Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Book 1 Review
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu was originally published in China as a web novel. Published in October 2015, it didn’t take long before the story became an internet sensation. By 2018, despite China’s strict laws about the depiction of homosexuality on television, the story was being adapted into an episodic drama that went on to take the world by storm.
As fans outside of China fell in love with the screen adaptation, The Untamed, people flocked to the internet to find translated versions of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. At the time, there were no official translations available and folks had to rely on fan-translated websites.
However, where there is demand, there will eventually be supply, and in 2021 official translations were published in book form of all of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s works. The English translation was available for purchase on December 14, 2021, and everyone here flocked to purchase.
Although we fell in love with The Untamed first, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is still incredibly important to the readers here at Q+ Magazine. So we’ve got you the 4-1-1 on the English release.
The story
If you’re reading this, it’s unlikely that you don’t at least know the premise of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. In case you’ve been living under a rock though, it’s the story of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, two cultivators from different sects who meet as young teens and stumble their way through the cultivation world together.
Like all good stories though, their journey is fraught with pain and mishap and Wei Wuxian finds himself on the wrong side of the cultivation world. You see, he did something that, although it was an act of sheer selflessness, made him vulnerable to evil energy. And although a young Lan Wangji begs him not to, Wei Wuxian embarks on a journey into the world of demonic cultivation. It’s this journey into the darkness that brings about the end of his young life far too soon.
However, because this is a story of magic, more than a decade after his death, Wei Wuxian finds himself resurrected in another cultivator’s body. Despite not having the same face as before, Lan Wangji recognizes his long-lost love immediately and decides then and there that he wouldn’t leave Wei Ying’s side ever again.
And although it takes them a minute to get their groove on, the two love birds ultimately get a second shot at a life together. For a really long time, they attempt to keep Wei Wuxian’s identity a secret, but like with most things, that very fact is an impossibility forever.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian get to the bottom of what happened to Wei Wuxian all those years ago and uncover who was really behind all the events that lead to his eventual demise. The cultivation world is shocked to realize that Wei Wuxian was, for lack of a better word, effectively set up by someone they least expected capable of such acts.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian eventually get married, shack up together in Cloud Recesses, and unapologetically romp their way through Gusu. Every day means every day.
Despite all the pain and turmoil, readers are put through in the story, it ends with a happy ending for the couple.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Volume 1
The original web novel spanned more than 100 chapters. It’s a long story. The newly released English translation is being released in volumes, rather than releasing one epic huge novel all at once. Volume 1, currently available for purchase, includes chapters 1 – 32 of the original story and contains 395 pages in total.
By the time the entirety of the story is released, there will be well over 1000 pages of WangXian available for fans to read in English.
For fans of The Untamed coming to Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation for the first time now, one thing you should know is that it doesn’t follow quite the same linear timeline that the live-action does.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation moves between the current day, where Wei Wuxian is revived in Mo Xuanyu’s body, and the past adolescent years of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian before Wei Ying died.
This volume ends right around the time that Wei Ying gets Lan Zhan drunk for the second time in his presence, but this time they’re adults. All these years later, Lan Zhan still can’t hold his alcohol and shenanigans certainly ensue. The love that Wei Ying feels for Lan Zhan is clear to readers throughout this phase of the story, even if it’s not clear to Wei Ying. Though really, we think he knows he has it bad for the second Twin Jade.
We adore this translation. It’s beautifully written and we can see why everyone is so utterly in love with this story. The love between these two men bleeds through the pages and it’s impossible not to fall in love right along with them.
The gay stuff
It really shocked us here that a story like this would gain such widespread popularity in a place like China. While we think that speaks volumes to how the Chinese people really feel about things like the LGBTQ community, the government is less friendly about these issues.
And Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is very, very gay. Graphically so. Once they get going, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have sex practically on every available surface at Cloud Recesses. The author describes these scenes in infinite detail so nothing is left to the imagination of the reader.
Lan Wangji is a very aggressive physical lover, and Wei Ying loves being manhandled like a piece of meat. That’s where we should probably invoke the “parental advisory” warning. If really rough, borderline violent at times, gay sex is not your thing, you might not want to read this story once the “extra” chapters kick in.
Even before the English translation was released, discussions around consent were raised by the fandom. Many have completely accepted the sexual relationship that exists between the two men as fine, but there are some that feel the ‘violence’ in the bedroom is just too much to handle.
This story means so much to many people all around the world. It is so successful that not only has there been a live-action adaptation for the screen, but there are also several animated versions, including an epic donghua that made absolutely everyone cry, and an adorable chibi version that will brighten even the darkest of days.
The English release of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is currently available through Amazon and most reputable booksellers. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!
