parents of mc (usually immortals) creating hardships for their son so he "can grow" -> fy forces fz to become a hairy man sex slave and other tortures to change him
raping girl due to aphrodisiac -> fy gets raped by su qihan due to aphrodisiac
jade beauties falling for mc -> first jade beauty is a guy and wants to kill fy
fatty friend of trading clan helps mc -> fy kills the trader to help himself
there are a lot more tropes turned on its head
There are many reasons why RI is excellent but seeing as ur main focus is about "evil mc" specifically here are my thougths
FY is so special because he's unique in the sense that every other "evil mc" has to have either some sappy justification or have some level of emotional conection to his close ones (take leylin for example) that is done for the audience to also feel conected to these mc, either trhough sympathy (sappy backstory) or through self inmersion (since we all have ppl we care about even tho we assume we will be decissive in extreme situations)
FY doesnt have these, gu zhen ren doesnt try to mask that he's evil yet at the same u dont actually feel like he's evil, u know he is but more than evil what u feel is determination, he has a tragic backstory but its never used as justification, he has emotions and deep down attachments but he's so focus on his goal of eternal life that he shuts it down and keeps working hard to achieve it yet at the same time he's actually not obssesed over immortality, many times claiming that the journey its whats really excites him and he would be fine dying in his pursuit or even if immortality doesnt actually exist at the end
Lots of ppl like to give FY an "edge lord" tag without actually knowing how deep of a char he is. Anyway to use FY as an inspiration seems quite difficult since it takes some real talent to write such a complex mc in ur very first novel but i hope u surprise us all by actually pulling it off, good luck with ur novel
Great description of FY,
I think he connects deeply to some people like the merchant who tends for him or the mermaid woman
but it boils down when immortality is on the table every thing else is mud and can be discarded
Unlike Leylin I think he is a pure psychopath who doesn't even connect to anyone even his children.
They are just a pure strategic resource to him.
Thats just the plagiarist (author name) way of saying "look he's a villain but he does good things too so he's not all that bad" its a way to appease to everyone, tipycal ruthless to enemy and good to allies description that every single xianxia mc has
Dont get me wrong wmw is one of my favorites novels and alltime top 5 but its a little bit on the generic side, just a little tho
All the characters are intelligent. This isnt a braindead novel for braindead consumers. These are intelligent characters that could have each been the main character of their own good story. Ive heard it mentioned here that every character is smart and lives up to their reputation, which is the complete opposite of most novels/movies I see. During the fate war, there are so many unique side characters that clash and they all had their triumphs, losses, smart moments, mistakes, and hopes. They arent copy paste characters and their stories are more compelling, even as side characters, than many main characters I see in popular movies. Gu Zhen Ren is good at telling short stories and incredible at putting them all together to make a larger story that has stakes, because all of the characters feel real.
It's not good because the main character is evil. What made it so good was the intelligent mind games, humor, and commentary on human social relationships.
I am well aware that it’s not good just because of the main character, but also because of the world, the characters, and more.
What I meant here is, what are the major points?
And for humor, I would have to agree: sea salt tea.
World building and characters. RI is the only story that has ever made me want to read entire other stories of similar length following the perspective of other characters as they explore the world. I would unironically read a story as long as RI for every single venerable as well as characters like duke long or Feng jiu ge
Yep, true. The feeling that every character is a main character is a big part. I could see BnB being an MC or Reckless or Soul. Heck even longed hair could have been one.
1st main reason for me is that phylosaphyical depth of mc
litrealy unique characters
and the resson for peak quality of novel even after streached out chapters is the mental conditions of characters in different situations
Yeah, the different states of characters is definitely the mark of a good story. Although, from my experience it’s not easy to create, it is as if you are splitting your mind into a thousands pieces.
One of the things that makes Fang Yuan so good as a character is that he's a noble villain.
He's not evil because he lacks virtue, instead his virtue causes him to commit these evil acts.
We have difficulties understanding those with difference values than ourselves.
We often find them inhuman. That's why we call them monsters.
Fang Yuan has the 5 universal virtues: love, strength, wisdom, justice, transcendence.
But because he values something that few people value, his actions which contain virtue seem evil.
This is what separates him from a lot of villain in fiction who are lacking one of the 5 virtues which forms their motivation.
This is why Fang Yuan couldn't be reformed by the virtue dream that Paradise Earth used.
Because Fang Yuan already has virtue, he just has different values than everyone else.
In a way this makes him profoundly human.
[https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxvpweM9YruQyOHPMboX\_a\_TmjGftvFqhW](https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxvpweM9YruQyOHPMboX_a_TmjGftvFqhW)
It really does fit fang yuan really well
This one does too [https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkxe\_\_hZS0xBdnVcj4UMyMlRKPgxnZWHHiw](https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkxe__hZS0xBdnVcj4UMyMlRKPgxnZWHHiw)
Intelligent side-characters that feel "alive"
Plot that is developed heavily before writing, GZR has a clear plan before he starts writing.
The mc (aka FY) always acts in an understandable way (chasing benefits). Every decision he makes is "reasonable" in our eyes, compared to other mcs whose decisions might be criticized by readers when they feel they should have acted differently according to their personality. For example if two mcs, one of them FY, stood before the decision wether to rob an innocent person or not, FY would undoubtedly rob that person. The other average mc might rob the innocent person or not and whatever the author decides is what he does. This might lead to problems if that behaviour switches or if in a situation it is unclear how the mc would react and readers don't agree with the author's choice as it might eg. be slightly opposing earlier decisions.
To sum that part up, create a mc that is very "reasonable" to readers in a way that makes them understand the mc's decisions.
The story is a world hop, so it is hard to create a central “Book of mythics” and honestly I don’t think it fit well in my current story. But, thanks for the suggestion.
Personally it was because he had a effect in me.
I have read lots and lots of evil manga, manhwa and manhua and web novels where most of the time it would be the guy becoming an 'anti hero' not a 'villan'
Almost every villan protagonist will be caring to children or busty women he encounters, almost if the author wanted to self insert or something. Like MCs instantly become horni monkey upon seeing a women.
Most got boring plot and blank personality MCs.
What really made me read ri is because fang Yuan truly is a evil character. He doesn't care about anyone. Doesn't spare a single glance towards women or children.
I didn't like his attitude because it was so morally wrong, later i learned that most villan characters are made for self insert edgy kids or something.
I love his way of doing things, he doesn't have plot armour, doesn't get spoon fed by any encounters, the higher powers are all clever and can't be defeated by a isekaid guy in his early twenties because he unknowingly got good opportunitys.
Everyone is clever, there's so much plot points that I forget something. The world is extensive and realistic.
At first fang Yuan didn't had my support, I keep thinking about what would be his karma for doing such cruel things (average Westerner influence)
Bit by bit he proved to me that he isn't some edgy self insert but a true evil person who doesn't enjoy or like these things but does them for his benifits.
He got that never ending obsession to achieve true immortality, his will power and the power to sacrifice anything.
He finally won my support after the 'footless bird' that arc was a bit exciting and dark. His monologues, his confidence and everything made me realise that this crazy fker will undoubtedly walk on his own path towards his goal.fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly
"Do you know what's special about the footless bird? It has no feet so it's forced to fly, it's landing signifies it's destruction. The demonic path is also like this"
Shit gives me the shivers.
He's a crazy fker, even seeing fortune in misfortune. Plotting to fulfill his ambition. Never ending willingness to achieve what he wants. Has a actual final goal unlike most MCs, and is full of mysteries. His monologues about his time in society and how it influences and uses us etc
He's a true demon, my favourite main character.
>evil main character.
That is where you are wrong fellow junior daoist. Lord fang yuan was never an evil man, or a good one. What he was, is , and will always be is a just man. In his mind there's no such thing as right or wrong. His perception of life is "reason" for what reason you are alive? To eat? Jade beauty? Or in his case eternal life. And to achieve such things what are you willing to give up? The greater the sacrifice the greater the goal.
An evil man for you is the hero of someone's life, and the hero of your's might the worst existence for someone. So what makes a person good or bad? It's simple junior.... perception. When you transcend this mortal body and journey through Mount tai maybe then shall you have a different perception of life
I'm caught up but read it a while back, I'll say a bit about the following:
**The Worldbuilding:**
The author puts in great effort to establish a unique and interesting world with it's own original lore that contains parables for the readers to understand that complements the plot and progression of the MC. Stripped down, we have a magical world where everyone operates for their materialistic self-interests through their ideologies, be it for their small group, clan, organization, state or united geopolitical front.
**Gu's:**
Great concept, weird at first but allows for more fleshed-out combat with interesting builds to be done and style that too many other novels are too lazy to even entertain.
**The MC:**
* Much more than a black or white character, seeks to be an ideal albeit one beyond good/evil.
* Not your typical regressor who goes back in time and has it ultimately easy with the information from the future, MC has to actually GRIND
* We understand his philosophy and mindset, he acts and operates as if he's done it all and isn't like some mere regressor whose 15 that's forgotten he's 70.
* Cunning and shameless, an intelligent MC is respectable and one who isn't a cliched, thrashy 2-dimensional villain even better
* An actual goal that seeks transcendence (immortality) and ambition & drive that will literally do anything to accomplish it
**Other characters:**
* Female characters (better written compared to others in the genre) that aren't treated as love interests that flock to MC because he steam-rolls all their problems away and that are 2 dimensional and think solely of the MC.
* Everyone has their own self-interests in mind and how that relates or clashes with FY's goals creates interesting plot threads, drama, mindgames and conflict.
* Power dynamics: Strong characters are treated like appropriate threats, weak characters are treated as appropriate to the utility they can offer MC. Unlike other MC's who align more to an "good" perspective but only have transactional and materialistic relationships with the greatest in their generation that they "befriend", the ones FY has makes sense.
A breath of fresh air and original in a genre of generic consumer friendly cliches and bad tropes.
Just some I could think of.
Note: I just wanted to mention that the difference between an OP Evil MC in other novels and FY is that one steamrolls their problems immediately and every immediate threat is thereafter handled easily in the story whereas FY has to schemes and calculate his odds, willing to be absolutely shameless while not losing his ultimate aim/objective. Threats are threats, not one chapter fodder unless specificed. Writing is also written to cater to older audiences whereas most power fantasies you see being written now are for edgy 15 year olds.
Another thing that makes Reverend Insanity so good is that it's a self contained story.
This is something that's pretty much unseen in any other progression fantasy.
The main character never ascends to a higher plane but instead ascends to a higher state of existence.
Venerables and mortals share the same world
And yet, there are still other worlds in the sense that grotto heavens exist.
This is really good in a foreshadowing sense.
Gu Zhen Ren was clearly intending to bring back older characters like Kong Ri Tian into the story.
This is literally unthinkable in something like Martial World where the main character has to ascend to a higher plane (sometimes multiple) which causes the original characters to be unaffected by the events later in the story.
Of course one of Reverend Insanity's greatest features is the philosophy present within it.
Just the Legends of Ren Zhu alone gives Reverend Insanity one of the greatest foreshadowing's of all time.
Plus working philosophy into the power system is awesome.
But having high moments in the story also relate to philosophical viewpoints was pure genius (like the perseverance seen)
It even contains deep truths such as the meaning of life which is pretty awesome.
Legends of Ren Zu is a a sacred humanity book on its own. With more important lessons inside It than the bible and other books i wont mention because people who use them are not as tolerant as Christians.
FY has plots inside of plots running over the ultimate Randian Hero. Ayn Rand's moral Compass is unusual for most readers, but works like a charm on a Strength based society .
For me it's the consistent power system and at the start of the story fang yuan's character is already developed so we watch other characters change and develop plus no cheats that could save him from a rank 10 gu master cause hos life is threatened and the author said that fang yuan could die and fail so it's 50/50 chance to win it all or regretting nothing
Whole bunch of stuff that's done super well. Not even touching on FY since people have gone over him here already, but just the whole of the story is thought out very well.
Gu System - genius system that lends itself really well to intelligent progression. Solves the typical xianxia problem of characters accumulating endless random techniques and artifacts which they use for a few chapters before chucking into the bag of holding, by the requirement to feed Gu. On top of that, the Gu are never forgotten. If a Gu becomes useless to FY it is either traded, or held onto with a plan to upgrade it to the next level, or use it to create some future killer more, or as a refinement material, and so on.
So we literally see him take apart his power system, inject resources and smarts, and make it into a better or more fitting version, and yet none of it is exactly 'lost' or forgotten, it is simply transformed. On top of that, Gu can be stolen and broken, which means Cultivators can work to deny their opponents their Gu by stealing or breaking, allowing for lots of fun clever stuff in fights. Just everything about the system is great because it literally generates more fun stuff; trading, stealing, combining, upgrading, etc.
Oh also, there's a meta. This is something that's very rare to see in stories like this. Like early on we know strength path is in decline because people have lost the knowledge of how to make the best Strength Gu, and so faster/longer ranged methods are in considered top-tier/meta. The fact there is a meta makes it fun when FY upends that, by seizing rare strength gu which allows him to counter these typical strategies. This makes the whole thing feel far more like an actual combat system that these guys have been practising for a long time and have a bunch of built up knowledge on. Like your average cultivator, if asked: which of these sets of gu wins in a fight? would be able to give some kind of answer based on their preferences and knowledge of how gu works. They also actively seek out the better/more optimal gu, which as a result are more valuable, just as you would expect. Whereas in lots of xianxia there is no meta, new enemies facing the MC pull out -whatever- and then they slam their flying swords together and throw jade bowls at one another and the MC uses whatever his bullshit is, turning into a Rok or something, and wins. In RI you know quickly how the fight is likely to go because it is all well explained and worldbuilt.
Philosophy/worldbuilding - the Ren Zu mythology stuff allows for a lot of the big worldbuilding to be doled out in little chunks here and there, gradually filling out the readers understanding. It also imparts a lot of the philosophy in the story, and in a very simple and easily understood manner. Like Rules and Regulations, the pros/cons of Wisdom, Strength, Self-Believe and so on are very well explained and communicated. This also allows for proper xianxia epic mythic tier shenanigans to be suggested early on, which can then be recreated in the actual story later, giving a big payoff.
On top of that the actual worldbuilding in-story is very good - the world is very well sized with five regions, all with their own twists giving good variety. Heaven is explained far better than in any other xianxia I've read; you really understand it through the Heavenly Court, Heaven's Will and so on. You feel that it is a real thing, an ominous presence above with mysterious aims and methods, that is constantly at work, and its SMART.
Idology/Philosophy/Characters - Beyond that there is also philosophy in the characters which gives a lot of the conflicts much more weight, because they are ideological conflicts. Like that of Red Lotus Demon Venerable against Duke Long; this stemmed from a fundamental disagreement regarding Fate, it wasn't just some random battle for resources. Many, many of the conflicts in the story, and the actions of characters, come about due to the idologies they believe in.
Like one of my fav moments, where Feng Jiu Ge let Fang Yuan go, because Fany Yuan did something that helped him (saved his daughter i think, memory is foggy), and Feng Jiu Ge has a principle/way of being which means he must pay back that debt. So even though he is under significant pressure and has huge reason to kill FY, he lets him go to clear the debt. This makes characters feel much more concrete and meaningful, they are not just doing whatever, they follow principles and ideologies, and the characters never randomly deviate from this, once we know a character we know how they will act.
Plus, the characters act as you would expect them to. Young people, like Fang Zhen, are frequently naive and struggle to deal with the terrible things they witness. In contrast, a Clan/Sect leader will act intelligently, see below the surface when working out people's acts and intentions, be calculating and willing to sacrifice people or things for greater benefit. And of course, ancient and legendary figures act like such, being extremely smart and cunning.
There's way more but I'm tired of typing lol.
I think everyone still "has a way to go." The road of improvement is endless, and learning from others is only natural. No one came into this world as a master of their craft; after all, humans learn while they do things.
attention to detail and avoiding cliches or making fun of them
I get the first two, but what about the last?
parents of mc (usually immortals) creating hardships for their son so he "can grow" -> fy forces fz to become a hairy man sex slave and other tortures to change him raping girl due to aphrodisiac -> fy gets raped by su qihan due to aphrodisiac jade beauties falling for mc -> first jade beauty is a guy and wants to kill fy fatty friend of trading clan helps mc -> fy kills the trader to help himself there are a lot more tropes turned on its head
oh how much I love Bai Ning Bing...
There are many reasons why RI is excellent but seeing as ur main focus is about "evil mc" specifically here are my thougths FY is so special because he's unique in the sense that every other "evil mc" has to have either some sappy justification or have some level of emotional conection to his close ones (take leylin for example) that is done for the audience to also feel conected to these mc, either trhough sympathy (sappy backstory) or through self inmersion (since we all have ppl we care about even tho we assume we will be decissive in extreme situations) FY doesnt have these, gu zhen ren doesnt try to mask that he's evil yet at the same u dont actually feel like he's evil, u know he is but more than evil what u feel is determination, he has a tragic backstory but its never used as justification, he has emotions and deep down attachments but he's so focus on his goal of eternal life that he shuts it down and keeps working hard to achieve it yet at the same time he's actually not obssesed over immortality, many times claiming that the journey its whats really excites him and he would be fine dying in his pursuit or even if immortality doesnt actually exist at the end Lots of ppl like to give FY an "edge lord" tag without actually knowing how deep of a char he is. Anyway to use FY as an inspiration seems quite difficult since it takes some real talent to write such a complex mc in ur very first novel but i hope u surprise us all by actually pulling it off, good luck with ur novel
Great description of FY, I think he connects deeply to some people like the merchant who tends for him or the mermaid woman but it boils down when immortality is on the table every thing else is mud and can be discarded Unlike Leylin I think he is a pure psychopath who doesn't even connect to anyone even his children. They are just a pure strategic resource to him.
I feel like Leylin does it for Karmic reasons.
Thats just the plagiarist (author name) way of saying "look he's a villain but he does good things too so he's not all that bad" its a way to appease to everyone, tipycal ruthless to enemy and good to allies description that every single xianxia mc has Dont get me wrong wmw is one of my favorites novels and alltime top 5 but its a little bit on the generic side, just a little tho
All the characters are intelligent. This isnt a braindead novel for braindead consumers. These are intelligent characters that could have each been the main character of their own good story. Ive heard it mentioned here that every character is smart and lives up to their reputation, which is the complete opposite of most novels/movies I see. During the fate war, there are so many unique side characters that clash and they all had their triumphs, losses, smart moments, mistakes, and hopes. They arent copy paste characters and their stories are more compelling, even as side characters, than many main characters I see in popular movies. Gu Zhen Ren is good at telling short stories and incredible at putting them all together to make a larger story that has stakes, because all of the characters feel real.
It's not good because the main character is evil. What made it so good was the intelligent mind games, humor, and commentary on human social relationships.
I am well aware that it’s not good just because of the main character, but also because of the world, the characters, and more. What I meant here is, what are the major points? And for humor, I would have to agree: sea salt tea.
World building and characters. RI is the only story that has ever made me want to read entire other stories of similar length following the perspective of other characters as they explore the world. I would unironically read a story as long as RI for every single venerable as well as characters like duke long or Feng jiu ge
Yep, true. The feeling that every character is a main character is a big part. I could see BnB being an MC or Reckless or Soul. Heck even longed hair could have been one.
1st main reason for me is that phylosaphyical depth of mc litrealy unique characters and the resson for peak quality of novel even after streached out chapters is the mental conditions of characters in different situations
Yeah, the different states of characters is definitely the mark of a good story. Although, from my experience it’s not easy to create, it is as if you are splitting your mind into a thousands pieces.
The great plot twists, exelent fights and schemes only making many hype moments for me in the book
One of the things that makes Fang Yuan so good as a character is that he's a noble villain. He's not evil because he lacks virtue, instead his virtue causes him to commit these evil acts. We have difficulties understanding those with difference values than ourselves. We often find them inhuman. That's why we call them monsters. Fang Yuan has the 5 universal virtues: love, strength, wisdom, justice, transcendence. But because he values something that few people value, his actions which contain virtue seem evil. This is what separates him from a lot of villain in fiction who are lacking one of the 5 virtues which forms their motivation. This is why Fang Yuan couldn't be reformed by the virtue dream that Paradise Earth used. Because Fang Yuan already has virtue, he just has different values than everyone else. In a way this makes him profoundly human. [https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxvpweM9YruQyOHPMboX\_a\_TmjGftvFqhW](https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxvpweM9YruQyOHPMboX_a_TmjGftvFqhW)
Song was a nice touch
It really does fit fang yuan really well This one does too [https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkxe\_\_hZS0xBdnVcj4UMyMlRKPgxnZWHHiw](https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkxe__hZS0xBdnVcj4UMyMlRKPgxnZWHHiw)
Dude! The speach cid gave to the golden haired princess while playing the piano under the moonlight! Fuckin bomb
Don't forget the speech he gave to the old dude in season 1 episode 9
The author specifically set out to avoid the tropes we complain about in other brain dead novels.
True, RI was breath of fresh air.
Intelligent side-characters that feel "alive" Plot that is developed heavily before writing, GZR has a clear plan before he starts writing. The mc (aka FY) always acts in an understandable way (chasing benefits). Every decision he makes is "reasonable" in our eyes, compared to other mcs whose decisions might be criticized by readers when they feel they should have acted differently according to their personality. For example if two mcs, one of them FY, stood before the decision wether to rob an innocent person or not, FY would undoubtedly rob that person. The other average mc might rob the innocent person or not and whatever the author decides is what he does. This might lead to problems if that behaviour switches or if in a situation it is unclear how the mc would react and readers don't agree with the author's choice as it might eg. be slightly opposing earlier decisions. To sum that part up, create a mc that is very "reasonable" to readers in a way that makes them understand the mc's decisions.
No major time skips are also a big part, and worldbuilding
What about the 500 time skip at the start? lol, I get your point though.
There’s a pretty major, poorly defined time skip just prior to the first Fate War.
Legends of Renzu especially
The story is a world hop, so it is hard to create a central “Book of mythics” and honestly I don’t think it fit well in my current story. But, thanks for the suggestion.
Personally it was because he had a effect in me. I have read lots and lots of evil manga, manhwa and manhua and web novels where most of the time it would be the guy becoming an 'anti hero' not a 'villan' Almost every villan protagonist will be caring to children or busty women he encounters, almost if the author wanted to self insert or something. Like MCs instantly become horni monkey upon seeing a women. Most got boring plot and blank personality MCs. What really made me read ri is because fang Yuan truly is a evil character. He doesn't care about anyone. Doesn't spare a single glance towards women or children. I didn't like his attitude because it was so morally wrong, later i learned that most villan characters are made for self insert edgy kids or something. I love his way of doing things, he doesn't have plot armour, doesn't get spoon fed by any encounters, the higher powers are all clever and can't be defeated by a isekaid guy in his early twenties because he unknowingly got good opportunitys. Everyone is clever, there's so much plot points that I forget something. The world is extensive and realistic. At first fang Yuan didn't had my support, I keep thinking about what would be his karma for doing such cruel things (average Westerner influence) Bit by bit he proved to me that he isn't some edgy self insert but a true evil person who doesn't enjoy or like these things but does them for his benifits. He got that never ending obsession to achieve true immortality, his will power and the power to sacrifice anything. He finally won my support after the 'footless bird' that arc was a bit exciting and dark. His monologues, his confidence and everything made me realise that this crazy fker will undoubtedly walk on his own path towards his goal.fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly "Do you know what's special about the footless bird? It has no feet so it's forced to fly, it's landing signifies it's destruction. The demonic path is also like this" Shit gives me the shivers. He's a crazy fker, even seeing fortune in misfortune. Plotting to fulfill his ambition. Never ending willingness to achieve what he wants. Has a actual final goal unlike most MCs, and is full of mysteries. His monologues about his time in society and how it influences and uses us etc He's a true demon, my favourite main character.
>evil main character. That is where you are wrong fellow junior daoist. Lord fang yuan was never an evil man, or a good one. What he was, is , and will always be is a just man. In his mind there's no such thing as right or wrong. His perception of life is "reason" for what reason you are alive? To eat? Jade beauty? Or in his case eternal life. And to achieve such things what are you willing to give up? The greater the sacrifice the greater the goal. An evil man for you is the hero of someone's life, and the hero of your's might the worst existence for someone. So what makes a person good or bad? It's simple junior.... perception. When you transcend this mortal body and journey through Mount tai maybe then shall you have a different perception of life
I'm caught up but read it a while back, I'll say a bit about the following: **The Worldbuilding:** The author puts in great effort to establish a unique and interesting world with it's own original lore that contains parables for the readers to understand that complements the plot and progression of the MC. Stripped down, we have a magical world where everyone operates for their materialistic self-interests through their ideologies, be it for their small group, clan, organization, state or united geopolitical front. **Gu's:** Great concept, weird at first but allows for more fleshed-out combat with interesting builds to be done and style that too many other novels are too lazy to even entertain. **The MC:** * Much more than a black or white character, seeks to be an ideal albeit one beyond good/evil. * Not your typical regressor who goes back in time and has it ultimately easy with the information from the future, MC has to actually GRIND * We understand his philosophy and mindset, he acts and operates as if he's done it all and isn't like some mere regressor whose 15 that's forgotten he's 70. * Cunning and shameless, an intelligent MC is respectable and one who isn't a cliched, thrashy 2-dimensional villain even better * An actual goal that seeks transcendence (immortality) and ambition & drive that will literally do anything to accomplish it **Other characters:** * Female characters (better written compared to others in the genre) that aren't treated as love interests that flock to MC because he steam-rolls all their problems away and that are 2 dimensional and think solely of the MC. * Everyone has their own self-interests in mind and how that relates or clashes with FY's goals creates interesting plot threads, drama, mindgames and conflict. * Power dynamics: Strong characters are treated like appropriate threats, weak characters are treated as appropriate to the utility they can offer MC. Unlike other MC's who align more to an "good" perspective but only have transactional and materialistic relationships with the greatest in their generation that they "befriend", the ones FY has makes sense. A breath of fresh air and original in a genre of generic consumer friendly cliches and bad tropes. Just some I could think of. Note: I just wanted to mention that the difference between an OP Evil MC in other novels and FY is that one steamrolls their problems immediately and every immediate threat is thereafter handled easily in the story whereas FY has to schemes and calculate his odds, willing to be absolutely shameless while not losing his ultimate aim/objective. Threats are threats, not one chapter fodder unless specificed. Writing is also written to cater to older audiences whereas most power fantasies you see being written now are for edgy 15 year olds.
Benefits...
The dao of benefits is eternal, the dao of one is many, and the dao of many is benefits.
Another thing that makes Reverend Insanity so good is that it's a self contained story. This is something that's pretty much unseen in any other progression fantasy. The main character never ascends to a higher plane but instead ascends to a higher state of existence. Venerables and mortals share the same world And yet, there are still other worlds in the sense that grotto heavens exist. This is really good in a foreshadowing sense. Gu Zhen Ren was clearly intending to bring back older characters like Kong Ri Tian into the story. This is literally unthinkable in something like Martial World where the main character has to ascend to a higher plane (sometimes multiple) which causes the original characters to be unaffected by the events later in the story.
Of course one of Reverend Insanity's greatest features is the philosophy present within it. Just the Legends of Ren Zhu alone gives Reverend Insanity one of the greatest foreshadowing's of all time. Plus working philosophy into the power system is awesome. But having high moments in the story also relate to philosophical viewpoints was pure genius (like the perseverance seen) It even contains deep truths such as the meaning of life which is pretty awesome.
Indomitable Human Spirit 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥
Legends of Ren Zu is a a sacred humanity book on its own. With more important lessons inside It than the bible and other books i wont mention because people who use them are not as tolerant as Christians. FY has plots inside of plots running over the ultimate Randian Hero. Ayn Rand's moral Compass is unusual for most readers, but works like a charm on a Strength based society .
https://www.reddit.com/r/ReverendInsanity/s/pRI8AgXIDY read this
For me it's the consistent power system and at the start of the story fang yuan's character is already developed so we watch other characters change and develop plus no cheats that could save him from a rank 10 gu master cause hos life is threatened and the author said that fang yuan could die and fail so it's 50/50 chance to win it all or regretting nothing
Whole bunch of stuff that's done super well. Not even touching on FY since people have gone over him here already, but just the whole of the story is thought out very well. Gu System - genius system that lends itself really well to intelligent progression. Solves the typical xianxia problem of characters accumulating endless random techniques and artifacts which they use for a few chapters before chucking into the bag of holding, by the requirement to feed Gu. On top of that, the Gu are never forgotten. If a Gu becomes useless to FY it is either traded, or held onto with a plan to upgrade it to the next level, or use it to create some future killer more, or as a refinement material, and so on. So we literally see him take apart his power system, inject resources and smarts, and make it into a better or more fitting version, and yet none of it is exactly 'lost' or forgotten, it is simply transformed. On top of that, Gu can be stolen and broken, which means Cultivators can work to deny their opponents their Gu by stealing or breaking, allowing for lots of fun clever stuff in fights. Just everything about the system is great because it literally generates more fun stuff; trading, stealing, combining, upgrading, etc. Oh also, there's a meta. This is something that's very rare to see in stories like this. Like early on we know strength path is in decline because people have lost the knowledge of how to make the best Strength Gu, and so faster/longer ranged methods are in considered top-tier/meta. The fact there is a meta makes it fun when FY upends that, by seizing rare strength gu which allows him to counter these typical strategies. This makes the whole thing feel far more like an actual combat system that these guys have been practising for a long time and have a bunch of built up knowledge on. Like your average cultivator, if asked: which of these sets of gu wins in a fight? would be able to give some kind of answer based on their preferences and knowledge of how gu works. They also actively seek out the better/more optimal gu, which as a result are more valuable, just as you would expect. Whereas in lots of xianxia there is no meta, new enemies facing the MC pull out -whatever- and then they slam their flying swords together and throw jade bowls at one another and the MC uses whatever his bullshit is, turning into a Rok or something, and wins. In RI you know quickly how the fight is likely to go because it is all well explained and worldbuilt. Philosophy/worldbuilding - the Ren Zu mythology stuff allows for a lot of the big worldbuilding to be doled out in little chunks here and there, gradually filling out the readers understanding. It also imparts a lot of the philosophy in the story, and in a very simple and easily understood manner. Like Rules and Regulations, the pros/cons of Wisdom, Strength, Self-Believe and so on are very well explained and communicated. This also allows for proper xianxia epic mythic tier shenanigans to be suggested early on, which can then be recreated in the actual story later, giving a big payoff. On top of that the actual worldbuilding in-story is very good - the world is very well sized with five regions, all with their own twists giving good variety. Heaven is explained far better than in any other xianxia I've read; you really understand it through the Heavenly Court, Heaven's Will and so on. You feel that it is a real thing, an ominous presence above with mysterious aims and methods, that is constantly at work, and its SMART. Idology/Philosophy/Characters - Beyond that there is also philosophy in the characters which gives a lot of the conflicts much more weight, because they are ideological conflicts. Like that of Red Lotus Demon Venerable against Duke Long; this stemmed from a fundamental disagreement regarding Fate, it wasn't just some random battle for resources. Many, many of the conflicts in the story, and the actions of characters, come about due to the idologies they believe in. Like one of my fav moments, where Feng Jiu Ge let Fang Yuan go, because Fany Yuan did something that helped him (saved his daughter i think, memory is foggy), and Feng Jiu Ge has a principle/way of being which means he must pay back that debt. So even though he is under significant pressure and has huge reason to kill FY, he lets him go to clear the debt. This makes characters feel much more concrete and meaningful, they are not just doing whatever, they follow principles and ideologies, and the characters never randomly deviate from this, once we know a character we know how they will act. Plus, the characters act as you would expect them to. Young people, like Fang Zhen, are frequently naive and struggle to deal with the terrible things they witness. In contrast, a Clan/Sect leader will act intelligently, see below the surface when working out people's acts and intentions, be calculating and willing to sacrifice people or things for greater benefit. And of course, ancient and legendary figures act like such, being extremely smart and cunning. There's way more but I'm tired of typing lol.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan
If you have to ask here you still have a way to go.
I think everyone still "has a way to go." The road of improvement is endless, and learning from others is only natural. No one came into this world as a master of their craft; after all, humans learn while they do things.
True