Candle in the Tomb/Ghost Blows Out the Light: Watch Order

The Legend of Ba Yi’s Grandpa (2024) (standalone lore prequel, loosely connected)

• Timeline: Earliest story in the Ghost Blows Out the Light universe.

• Focus: Hu Bayi's grandfather's generation and the origins of the Hu family's tomb-raiding legacy and feng shui knowledge.

• Connection: Standalone spin-off prequel with loose ties to the main series.

• Viewing: Optional lore expansion, set decades before The Wrath of Time, Candle in the Tomb, and all later Hu Bayi stories.

Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time (2019)

• Timeline: Earliest major story in the live-action timeline, set during the Republic of China era (1920s–1930s).

• Focus: Follows Chen Yulou and Partridge Whistle on one of the franchise's earliest tomb-raiding expeditions.

• Connection: Prequel that explores the older generation of tomb raiders and the origins of mysteries referenced in later stories.

• Viewing: Essential for chronological viewing, taking place decades before Hu Bayi's adventures.

Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time (2019)

Timeline: Same story era as The Wrath of Time (2019) series, set during the Republic of China period.

• Focus: Adapts the Nu Qing Xiang Xi arc, following Chen Yulou and Partridge Whistle on a major tomb-raiding expedition.

• Connection: A separate film adaptation of the same storyline as the 2019 series, with different cast, tone, and production. Not a continuation or prequel.

• Viewing: Optional. It is a standalone retelling and can be watched instead of the 2019 series, not before or after it.

Mojin: Guardian (2021)

• Timeline: Early-era stories in a separate Mojin movie continuity.

• Focus: Mojin: Guardian follows a young Hu Bayi’s first tomb expedition. The Tomb of Weasel runs as a parallel early-era adventure in the same movie universe.

• Connection: Standalone films with shared “young Hu Bayi” concept, but not connected to the main Candle in the Tomb TV timeline.

• Viewing: Optional. Both are alternate-universe stories and can be watched independently in any order.

The Weasel Grave (2017)

• Timeline: 1960s–early 1970s, Inner Mongolia reclamation period.

• Focus: Young Hu Bayi during his college years and his first supernatural encounter.

• Connection: Early prequel that shows the formative event behind his later tomb-raiding life.

• Viewing: Set before all main Candle in the Tomb stories.

The Tomb of Weasel (2021)

• Timeline: Same period as The Weasel Grave (2017 series), set in the 1960s–early 1970s.

• Focus: A retelling of young Hu Bayi’s Inner Mongolia expedition and his early supernatural encounter.

• Connection: Parallel movie adaptation of the same story arc as the 2017 series, not a sequel or prequel.

• Viewing: Optional. Watch as an alternate version of The Weasel Grave—not before or after it.

Chronicles of a Ghostly Tribe (2015)

• Timeline: Late 1970s, early Hu Bayi career.

• Focus: A young Hu Bayi involved in a government-led expedition that uncovers massive underground fossil creatures.

• Connection: Standalone film in a separate movie continuity, not part of the Candle in the Tomb TV series timeline. Loosely inspired by the original novel but heavily adapted.

• Viewing: Optional. An alternate-universe early adventure and not required for the main story order.

Candle in the Tomb (2016)

• Timeline: Early 1980s, start of the main TV series timeline. (Jingjue Ancient City arc)

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan form the core trio and begin their first major expedition together.

• Story: Their journey into the Jingjue / Desert Ghost City and first major tomb-raiding mission.

• Connection: Beginning of the main Candle in the Tomb TV universe and foundation of the franchise timeline.

• Viewing: Essential starting point for all main TV series entries.

Mojin: Ancient City of Cadota (2022)

• Timeline: Same era as Candle in the Tomb (2016), early 1980s Jingjue Ancient City arc.

• Focus: Retells the Jingjue Ancient City expedition involving Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone movie remake of the same story as the 2016 TV series, existing in a separate film continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. Can be watched as an alternate version of the Jingjue Ancient City arc, not part of the main TV timeline.

Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns (2020)

Timeline: Early 1980s, shortly after Jingjue Ancient City.

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan continue their journey and enter the Dragon Ridge cave system in Shaanxi Province. (Longling Labyrinth)

• Story: First major underground labyrinth expedition, expanding the curse system and relic lore.

• Connection: Second main arc in the Candle in the Tomb TV universe, directly continuing the 2016 storyline.

• Viewing: Essential continuation of the main series.

Tomb Adventurer (2022)

• Timeline: Same era as Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns (2020), early 1980s Dragon Ridge arc.

• Focus: Retells the Dragon Ridge (Longling Labyrinth) expedition of Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone film adaptation of the same storyline as the 2020 series, but in a separate movie continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. An alternate version of the Dragon Ridge arc, not part of the main TV series timeline.

Mojin: Longling Misty Cave (2020)

• Timeline: Same era as Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns (2020), early 1980s Dragon Ridge arc.

• Focus: Retells the Dragon Ridge / Longling Labyrinth expedition with Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone movie adaptation of the same story as the 2020 TV series, but in a separate film continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. An alternate version of the Dragon Ridge arc, not part of the main TV timeline.

Mojin: Dragon Ridge Shrine (2020)

• Timeline: Same era as Candle in the Tomb: The Lost Caverns (2020), early 1980s Dragon Ridge arc.

• Focus: A retelling of the Dragon Ridge / Longling Labyrinth expedition featuring Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone film adaptation of the same storyline, existing in a separate movie continuity from the TV series.

• Viewing: Optional. A parallel version of the Dragon Ridge arc, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb timeline.

Mojin: Mysterious Treasure (2020)

• Timeline: Early 1980s, after the Dragon Ridge expedition.

• Focus: Hu Bayi travels to Xiangxi to search for the legendary six-winged centipede and its inner elixir, linked to a life-saving cure after earlier poisoning.

• Connection: Standalone movie in a separate Mojin film continuity, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb TV timeline.

• Viewing: Optional. A self-contained adventure set after the Longling Cave events in concept, but not connected to the TV series canon.

Candle in the Tomb: The Worm Valley (2021)

• Timeline: Mid 1980s, after the Dragon Ridge expedition. (Yunnan Worm Valley arc)

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan enter the Yunnan jungle in search of the Dust Bead (Mu Chen Pearl).

• Story: A dangerous expedition into Worm Valley involving ancient tombs, insects, and curse-related mysteries.

• Connection: Third main arc in the Candle in the Tomb TV universe, continuing the main Tencent storyline.

• Viewing: Essential continuation of the main series.

Mojin: The Worm Valley (2018)

• Timeline: Same era as Candle in the Tomb: The Worm Valley (2021), mid 1980s Yunnan arc.

• Focus: A retelling of the Worm Valley expedition in Yunnan involving Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone film adaptation of the same storyline, existing in a separate movie continuity from the TV series.

• Viewing: Optional. A parallel version of the Worm Valley arc, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb timeline.

Candle in the Tomb: The Worm Valley (2023)

• Timeline: Same era as the Yunnan Worm Valley arc, mid 1980s.

• Focus: A retelling of the King Xian / Worm Valley expedition in Yunnan involving Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Kaixuan.

• Connection: Standalone movie adaptation of the Worm Valley story, separate from the 2021 TV series and other film versions.

• Viewing: Optional. A parallel version of the Worm Valley arc, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb TV continuity.

Candle in the Tomb: The Weasel Grave (2021)

• Timeline: 1980s, set after earlier tomb-raiding experiences in the movie continuity.

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang travel back to Northeast China to attend the wedding of their old friend Yan Zi.

• Story: Their return to the countryside where they were once stationed during their youth leads to new encounters and buried memories.

• Connection: A standalone transitional story in the movie universe, separate from the main TV continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. A character-focused interlude between larger expedition arcs in the film timeline.

Kunlun Tomb (2022)

• Timeline: Mid-to-late 1980s, after the Worm Valley expedition.

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang are hired for a new mission in the Kunlun Mountains of Tibet.

• Story: Search for a mysterious crystal corpse tied to the ongoing curse and deeper ancient secrets.

• Connection: Fourth main arc in the Candle in the Tomb TV continuity, directly continuing from Worm Valley (2021).

• Viewing: Essential continuation of the main series storyline.

Mojin: Kunlun Shrine (2020)

• Timeline: Same era as Kunlun Tomb (2022), mid-to-late 1980s Kunlun Mountains arc.

• Focus: A retelling of the Kunlun Shrine expedition, where Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang investigate the crystal corpse and curse-related mystery.

• Connection: Standalone film adaptation of the same storyline as the TV series, existing in a separate movie continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. A parallel version of the Kunlun arc, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb TV timeline.

South Sea Tomb (2023)

• Timeline: Late 1980s, after the Kunlun expedition.

• Focus: Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang embark on a maritime mission in the South China Sea.

• Story: Search for the legendary Guixu (sunken sea realm) and the Qin Emperor’s Bone Mirror, marking a shift from land tombs to underwater ruins.

• Connection: Fifth main arc in the Candle in the Tomb TV continuity, continuing directly after Kunlun Tomb (2022).

• Viewing: Essential continuation of the main series storyline.

Mojin: Return to the South China Sea (2022)

• Timeline: Same era as South Sea Tomb (2023), late 1980s South China Sea arc.

• Focus: Hu Bayi and the team join a salvage mission, are caught in a shipwreck, and uncover a lost underwater ancient city.

• Connection: Standalone film adaptation of the South Sea / Guixu storyline, separate from the 2023 TV series continuity.

• Viewing: Optional. A parallel version of the underwater arc, not part of the main Candle in the Tomb TV timeline.

Mojin: The Lost Legend (2015)

• Timeline: Early 1990s (with flashbacks to 1969).

• Focus: Hu Bayi comes out of retirement with Wang Kaixuan and Shirley Yang to search for a legendary resurrection artifact.

• Story: A mix of present-day expedition and flashbacks to their youth, linking past experiences from the Weasel Grave era to their current journey.

• Connection: Standalone blockbuster film in a separate movie universe, unrelated to the Candle in the Tomb TV timeline.

• Viewing: Optional. A self-contained movie that reimagines the characters’ story in a different continuity.

The Legend Hunters (2026) belongs to the Mojin movie universe and is a later continuation/reboot entry after “Mojin: The Lost Legend (2015),” but it does not fit into the Candle in the Tomb TV series timeline.

Wu Xia Guan Shan (Coffin Mountain of Wu Gorge) is the final Volume 8 story in the Candle in the Tomb novel series, set as the ultimate expedition in the Hu Bayi timeline, and if adapted, it will come after South Sea Tomb as the concluding arc of the main Tencent TV continuity.

This story is the final-stage tomb-raiding arc in the novels, where:

• Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Fatty Wang

• Travel to the Wu Gorge (Wuxia) region

• Investigate the legendary Coffin Mountain (棺山)

Mojin: Raiders of the Wu Gorge (2019) is a standalone movie adaptation of the final Volume 8 Wu Xia Guan Shan arc, representing the “endgame” tomb adventure, but it does not belong to the Tencent Candle in the Tomb TV timeline or connect to other movie entries.

~2000s (post-Hu Bayi era)

• Takes place years after Hu Bayi’s retirement

• Focus: Hu Tian (Hu Bayi’s son)

• Modern-era tomb exploration with legacy connections

Ghost Blows Out the Light: Finding Hu Ba Yi (2017) is a Hu Tian (Hu Bayi’s son) spin-off web series that explores a separate timeline and is not part of the main Hu Bayi TV continuity or Mojin movie universe.

• a side-universe spin-off

• loosely inspired by the Ghost Blows Out the Light world

• focused on the next generation (Hu Tian)

The Secret of the Lost Pearl (2026) / The Legend Hunters belongs to the Mojin film universe as a later continuation of the rebooted movie timeline and is NOT part of the main Candle in the Tomb TV continuity or Hu Bayi’s canon story order.

Similar as the 2nd-4th volumes in the novel series "Candle in the Tomb" (鬼吹灯

The Secret of the Lost Pearl Season 2 (2026) is a standalone tomb-adventure drama inspired by the same genre as Ghost Blows Out the Light, but it is not connected to Hu Bayi, the Mojin films, or the Candle in the Tomb timeline.

The Secret of the Lost Pearl Season 3 (2026) is the continuation of its own standalone drama series and is not connected to Hu Bayi, Mojin films, or any Candle in the Tomb timeline—it exists in a separate tomb-adventure universe with entirely different characters and storyline.