The Story in 3 Sentences
A brilliant student’s world shatters when a mysterious attack strips him of his academic prowess, forcing him into a hidden world of modern cultivation where survival hinges on an absurd, intimate rule.
His desperate quest for balance leads him from a haunted basement encounter with a cryptic mentor to navigating a campus teeming with beauties whose presence is both his lifeline and his greatest complication.
What begins as a struggle for mere survival against his unique Nine Yang Saint Body’s demands evolves into a sprawling journey of power, protecting those he cares for, and confronting ancient forces in a world where true cultivators are vanishingly rare.
Why It Stands Out
1. The Absurd Survival Mechanic
The core premise is undeniably hooky: a powerful constitution that should be a blessing becomes a curse, demanding proximity to feminine energy for basic survival. This creates constant, inherent tension and drives the harem dynamics in a way that feels less like gratuitous wish-fulfillment and more like a desperate, physiological necessity, setting it apart from standard power fantasies.
2. Modern Campus Meets Ancient Arts
It successfully grafts the high-stakes, mystical world of xianxia onto the relatable, often mundane setting of a contemporary high school and university. The clash of ancient cultivation techniques, hidden sects, and powerful artifacts with school bullies, exams, and campus crushes generates a unique comedic and dramatic energy that defines the series.
3. The Relentless Escalation
The story doesn’t stay small. It starts with personal survival and schoolyard conflicts but rapidly expands its scope. Tang Zheng’s journey takes him from local campus skirmishes to confronting global conspiracies and ancient, world-threatening powers, offering readers a constantly evolving and increasingly epic narrative landscape.
Characters That Leave a Mark
There’s Tian Chanzi – the enigmatic and often morally ambiguous mentor met in the haunted basement, whose ancient wisdom and questionable advice set Tang Zheng on his perilous path, acting as a catalyst for the entire story.
You’ll meet Fang Shishi, who evolves from a compassionate classmate into Tang Zheng’s publicly acknowledged girlfriend, her gentle strength and unwavering loyalty providing a crucial emotional anchor amidst the chaos.
And Ye Dingdang? They’re the one who brings fierce protectiveness and complex family ties into Tang Zheng’s orbit, their dynamic shifting from wary allies bound by circumstance to a deep, unshakeable partnership forged in countless battles.
The Flaws Fans Debate
The protagonist’s intelligence and decision-making are frequently criticized, with many readers finding his actions frustratingly illogical or naive, especially as the stakes grow higher.
Character development for the large supporting cast, particularly within the harem, is often seen as shallow, with many female characters defined primarily by their relationship to the MC rather than possessing deep, independent arcs.
The narrative can suffer from pacing issues and aimless stretches, particularly noted in the middle chapters, where the plot sometimes meanders before finding its next major thrust.
Later story arcs reportedly introduce elements of nationalism and potentially offensive stereotypes that alienate a segment of the international reader base.
Must-Experience Arcs
Ch. 1–50: The Haunted Basement & Campus Initiation – Tang Zheng’s fall from grace, his fateful meeting with Tian Chanzi, and his initial, awkward attempts to navigate his new reality and the school’s social hierarchy while discovering the first hints of his power and its cost.
Ch. 300–600: Sects Emerge & The Witch Clan – The hidden world of cultivators fully reveals itself as Tang Zheng confronts organized sects and delves into the mysteries of the Witch Clan with Fang Shishi, marking a significant power-up and expansion of the story’s scope beyond the campus.
Ch. 1500–1896: The Final Confrontation & World’s Edge – The narrative reaches its climax as Tang Zheng faces the ultimate threats tied to the decline of cultivation on Earth, culminating in battles that determine the fate of the hidden world and his own destiny, bringing his long journey full circle.
Killer Quotes
“In order to live, he must get close to girls, what kind of rule is this?”
“The strong live like royalty; the weak strive to survive another day.”
Cultural Impact
It developed a dedicated, if sometimes critical, international fanbase drawn to its unique blend of modern setting and cultivation tropes.
The novel’s core premise became a recognizable trope within online cultivation novel communities, often referenced or parodied.
Despite its length and criticisms, it maintained enough reader engagement to see completion, a testament to its addictive, page-turning quality for its target audience.
Final Verdict
Start Here If You Want:
A wild, escapist ride blending school life with supernatural martial arts.
A classic harem setup driven by a unique, high-stakes survival mechanic.
Fast-paced action and constant escalation from personal drama to world-ending threats.
Study If You Love:
Exploring the adaptation of traditional xianxia tropes into a modern, urban fantasy context.
Analyzing the structure and appeal of long-form, serialized web novels with large ensemble casts.
Understanding the cultural export and reception of Chinese web novels featuring specific power systems and romantic dynamics.
Avoid If You Prefer:
Deeply logical protagonists who make consistently smart choices.
Complex, independently developed female characters outside the harem dynamic.
Stories free from nationalistic themes or potentially offensive cultural stereotypes in their later arcs.
