Su Yishui and Mu Qingge/Xue Ran Ran

1. In the first section (in the drama at least): we have MQG as the master and SYS as the disciple.

I though this was fun - seeing the FL in control vs the young, fledgling ML.

However, with this dynamic, MQG tended to decide/act for SYS, which was what he resented her for. I feel in some ways they weren't on the same playing field and not exactly on the same page (from a relationship standpoint). She did not have the chance/time to truly get to know him.

2. In the 2nd section: we have Xue Ranran (without memories of her past as MQG) and older SYS, who is now her master. Although by the end of this section, a lot of the past is cleared up and XRR knows she is MQG, SYS spends much of this time plagued by guilt and regret. I enjoyed this section watching XRR grow as a character and person, able to match SYS not only in power but in wit. 

3. Ultimately, however, it is only through the 3rd section that both people are able to regain their full selves and truly be matched together as they were meant to be.

This part included the SYS amnesia part, which I found both frustrating but also a great opportunity for XRR to truly know SYS.

 soTreeD:

So as someone who forgot his 'love' for MQG, the guilt for getting her killed, finally SYS and RR restarted on a same level, even though the mean SYS 'teen' Shifu was dialed up to the max.

Yeah, this was the key part of the amnesia arc that made it work for me.

I also didn't read the novel but saw some comments about their past (in the heavenly realm??). I think it was fine to exclude it in this drama version, but I wonder what your thoughts were about this part and whether it worked for you in the novel.

Spoiler Alert !! 

Su Yishui&Ranran in Heavenly Realm

Chapter 104
....
Since Su Yi Shui's return, Ranran had not suffered from insomnia at night. This sleep was naturally deep.
However, not long after falling asleep, she plunged into a dream.
In her dream, she suddenly couldn't move at all, and there was a lush green leaf blocking her vision.
After a gust of wind blew through and dispersed the leaves, she suddenly realized that she was hanging on a tree. Ranran felt annoyed for a moment, thinking that this dream was rather strange and uncomfortable.
But at this moment, someone below the tree was manipulating a suspended pen on the table, writing something on a scroll. Perhaps tired of writing, the person looked up expressionlessly and stared at her.
When she looked down, she was shocked to see Su Yi Shui standing under the tree… However, in this dream, Su Yi Shui seemed even colder with icy eyes and silver hair, clearly a cultivated immortal.
Behind him were a group of immortals, seemingly chatting and laughing with him, respectfully calling him the YuanYang Emperor, waiting for him to register and arrange an immortal position for themselves.
Facing everyone's respectful banter, he showed no joy on his face, maintaining an extremely indifferent expression.
Ranran was like a trapped fruit, unable to move freely. However, she felt that her dream was extremely realistic. That ferocious beast had become an immortal in her dream, but still with the same arrogant attitude…
Later on, a voice sounded in the sky, and Ranran heard the invisible Celestial Sovereign speaking again, "YuanYang Emperor, the mortal realm needs an emperor. Many years later, there may be a calamity involving humans and demons. We need a true immortal to respond to the calamity and handle this disaster. Whom do you think should go?"
The YuanYang Emperor replied coldly, "Fellow immortals knows it is difficult to cultivate, and no one has violated the heavenly rules. Who would want to go? Moreover, the trials of the mortal realm are predestined. Such calamitous matters do not need our intervention."
After hearing this, the Celestial Sovereign sighed, "You were the Boy of Chunyang, ascending to immortality at a young age. Although you have boundless spiritual power, you lack the experience of human emotions. People say that one needs to sever love and emotions to become an immortal, which is a fallacy. If one lacks love and compassion, how can they govern all living beings with benevolence…"
*纯阳童子 how to translate this? Boy of pure masculinity?
The YuanYang Emperor heard this, with a faintly mocking smile, he glanced at the fruit on the tree and said, "So the Celestial Sovereign means that because I haven't married and had children like you, that is why my current cultivation is inferior to yours?"
It was evident that this YuanYang Emperor's character was too arrogant and unyielding, disrespecting even the Celestial Sovereign. There was a hidden mockery with his reference to how the Celestial Sovereign had failed to protect his daughter—If he truly had compassion, why had the Celestial Sovereign's own flesh and blood remained hanging on the Bodhi tree by the Yao Chi?
The Celestial Sovereign was treated with contempt, but he was not angry. He simply said, "I know you are unwilling to be limited to the position of the Imperial Emperor, and you even aspire to replace me as the Celestial Sovereign, to control everything. Naturally, it would be good if someone could replace me in the cycle of heaven and earth. However, if you want to achieve higher cultivation and transcend the constraint of the three realms, you may have to tread the path of the demonic immortal. In the thousand years of the heavenly realm, there have been cases of immortals turning demonic, but never demons becoming immortals… If you can't understand compassion, what use is it even if you ascend further?"
After saying these words, the light in the sky dimmed, and the Celestial Sovereign's voice gradually disappeared…
The YuanYang Emperor of smiled mockingly, then looked up at the fruit on the Bodhi tree and used a brush to lightly sketch on the fruit. After a few strokes, he turned and left.
After he left, Ranran looked down at the Yao Chi pond under the tree. It clearly reflected a round and cute large fruit.
Unfortunately, the fruit had been painted with an ugly face, with a fake smile on its lips.
Obviously, the Imperial Emperor thought that the Celestial Sovereign's earlier words of his willingness to give up his position were all false, so he drew a hypocritical smile on the Celestial Sovereign's daughter's face.
Although it was a dream, Ranran still felt very angry. This was obviously a smooth and good-looking fruit, so why did it have to be painted like this?

Ranran felt that the fruit she was in right now, seemed very anxious and kept shaking a few weak leaves to try to drive away the venomous snake.
Unfortunately, the rustling sound had no effect at all!
The fruit seemed so anxious that it was about to burst juice. With a strong effort, it actually broke free from the branch, fell with a bang, scared away the spirit snake, and coincidentally landed in the Imperial Emperor's arms…
Just then, two child immortals responsible for taking care of the Bodhi tree came over. When they saw the green-skinned unripe fruit fall into the Emperor's arms, they immediately exclaimed, "This is bad! The Imperial Emperor is drunk and has plucked… plucked the spirit fruit!"

Chapter 105
Ranran's mind became tumultuous when she heard that accusation. She had previously heard briefly from the Medicine Immortal about the reason why the YuanYang Emperor was demoted to the mortal realm.

But she never expected it to be like this, a complete misunderstanding!

After the Xuan Tian Holy Mother came over in a rage, it then became a miscarriage of justice, like that of Dou E.
*窦娥冤 The Injustice to Dou E, related to Snow in June

When the YuanYang Emperor was demoted to the mortal realm to undergo training, he coldly looked at the large fruit being held by the nearby fairy boy.

The fruit's skin was soaked in heavenly dew, growing brightly red and quite adorable! However, the wide-open mouth he had drawn on it last time was still visible, seemingly mocking him.

Despite suffering a great injustice, the Imperial Emperor did not argue. Instead, at the moment of falling into the mortal realm, he suddenly leaped forward and snatched the silly laughing fruit from the fairy boy's arms and plunged straight into the mortal world...

The Xuan Tian Holy Mother was so shocked that she almost fell down too but she could not hold onto the rebellious Imperial Emperor.

And so, the YuanYang Emperor and the unlucky red fruit descended together into the mortal realm to face their tribulations...

*****

I think arc to be very cute& beautiful. I especially want to see SuYishui as heavenly Immortal Emperor Yuan Yang.

Lol

Novel link

https://loveofthedivinetree.wordpress.com/

Thanks for sharing the excerpts! It sounds like a fun story, but I like the drama too, more earthy approach to a xianxia story.

What do you all like most about SYS and MQG/XRR’s story? Romance aside, I enjoyed watching them both grow as people, not being held down by their past mistakes and not conforming to the accepted norm for cultivators if it didn’t make common sense.

I find the theme explored by LDT very interesting.
 
The whole idea of mortals cultivating to ascend to the next level of being immortals, so they can 'live forever'?
Mortals expect immortals to come to their rescue in times of need, but as shocking as the drama line was when the Medicine Immortal ( oh man one of my disappointments right here becos he was supposed to be a very beautiful man looool ) commented to the immortal Dun Tian : "Immortals have a long life but nothing to do" hahahahah

So that brings to the question: If they took the trouble to cultivate but the end goal is so boring, what was the point of it all? lol

MQG got that. But maybe also because she was so young. At 25 she probably felt like she hasn't lived enough yet obviously. She did however have a better idea of why she is cultivating, which is to have the power to defend the world she lives in, rather than hoping for others to save her. Probably because she suffered from war and understood what it was like to be helpless, at the mercy of others. She embraced her 'talents' and put it to the use to help others instead.
I should think even after she became an immortal she will keep busy and not just sit around mulling over the past like Dun Tian did.

SYS cultivated for greater power. At the basis of it I feel he just did not want to be subjected to the will of others. Even as he was going to take the demon spring, he was not going to be a vessel but he wanted to subjugate that power. I am not sure why he wants to 'rule the world' - and I think it was also a vague concept to him. It wasn't like he was burning with reform for a nation or he had bloodlust and wanted to destroy or conquer the lands.
I felt in the drama or novel, maybe it was encoded in his 'DNA' that he just needed to be the best. ( As an Immortal his ultimate goal was to take over as the next 天尊 Heavenly Sovereign after all)  Maybe its like those wuxia stories where men just train and go around challenging others to duels because they want to be the No.1. That's why he seemed very ready to give all that up. Its not because he was a lovebrain but perhaps it really didn't matter that much to him in the first place?
 
What do you think about SYS's motivation?  Even if SYS became the King of the lands, I feel he will still be a fair and just man, just 'powered' by a frightening 'evil' force.

Both MQG and SYS are people who look forward. They made mistakes, they have regrets but they pick themselves up and carry on. SYS is not forcing himself to be like her, he already thinks like she does. That's why they are such a great match.
Now I suppose they will cultivate so they can be with each other for a long, long time. Don't depend on fate and reincarnation to bring them together again for the next few lifetimes, why risk it right haha
Suyu might be waiting again HAHAHAHAH

Suyu fuming: I MET HER FIRST!! BOTH TIMES!! 

@soTreeD

"So that brings to the question: If they took the trouble to cultivate but the end goal is so boring, what was the point of it all? lol"

LOL I think about this too. It depends on each on how one is full of worldly desire&emotions (or tired of it). And ready to be gone from it. But I dont think Dun Tian is ready for it. As he still has desire. Its more like becomming "immortal" was just some of the goal he wanted to archieve ..stronger than his love for family back. So he probably surpressed himself of the desires. Thats why it backfires him to become demon instead. 

"SYS cultivated for greater power. At the basis of it I feel he just did not want to be subjected to the will of others. Even as he was going to take the demon spring, he was not going to be a vessel but he wanted to subjugate that power. I am not sure why he wants to 'rule the world' - and I think it was also a vague concept to him. It wasn't like he was burning with reform for a nation or he had bloodlust and wanted to destroy or conquer the lands.
I felt in the drama or novel, maybe it was encoded in his 'DNA' that he just needed to be the best. ( As an Immortal his ultimate goal was to take over as the next 天尊 Heavenly Sovereign after all) "

In the drama, it's clearly shown he felt very powerless when he was young.  He want that power thinking it will be fulfilling of his being living? In novel, it felt more like he was like other ambitious masculinity being who wants something greater. Thats how hes punished to suffer the variety emotions and deal with  demonic spirit spring (somehow this demon side in ml was a little refering human obssession somehow and thats based his origin self immortal emperor was also obssessed to become someone greater?) But he was not as hard or self centered as Dun Tian to sacrifice something he loves. Or more capable in accepting what he actually enjoy to do. Not something what seem like something greater.  

Both drama novel and drama offers message that its never wrong to enjoy wordly desire.

 ChunTian:

OMG...thank you Winny. I smiled all the way through this.

Goodness, our SYS was such a brat even then. HAHAHAHAH

You are welcome! 

Yes he was such b... his original very self..=DD