The Immortal Ascension

Thousand opportunity and Han li

This drama explores how selfishness and detachment are tied to the pursuit of immortality. The pacing feels slow if you try to binge it, but as a daily watch it flows naturally. There’s a wide cast of characters, though many come across as flat. What the story does capture brilliantly is the cunning and cruelty of mortal minds—people may stop aging, but they remain mortals at heart, still scheming for survival.

Han Li stands out as the ultimate schemer. Unlike others who rely on luck, he works hard to turn every opportunity into an advantage, which makes him inspiring. His relationships with his four love interests add depth, though his detachment is clear. At one point, it’s hinted he had feelings for Ms. Mo, but he still abandoned her for his greater goal. He carries all his mentors and master in his heart without clinging to them—showing his path toward extreme detachment.

I just hope he remembers his master’s words, stays true to himself, and never forgets what he really wants.

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Yang yang and Zhao Qing nailed it it!

First of all, this is the very first C-drama I have ever watched. At the beginning, I was hesitant to watch it because I didn’t know if I would enjoy it. But after I started watching, I quickly became obsessed. I couldn’t stop myself from checking if there were new episodes.

The story, acting, and production were all excellent for me. The characters felt real, and the action and emotions kept me watching every episode without skipping. I especially enjoyed the performances of Yang Yang and Zhao Qing. You both acted so well that I became a big fan.

Now, since they haven’t given any hint about when Season 2 will be released, I keep checking what book it is based on so I can really imagine what will happen next. I really hope Season 2 will come soon. I also wish that in Season 2, you will continue to be one of the top-ranked C-dramas.

Kudos to the staff, cast, and director for creating such a beautiful and unforgettable show.

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A true gem in Xianxia, faithful and stunning journey

This drama is a true gem in the xianxia genre, focusing entirely on cultivation without the distractions of unnecessary romance. It follows Han Li’s journey from the mortal realm toward immortality, telling the story faithfully and smoothly, with no filler or dragging moments.

The cinematography is stunning, beautifully blending CGI with real environments, almost like stepping into a living painting. Yang Yang perfectly portrays Han Li, showing his transformation from an innocent but clever young man into a skilled, intelligent, and formidable cultivator. His growth feels natural and believable, and he captures Han Li’s quiet strength, sharp mind, and determination with subtle yet effective acting.
His performance is balanced, never overdone or underplayed which makes him a pleasure to watch.

I especially enjoyed the fighting scenes, the fight isn’t just about raw power, it highlights Han Li’s quick thinking, resourcefulness, and precise control of his abilities. Unlike many xianxia dramas where battles are mostly flashy hand movements and CGI effects with little emotion, this drama brings real tension and meaning to its action scenes.
If you’re expecting a historical romance, this drama isn’t for you. And if you rate it low just because there’s no romance you like, then you’re missing the point. The story is clearly about Han Li’s journey to immortality, focusing on his strength and perseverance without distractions. But if you’re looking for a quality xianxia drama, this one is definitely worth watching.

The Immortal Ascension stands out as one of the best xianxia dramas in recent years, and I truly hope it will have a season 2.

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The Hollow Journey of The Immortal Ascension

The first three episodes were lovely, well-paced, visually stunning, and full of promise. The landscapes and scenery were breathtaking, and the early mortal-world storyline had heart. I also enjoyed the “Mo Girl” character; her tenderness and sweet expressions brought warmth, and the actress delivered a genuinely touching performance. Unfortunately, the show never lived up to that strong start.

From episode 14 onward, I found myself fast-forwarding through large sections, and by episode 15, I dropped this drama entirely. The pacing felt both rushed and empty, with scenes that lacked meaning or emotional weight. After Han Li left the mortal world, his journey became a repetitive loop of collecting treasures, herbs, and artifacts—like a layered video game where advancement depends on gathering loot and killing to survive. The narrative lost any sense of inspiration or deeper purpose.

Relationships, which should be the lifeblood of any story, were shallow. Han Li meets countless characters, yet the script makes no effort to form meaningful bonds. There was no genuine grief over his best friend being turned into a puppet, no heartfelt goodbye to his parents, and no lasting connection with the girl who saved him in the mortal world. The sects and cultivators in this world were cold and selfish—often killing innocent cultivators to protect themselves. Sadly, even the main lead often felt detached and morally ambiguous, and I found nothing inspiring about the idea of becoming an immortal under such values.

Thematically, the message the show conveys felt hollow. Yes, it suggests that perseverance and hard work pay off, but it also seems to endorse cheating, lying, stealing, and killing as acceptable strategies. For me, cultivation stories should carry an element of moral integrity, honor, and inspiration. This drama instead portrayed a world where the path to ascension is more about opportunism and survival than virtue or good karma.

While the fight scenes are decent and the main lead is visually appealing, his character lacks emotional depth. The beautiful, colorful scenery in the early episodes eventually gave way to more artificial visuals, and the script was padded with filler scenes like meaningless gift exchanges between sect members.

Ultimately, the show felt like watching a series of disconnected scenarios from a moving train—colorful but without substance. It lacked emotional engagement, meaningful character arcs, and the moral weight I value in cultivation stories. I stayed entertained for a while, but in the end, The Immortal Ascension was more style than soul, and it left me feeling detached and disappointed.

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a dry record of a mortal's dreary journey to immortality

likes
 - cute actors
 - the sweeping landscape
 - some ost were nice
- there were aspects of han li I liked: he was thorough, deadly, shrewd, careful, sharp, calculated, merciful (every single time someone plead on behalf of a life he relented), he never hesitated to kill to protect himself (need more mls like that), reclusive but watchful, mentally strong, an independent and creative thinker, kinda immoral too hehe
-none of the fls were weird, or thoughtlessly written. As ml centered drama heroines usually are. They were all just quite normal thankfully. I did not have a preference bc they collectively did not take up that much screen time, or space in the story. I also did not mind that there was no romance, the writing wasn't good enough for me to care.
-  I like that he starts off weak with little potential and was continually underestimated and written off. And i liked watching him level up in his cultivation at the start.

dislikes
-after he left the mortal world his progression became boring and lacklustre, dissatisfying even . watching him gather treasure and herbs and artifacts and other loot? yawn. his level ups after that inspired mehs, no yays. 
- I actually think they were going for nostalgia with the aged visuals and stale graphics, but the story progression and characters felt outdated so the whole drama unironically looked like it really was made in 2010. 
- all or most of the cultivators were cold, self absorbed, slow and selfish, including the ml for most of the time. and there was nothing entertaining or inspiring about that, or a journey to become one such as that. And Idc what anyone says, cultivation stories should have an element of inspiration and excitement and satisfaction and fun. this drama had none of that.
-  paper thin relationships - relationships are the lifeblood of any story, doesn't matter what the story is. But this drama didn't get the memo. han li meets many many people on his journey,  but no effort was put into building anything genuine or deepening his connection with any of them. There were flashes here and there, but nothing significant or thoughtful. even if you're a god you still need people. 
- hamfisted adaptation - the writing could have been more nuanced. there were things that shouldn't have been in the drama simply bc 'they are in the source material'. not all themes and subjects keep the same shape and form when translated across different forms of media. e.g hanli repeatedly drugging 2fl bcs she knows too much, a bevy of nonsensical 1D characters that you would typically only ever find in a donghua. 
- the villain: wang chan 2003 just called, they desperately want you back. 
- the drama leaned too heavily on the success of the ip instead of trying to be something that could be considered equally successful in its own right. coming from the team that brought us evernight,  I expected much much better than this.

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