My rating is probably totally biased. This was my very first Xianxia, I didn't know what to expect. There were no major flaws, so I didn't look for any either. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be those plastic flowers. I'd rather take bad CGI instead of plastic... But it's a ver y minor complaint, so it's neglectable (and it's probably a thing in C-dramas, so I can't avoid them in other ones anyways).

The story was well woven and well told. It was capable of chaining me to my seat and making me binge this in no time. There were minor and major key scenes all the time, that kept me guessing what could happen next and made me unable to stop. They also built up a captivating amount of tension before every event. To say that certain things were predictable might be right. But it's not meant to sound negatively. It's more like you fear what would happen and wait in anxiety.

The acting of almost everyone was soooo good, I enjoyed it alot (except for SML's mother... that was really bad). What I appreciate the most is that the leads never led me down. Not even once. Maybe they didn't always do things to my liking, but it was always reasonable and just the effect of past events. They stayed true to themselves (as far as that was possible considering the Yun Elixir). They touched me with their love, passion and made me feel their pain and suffering, as well.

The side cast did their job well in supporting the leads and the story. Especially the snake, the fox and the phoenix's guard were my favorites. And what I liked about the ending was that every character, good or bad, got one that fit in regard to past happenings. There's no mysterious incomprehensible happy ending for everyone.

What a ride... I'll definitely re-watch this some day!