a fun family dynamic, and you can already see the chaos that will come from these grandparents adoring Su Luo.
**Overall Rating and Comments:** 5.5/10, possibly a soft 6/10 at best. I ultimately decided to drop this novel due to the overwhelming mess that permeates its narrative. While there are several noteworthy elements that the author introduces, they remain woefully underutilized—elements that could have significantly enriched the reading experience. Unfortunately, these intriguing aspects seem to be scattered haphazardly throughout the story, lacking any coherent connection or development. If you’ve read a "MC transmigrates into a village girl's body and thrives in the 20th century" kind of novel, you might find that you've rather inadvertently read this one as well. Now, let me delve into one particular aspect that genuinely disappointed me: The potential of the protagonist's (MC's) background as an apocalypse survivor is referenced without being capitalized on when it truly should be. In her previous life, our MC was a high-ranking researcher at an institute, boasting a PhD in biopharmaceuticals. Yet, in a perplexing twist, her inaugural venture in this new world is to establish a breeding and chicken farm—which raises more than a few eyebrows. She not only dabbled in "science and engineering," but also learned about infrastructure and architecture just for good measure. Did I mention that she is portrayed as having "ruthlessly killed" those who opposed her? With her formidable fighting skills, combined with her psychic powers, she stands as an almost invincible character. What frustrates me isn't so much her overpowered abilities, but rather the glaring lack of contextualization surrounding them. This supposed apocalypse backstory seems to serve merely as a flimsy justification for her near-omnipotent abilities, failing to affect her characterization in any meaningful way. She displays no paranoia stemming from betrayals, nor any trauma or scars from the potential loss of human life or resource scarcity that one would assume she would have experienced. Indeed, her character lacks any sense of idealism—her ambitions revolve around making her country superior to others, rather than any altruistic desire to uplift humanity as a whole. Curiously, when she arrives in a “far more peaceful” era than her own, her reaction is almost apathetic; she appears barely surprised. The novel leaves us with numerous unanswered questions: What kind of apocalypse did she endure? Was it caused by viruses, mutations, zombies, natural disasters, or human conflicts? We are left in the dark. Was her experience of the apocalypse something that could be managed—allowing people to live relatively normal lives—or were the stakes much higher? Did she exist before the cataclysmic events began, or was she born into the chaos? The narrative doesn't clarify. Did she endure any hardships before ascending to her current status, or did she encounter internal strife upon claiming her position of power? These aspects go unexplored, rendering the protagonist’s rich backstory almost irrelevant. How closely does her past apocalypse relate to the new era she finds herself in? The text offers no answers. This presents an egregious missed opportunity, particularly considering the novel's length. It could have explored the story of a jaded yet hyper-capable woman attempting to heal and adapt in a more tranquil era. Instead, we are faced with a protagonist who serves as a near-blank canvas, engaging in business transactions seemingly for the sake of mere profit without any deeper purpose or emotional resonance.
I'm calling it now, the "black spiral object" wrapped around the sapling's roots from the very first awakening is going to be a huge deal. It wasn't registered by the scanners. It wasn't part of the "Waste Seed" diagnosis. It's an anomaly. My guess is it's either a foreign object that latched onto him, or it's the actual system itself, and the tree is just a carrier. It's a great mystery seed that's been planted since literally the first page.
Yan Zhaoming is the comic relief we needed. His panic when Marshal ran off, his inner monologue about being skinned alive by his Little Uncle, and then his disbelief when Yan Jiuxian gives away a precious pill… I can already tell this guy is going to be the one providing the awkward laughs throughout the story. But he’s also the narrator for the ancient martial world gossip, which is convenient.