This review may contain spoilers
The Immortal Ascension: Or, A Masterclass in Corporate Climbing with Flashy Lightsabres
Let’s be real. I started watching The Immortal Ascension for one reason and one reason only: the divine visuals of Yang Yang.
What I didn’t expect was to receive a shockingly accurate, 灵根-opening seminar on corporate survival.
This isn't just a fantasy show; it's a documentary about your 9-to-5, but with better special effects and loads of flying.
First, The Good (The Visuals & The Vibe):
The CG in this show is pretty impressive for a drama.
The mystical realms, the magical beasts, the OP-ed spell rings and all that flying around like Harry Potter in a Quidditch tournament - it’s a feast for the eyes.
It’s like the production team cultivated their budget to the peak and it shows. For the first dozen episodes, the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat, marveling at the spectacle.
Now, The "Slightly Repetitive" (The Plot's Tribulation):
However, much like my weekly reports, the fight scenes started to feel a tad… familiar towards the end.
It’s the classic corporate dilemma: you find a process that works (e.g., "Gather Qi, unleash divine technique, win"), and suddenly it becomes part of your SOP. It’s like the entire special effects team operate on this “don’t try to be a smart aleck. Don’t reinvent the wheel” principle.
So yeah, the innovation plateau is real, even in the cultivation world. Still enjoyable, but you might find yourself mentally drafting emails during the 15th climactic battle.
The Unlikely Corporate Trainer: Your New Mentor Has a Sword (and an impressive collection of magical items)
Forget your expensive career coaches. The real guru is Yang Yang's character, the ultimate corporate newbie.
He doesn’t have an Ivy League résumé (no fancy 关系 cos he’s no 世家子弟), and his details under "Family Background" simply says "muggle."
Heck, bro doesn’t even have talent. His 灵根 classification is just slightly above “completely useless”.
But he is the epitome of “勤能补拙”. He doesn't just take the cards that fate dealt him; he grinds until the deck is stacked in his favor.
By a stroke of luck, he snags a 黄蜂谷令牌 (his foot in the door), and once he's in, he treasures the opportunity.
What he lacks in innate talent, he more than makes up for with relentless hard work and by constantly enhancing his arsenal.
He's the king of the grind, always 低调 (low-key) but steadily levelling up.
His rise to power is a perfect allegory for office life. Let's break it down:
* The Great Sects = Massive Corporations. The 7 elite sects are the FAANG companies with all the resources. Our hero manages to snag a position in one and is just grateful for the opportunity.
* Cultivation Levels = The Corporate Ladder.He's climbing from Intern (炼气) to Junior Associate (筑基) all the way to Middle Management (结丹). His ultimate goal? Ascension (aka the C-Suite).
* Spiritual Resources = Building Personal Wealth & Assets. This is where it gets genius. It's not just a scramble for company resources.
* Spirit Stones (灵石) are his liquid cash.
* Pills (丹药), which he learns to cultivate himself in a secret garden, are like high-yield investments he creates for himself. This isn't just doing his job; it's holistic financial planning to escape the rat race.
* Weapons & Talismans (法器, 符箓) are his appreciating assets. He legally acquires them from... let's call them "corporate acquisitions" after defeating rivals.
He's not a thief; he's a strategic opportunist who understands that spoils of a fair conflict are a legitimate form of compensation.
He'll even take rare materials from defeated spirit beasts to commission custom gear, like a savvy investor turning raw materials into luxury goods.
His Corporate Survival Toolkit:
* Manages Up Like a Pro: Respectful to seniors (even the shady ones like Doctor Mo), but never hesitates to protect his own projects. He knows respect isn't blind obedience.
* Thinks Before He Talks: In meetings fraught with political tension, he observes, listens, and only speaks when he has a value-add. He never boasts prematurely. This man’s "Reply All" game is strong and error-free.
* Always 留有一手:He never reveals his full hand. This constantly catches his overconfident opponents (and rivals) off guard, allowing him to defeat those deemed far more powerful. He's the quiet colleague who suddenly unveils a game-changing skill no one knew he had. IMHO, this is the ultimate office power move 😆
* Is Brave, Not Reckless: He doesn't shy away from danger, but he's no coward. He's a master of the "tactical retreat" - stepping back to reassess and strategize before coming back with a winning plan.
* Strategic, Not Greedy: He may loot the "office" of a defeated rival, but he later carefully evaluates each item. He found a powerful but dark cultivation manual from an evil sect member and wisely chose not to master it. Instead, he pondered how to 取其精华，去其糟粕 (take the useful parts and discard the useless) - a masterclass in ethical yet pragmatic learning.
* A Networking Virtuoso: Networking isn’t about an exchange of contacts. That’s superficial. As Joe Polish said, it’s about knowing “what’s in it for them?”.
Case in point: our hero helps a master craftsman (炼器 guy) and gets to befriend a formations expert (his 阵法 expert girlfriend). He builds a powerful, reliable network not through empty schmoozing, but through genuine, mutually beneficial actions.
* The Art of the Polite Exit: For people he dislikes or situations that are toxic, he doesn't make a dramatic scene. He extricates himself in a 婉转 (tactful and indirect) manner, avoiding unnecessary conflict while firmly protecting his own interests. This is peak professional EQ.
* Gathers intelligence, but doesn’t take part in gossip: He doesn't get swept up in office drama. He's not there to make friends; he's there to ascend. That inter-departmental conflict? He’s already run three cost-benefit analyses in his head.
* A masterclass in leadership: He might not have started with connections, but he wins people over with a natural, unforced leadership style. He amasses a loyal following not by pulling rank, but by being competent, reliable, and compassionate. He's the manager everyone actually wants to work for.
He is the living embodiment of being strategically, brilliantly calculative.
Bro lives and dies by the principle: 人不为己 天诛地灭
He’s the guy in the office who isn't just climbing the ladder; he's building his own ladder on the side, made of solid gold and backed by a diverse investment portfolio.
Key Career Takeaways from an Immortal:
1. Your Pedigree Doesn't Define Your Potential.Hustle, street smarts, and a relentless drive to "level up" are your greatest assets. Our bro here is the King of Grind, yo~
2. Always 留有一手 (Keep an Ace Up Your Sleeve). Never reveal your full capabilities. Let your work surprise people.
3. Be Politely Assertive. Respect the hierarchy, but never at the cost of your own rights. Learn to say "no" to unreasonable demands.
4. Your Network is Your Net Worth. Cultivate genuine, mutually beneficial relationships, not just a stack of business cards. Your colleagues and contacts are your greatest allies, not just stepping stones.
Final Verdict, The Great Lie & The One Gripe:
I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It’s fun, visually stunning, and features Yang Yang being brilliantly shrewd. It’s the ultimate power fantasy for every overworked corporate drone.
But my biggest takeaway, the one that truly shook my core, was the repeated, audacious claim that this man is "平平无奇" (average-looking, unremarkable).
My friends, if Yang Yang is "平平无奇," then the sun is "mildly warm," a diamond is "a bit shiny," and your annual bonus is "a small token of appreciation."
Clearly, these characters don’t need 丹药 for cultivation. They need an urgent, comprehensive eye examination. And maybe consider walking in the footsteps of Sun Wukong and putting themselves in a 炼丹炉 to cultivate some 火眼金睛 👀
My one gripe? Besides Han Li, the rest of the characters are pretty one-dimensional, which is a real pity. It feels like the HR department only had a budget for one fully fleshed-out employee profile.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Highly recommended for fantasy lovers and anyone looking to refine their office politics gameplay.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with my sect elder to discuss my performance appraisal.
What I didn’t expect was to receive a shockingly accurate, 灵根-opening seminar on corporate survival.
This isn't just a fantasy show; it's a documentary about your 9-to-5, but with better special effects and loads of flying.
First, The Good (The Visuals & The Vibe):
The CG in this show is pretty impressive for a drama.
The mystical realms, the magical beasts, the OP-ed spell rings and all that flying around like Harry Potter in a Quidditch tournament - it’s a feast for the eyes.
It’s like the production team cultivated their budget to the peak and it shows. For the first dozen episodes, the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat, marveling at the spectacle.
Now, The "Slightly Repetitive" (The Plot's Tribulation):
However, much like my weekly reports, the fight scenes started to feel a tad… familiar towards the end.
It’s the classic corporate dilemma: you find a process that works (e.g., "Gather Qi, unleash divine technique, win"), and suddenly it becomes part of your SOP. It’s like the entire special effects team operate on this “don’t try to be a smart aleck. Don’t reinvent the wheel” principle.
So yeah, the innovation plateau is real, even in the cultivation world. Still enjoyable, but you might find yourself mentally drafting emails during the 15th climactic battle.
The Unlikely Corporate Trainer: Your New Mentor Has a Sword (and an impressive collection of magical items)
Forget your expensive career coaches. The real guru is Yang Yang's character, the ultimate corporate newbie.
He doesn’t have an Ivy League résumé (no fancy 关系 cos he’s no 世家子弟), and his details under "Family Background" simply says "muggle."
Heck, bro doesn’t even have talent. His 灵根 classification is just slightly above “completely useless”.
But he is the epitome of “勤能补拙”. He doesn't just take the cards that fate dealt him; he grinds until the deck is stacked in his favor.
By a stroke of luck, he snags a 黄蜂谷令牌 (his foot in the door), and once he's in, he treasures the opportunity.
What he lacks in innate talent, he more than makes up for with relentless hard work and by constantly enhancing his arsenal.
He's the king of the grind, always 低调 (low-key) but steadily levelling up.
His rise to power is a perfect allegory for office life. Let's break it down:
* The Great Sects = Massive Corporations. The 7 elite sects are the FAANG companies with all the resources. Our hero manages to snag a position in one and is just grateful for the opportunity.
* Cultivation Levels = The Corporate Ladder.He's climbing from Intern (炼气) to Junior Associate (筑基) all the way to Middle Management (结丹). His ultimate goal? Ascension (aka the C-Suite).
* Spiritual Resources = Building Personal Wealth & Assets. This is where it gets genius. It's not just a scramble for company resources.
* Spirit Stones (灵石) are his liquid cash.
* Pills (丹药), which he learns to cultivate himself in a secret garden, are like high-yield investments he creates for himself. This isn't just doing his job; it's holistic financial planning to escape the rat race.
* Weapons & Talismans (法器, 符箓) are his appreciating assets. He legally acquires them from... let's call them "corporate acquisitions" after defeating rivals.
He's not a thief; he's a strategic opportunist who understands that spoils of a fair conflict are a legitimate form of compensation.
He'll even take rare materials from defeated spirit beasts to commission custom gear, like a savvy investor turning raw materials into luxury goods.
His Corporate Survival Toolkit:
* Manages Up Like a Pro: Respectful to seniors (even the shady ones like Doctor Mo), but never hesitates to protect his own projects. He knows respect isn't blind obedience.
* Thinks Before He Talks: In meetings fraught with political tension, he observes, listens, and only speaks when he has a value-add. He never boasts prematurely. This man’s "Reply All" game is strong and error-free.
* Always 留有一手:He never reveals his full hand. This constantly catches his overconfident opponents (and rivals) off guard, allowing him to defeat those deemed far more powerful. He's the quiet colleague who suddenly unveils a game-changing skill no one knew he had. IMHO, this is the ultimate office power move 😆
* Is Brave, Not Reckless: He doesn't shy away from danger, but he's no coward. He's a master of the "tactical retreat" - stepping back to reassess and strategize before coming back with a winning plan.
* Strategic, Not Greedy: He may loot the "office" of a defeated rival, but he later carefully evaluates each item. He found a powerful but dark cultivation manual from an evil sect member and wisely chose not to master it. Instead, he pondered how to 取其精华，去其糟粕 (take the useful parts and discard the useless) - a masterclass in ethical yet pragmatic learning.
* A Networking Virtuoso: Networking isn’t about an exchange of contacts. That’s superficial. As Joe Polish said, it’s about knowing “what’s in it for them?”.
Case in point: our hero helps a master craftsman (炼器 guy) and gets to befriend a formations expert (his 阵法 expert girlfriend). He builds a powerful, reliable network not through empty schmoozing, but through genuine, mutually beneficial actions.
* The Art of the Polite Exit: For people he dislikes or situations that are toxic, he doesn't make a dramatic scene. He extricates himself in a 婉转 (tactful and indirect) manner, avoiding unnecessary conflict while firmly protecting his own interests. This is peak professional EQ.
* Gathers intelligence, but doesn’t take part in gossip: He doesn't get swept up in office drama. He's not there to make friends; he's there to ascend. That inter-departmental conflict? He’s already run three cost-benefit analyses in his head.
* A masterclass in leadership: He might not have started with connections, but he wins people over with a natural, unforced leadership style. He amasses a loyal following not by pulling rank, but by being competent, reliable, and compassionate. He's the manager everyone actually wants to work for.
He is the living embodiment of being strategically, brilliantly calculative.
Bro lives and dies by the principle: 人不为己 天诛地灭
He’s the guy in the office who isn't just climbing the ladder; he's building his own ladder on the side, made of solid gold and backed by a diverse investment portfolio.
Key Career Takeaways from an Immortal:
1. Your Pedigree Doesn't Define Your Potential.Hustle, street smarts, and a relentless drive to "level up" are your greatest assets. Our bro here is the King of Grind, yo~
2. Always 留有一手 (Keep an Ace Up Your Sleeve). Never reveal your full capabilities. Let your work surprise people.
3. Be Politely Assertive. Respect the hierarchy, but never at the cost of your own rights. Learn to say "no" to unreasonable demands.
4. Your Network is Your Net Worth. Cultivate genuine, mutually beneficial relationships, not just a stack of business cards. Your colleagues and contacts are your greatest allies, not just stepping stones.
Final Verdict, The Great Lie & The One Gripe:
I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It’s fun, visually stunning, and features Yang Yang being brilliantly shrewd. It’s the ultimate power fantasy for every overworked corporate drone.
But my biggest takeaway, the one that truly shook my core, was the repeated, audacious claim that this man is "平平无奇" (average-looking, unremarkable).
My friends, if Yang Yang is "平平无奇," then the sun is "mildly warm," a diamond is "a bit shiny," and your annual bonus is "a small token of appreciation."
Clearly, these characters don’t need 丹药 for cultivation. They need an urgent, comprehensive eye examination. And maybe consider walking in the footsteps of Sun Wukong and putting themselves in a 炼丹炉 to cultivate some 火眼金睛 👀
My one gripe? Besides Han Li, the rest of the characters are pretty one-dimensional, which is a real pity. It feels like the HR department only had a budget for one fully fleshed-out employee profile.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Highly recommended for fantasy lovers and anyone looking to refine their office politics gameplay.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with my sect elder to discuss my performance appraisal.
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