Divine Destiny (尘缘) wasn’t something that I had planned to watch. The actress has another drama, Twilight, that is being aired concurrently and I was actually thinking of watching that one. But I changed my mind after considering that I have not seen Ma Tian Yu in a drama for quite some time. I know the ratings aren’t great for this title and thus, I wasn’t expecting much. Overall, is it as bad as some reviewers have indicated? My Divine Destiny review below will have my thoughts on this fantasy drama.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Romance, Fantasy
Aired: July 2023
Images Credit: Douban Movie
The Cast Of Divine Destiny
- Angelababy as Zhang Yin Yin
- Ma Tian Yu as Ji Ruo Chen
- Xuan Lu as Gu Qing
- Wang Zhuo Cheng as Yin Feng / Luo Feng
- Ding Qiao as Shang Qiu Shui
- Hu Wen Zhe as Li Xuan Zhen
- Wang Rui Zi as Ji Bing Xian
- Wang Hai Xiang as Yun Feng
- Liu Xiang Jing as Reverend Zi Yang
- Hou Tong Jiang as Reverend Zi Wei
- Zhang Guo Qiang as Reverend Jing Xiao
- Yumiko Cheng as Su He
- He Jian Ze as Sun Guo
- Xu Lin as Qing Yi
- Chen Meng Qin as Luo Xi Chen
- Zhu Yong Teng as Li An
- Shi Hong Bo as Xu Xuan
- Li Yu Yang as Shi Ji
- Li Ya Nan as Ji Tian Xia
Main Characters
Zhang Yin Yin
Yin Yin is a senior disciple of Tai Xuan Palace under the Xi Xuan Sect. Her father is the head of Tai Xuan Palace. Yin Yin has good cultivation skills but she is known to be suffering from headaches which hamper her strength. She is an expressive and a direct young lady with a fierce personality.
Ji Ruo Chen
Ruo Chen is an orphan who was brought up by a couple, Jin Hua and Zhang Wan Cai, who operate an inn. He works as a waiter at the inn and has a keen interest in cultivation stories. Ruo Chen appears as simple-minded and silly but is a quick learner with a merciful heart.
Supporting Characters
Gu Qing
Gu Qing is a disciple of Chief Jin Shan of the Yun Zhong Ju Sect. She is also a fairy with divine powers. Gu Qing knows she is the banished Bluestone Goddess from her memory. Hence, she has a high level of cultivation. She is also a persistent lover.
Yin Feng / Luo Feng
Yin Feng is the banished Border Patrol God. He has divine powers who doesn’t hesitate to kill those who cross him. Yin Feng has a serious appearance with a no nonsense attitude.
Shang Qiu Shui & Li Xuan Zhen
Qiu Shui and Xuan Zhen are disciples of Si Kong Palace and Xuan Ming Palace respectively of the Xi Xuan Sect. They are good friends of Yin Yin and Ruo Chen.
Ji Bing Xian
Bing Xian is the last disciple of Reverend Zi Wei of Xi Xuan Sect.
Yun Feng
Yun Feng is Reverend Zi Yang’s most senior disciple and Ruo Chen’s disciple brother.
Reverend Zi Yang
Reverend Zi Yang heads the Tai Chang Palace of Xi Xuan Sect with a specialty in golden core cultivation. He is also Ruo Chen’s master.
Reverend Zi Wei
Reverend Zi Wei is the leader of Xi Xuan Sect. He is a wise old man who is looking for a successor for his sect. He is always in seclusion to cultivate and about to become an immortal.
Reverend Jing Xiao
Reverend Jing Xiao is Yin Yin’s father and heads the Tai Xuan Palace of Xi Xuan Sect. He is an expert in the grand five-element swordsmanship. He is married to Yin Yin’s mother, Huang Xing Lan.
Su He
Su He is a fox spirit who is deemed an evil demon chained up in an abandoned cave by the Xi Xuan Sect. She is a cunning and revengeful spirit.
Sun Guo
Sun Guo is the Imperial Advisor to the Emperor. He is a scheming and manipulative man with his own evil agenda.
Qing Yi
Qing Yi is a naive green snake spirit from the Endless Sea. She loves exploring and adventure. Her uncle is the master of Endless Sea.
Luo Xi Chen
Xi Chen is Yin Feng’s cousin sister and has feelings for him. She is a revengeful and manipulative young woman who is working with Sun Guo.
Li An
Li An is one of the Emperor’s sons whose fiefdom, Hao Fang, is the farthest from the capital. He is an ambitious man who wants to gain influence in the capital with Sun Guo’s help.
Xu Xuan
Xu Xuan is the leader of Qing Xu Sect which is a small sect. He intends to make it stronger to challenge the bigger Xi Xuan Sect. He is assisted by his disciple brother, Xu Wang.
Shi Ji
Shi Ji is Gu Qing’s disciple sister under Chief Jin Shan of the Yun Zhong Ju Sect. She is hotheaded and direct.
Ji Tian Xia
Ji Tian Xia is a scholar and low profile follower of Li An. He is a mysterious man with a vague background who appears as unimportant.
Master Of Endless Sea
Master of Endless Sea is a masked man whose identity is a secret. He is the guardian of Endless Sea and has great wisdom and foresight. He is assisted by Ling and 2 brothers, Ming Yun and Ming Xin. Qing Yi is his niece.
Synopsis
Once upon a time in the Heavenly Realm, a Border Patrol God and Bluestone Goddess were lovers. But the Goddess mistakenly freed a demon and was banished to the Mortal Realm. Her lover chose to get banished along with her. He has with him a bluestone pendant from her. They made a promise to be together in their 100 lives as mortals before returning together to the Heavenly Realm.
After 99 lives, the Border Patrol God is reincarnated as Luo Feng while the Bluestone Goddess is a fairy named Gu Qing. Due to the chaotic times with beasts and demons making an appearance, all the sects are fighting to get the banished god with the bluestone on their side. A waiter with weak cultivation named Ruo Chen is mistakenly identified as the banished god. He joins the Xi Xuan Sect after being saved by its disciple, Yin Yin, from being taken away by other sects.
Ruo Chen and Yin Yin quickly fall in love with each other. However, the banished god is destined to be with Gu Qing. Hence, when Gu Qing shows up, Ruo Chen is pressured to marry her by his sect master. Gu Qing also identifies Ruo Chen as her destined lover. Thus, Luo Feng wants Ruo Chen dead for taking over his identity and getting Gu Qing’s love. To get out of the mess and be with Yin Yin, Ruo Chen will have to admit that he is a fake. But control is out of his hands when he gets drawn into the big battle between Xi Xuan Sect and a mysterious force.
Divine Destiny Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Divine Destiny has a happy ending. In the final battle with the ultimate villain, High Immortal Tai Yi, all the reverends of Xi Xuan Sect as well as Chief Jin Shan sacrifice themselves to try to take him down but failing. Tai Yi also seriously injures Yin Yin. Before she dies, she extracts her spirit core and embed it into Ruo Chen. The combination of his and Yin Yin’s powers enable Ruo Chen to kill Tai Yi.
Ruo Chen then extracts back YinYin’s spirit core that she has embedded in him and infuses it with all his blue demon flame before implanting it back into her. She is successfully revived and inherits Ruo Chen’s blue flame.
Yin Feng wishes Yin Yin and Ruo Chen happiness after the battle as they part ways. He doesn’t want to return to the Heavenly Realm anymore but travels to a barren land to cultivate with Gu Qing’s bluestone form for company. Ruo Chen and Yin Yin leave to look for his adoptive parents with a plan to operate an inn. Reverend Zi Yang has left a will to appoint Bing Xian as the next leader of Xi Xuan Sect. Xuan Zhen is contented to live in the shadows and protect Bing Xian and Xi Xuan Sect from the dark side of the mountains.
A few years later, Qiu Shui and Shi Ji already have 2 kids in Yun Zhong Ju Sect. Ruo Chen and Yin Yin have a baby son and they run an inn together with his adoptive parents. Ji Tian Xia is a regular at their inn as they catch up over drinks. Qing Yi has reverted to her snake form to cultivate. The drama ends with a young man entering the inn and says he is heading to Xi Xuan Sect.
Is There Any Love Triangle?
Gu Qing assumes Ruo Chen is her destined lover based on the bluestone pendant he is wearing. She falls in love with Ruo Chen and has no recollection of Luo Feng when they meet in Episode 5 although Luo Feng has clear memories of her and their love. In Episode 9, Gu Qing refuses to believe that Ruo Chen is an imposter which leaves Luo Feng frustrated. She also stops Luo Feng from killing Ruo Chen in Episode 10. However, Ruo Chen still dies after a duel with Luo Feng. Gu Qing then sacrifices her immortality to bring Ruo Chen back to life.
Despite her sacrifice, Ruo Chen still rejects her request to be together. But Reverend Zi Yang still forces Ruo Chen to marry Gu Qing in Episode 12. Ruo Chen abandons the wedding before the ceremony could be completed when Yin Yin turns up. In Episode 13, he admits to Gu Qing that he has never wanted to marry her which dashes any hope that there could be a chance between them.
However, Gu Qing is still unable to completely let go of Ruo Chen. She doesn’t have the heart to kill him although he is branded a demon. In Episode 27, her sword pierces Ruo Chen after being deflected by Yin Yin to stop them from destroying the last spiritual cave. She assumes he has died by her sword. Gu Qing finally gives up on Ruo Chen in Episode 32 when he reappears as a cruel Demon King and nearly kills Yin Feng.
Is There Any Breakup?
Ruo Chen and Yin Yin already see each other as their other half in the beginning of the drama. Yin Yin doesn’t want anything to do with Ruo Chen anymore when she learns that he is marrying Gu Qing in Episode 12. She wants to break ties with him and decides to leave Xi Xuan Mountain to travel on her own. Yin Yin doesn’t know that Ruo Chen agreed to the marriage because he wants to save her father. Her father was poisoned by Xu Xuan and Gu Qing’s master has the cure needed. Hence, a deal is made to unite the 2 sects through marriage in exchange for the cure.
After abandoning the wedding with Gu Qing, Ruo Chen goes to look for Yin Yin. The couple reconciles in Episode 14 after Yin Yin learned the reason why Gu Qing agreed to the marriage. She lost all her memories of Ruo Chen in Episode 20 after exchanging them with Master Iceberg for a magical tear to cure him of broken tendons and to regain his cultivation that was shattered due to Yin Feng’s attack.
Reconciliation
Yin Yin regains her memories in Episode 28 after she and Ruo Chen fall down into Nine Hells Realm following the destruction of a spiritual cave. This is because mortal spells don’t work in that realm. Ruo Chen proposes to Yin Yin and they get married then. But she loses her memories of him again when they return to the Mortal Realm in Episode 30.
Yin Yin finally gets back her memories for good in Episode 33. But she is appalled by Ruo Chen’s cruelty and ruthlessness to get what he wants as the Demon King. Hence, she breaks up with him as he is no longer the Ruo Chen that she knew. They reconcile in Episode 35 when it becomes clear that Ruo Chen was only pretending to be cruel to flush out the villain.
Gu Qing & Yin Feng
Gu Qing regains her memories as the Bluestone Goddess and her past lives with Yin Feng after touching the bluestone pendant in Episode 14. But she is still hesitant and feels uncomfortable with him in Episode 15. Even when the marriage with Ruo Chen has been cancelled, Yin Feng still wants to kill the former. This makes Gu Qing angry and she feels Yin Feng is too narrow-minded and cruel to be with him. She also doesn’t believe Yin Feng’s claim that Ruo Chen is a demon and accuses him of slander.
In Episode 18, Gu Qing pleads with Yin Feng to spare Ruo Chen’s life. She will cultivate to become an immortal again to go back with him to the Heavenly Realm in exchange. However, Yin Feng becomes tempted with the Soul Immortal Cloud offered by Sun Guo’s master which will allow Gu Qing to ascend to the Heavenly Realm without the necessary cultivation in Episode 22. The condition is he has to destroy the Xi Xuan Sect and kill Ruo Chen whom he believes is a demon. He also convinces Gu Qing to join him to kill Ruo Chen for the same reason.
Gu Qing’s intention is just to strip Ruo Chen of his cultivation but Yin Feng secretly infuses divine arts into her sword which ends up piercing Ruo Chen in Episode 27. With Ruo Chen assumed dead, Yin Feng obtains the Soul Immortal Cloud as agreed. But Gu Qing is not happy with Yin Feng’s doing. The artifact also couldn’t help her to ascend to the Heavenly Realm as she is unable to cut ties with the mortal world due to Ruo Chen. She breaks the bluestone pendant to end things with Yin Feng in Episode 30 as she is fed-up of his obsession with her.
Did The Second Couple End Up Together?
Yin Feng refuses to give up on Gu Qing. Helping her to ascend to the Heavenly Realm is his only wish. Hence, he transfers his immortality to her at a critical moment when Ruo Chen attacks them in Episode 32. He shields her from the attack and his action moves her while Ruo Chen’s cruelty fills her with regret and hurt.
In Episode 34, Gu Qing apologizes to Yin Feng for letting him down for so long. She is tired of the bitterness of mortal love. Gu Qing then transfers her immortality back to Yin Feng and reverts to her bluestone pendant form. Before she does so, she wants Yin Feng to promise her that he will destroy the Demon Tower as they were indirectly responsible for allowing it to emerge.
In Episode 35, Yin Feng goes to destroy the Demon Tower. He doesn’t want to return to the Heavenly Realm anymore although he could. He realizes that he has been wrong all along as immortals are not always righteous while demons are not always evil. After the villain is defeated in Episode 36, he finds the idea of going to a particular barren land to cultivate appealing after listening to Ji Tian Xia. He heads that way with his bluestone pendant always with him. Ji Tian Xis is glad that Yin Feng has finally found the light.
When Did Ruo Chen’s Identity Get Exposed?
Ruo Chen tells Yin Yin that he is a fake banished god to appease her anger in Episode 9. This is after they quarrel over his talk with her mother who disapproves of their relationship since he is supposed to marry Gu Qing.
Ruo Chen also informs Reverend Zi Yang of the same in Episode 11 after the latter expressed hope that Ruo Chen will be the protector of Xi Xuan Sect from calamity. But his master could already see through his pretense much earlier. In fact, Reverend Zi Wei chose him because he saw him as the person who could prevent calamity in the 3 realms. On the other hand, Yin Feng has lost the kindness that a god should have. Therefore, Master Zi Yang tells Ruo Chen that the pretense must go on for the safety of Xi Xuan Sect and the realms.
Ruo Chen’s demonic powers become obvious in Episode 17 after Xi Chen embedded needles with immortal powers into him as revenge for what he did to Yin Feng. Ruo Chen himself doesn’t know what kind of powers he has until Yin Feng tells him that he is a demon based on the demon flame he possesses.
Is Ruo Chen A Demon?
In Episode 21, Reverend Zi Wei educates Ruo Chen that the demon flame is neither good nor evil. What matters is how he uses it. After talking to his master, Ruo Chen understands that he is the chosen one to save the realms. Hence he has to destroy the Demon Tower before it has the chance to emerge and cause chaos. The way to to do this is to first destroy the 3 spiritual caves and disrupt the flow of spiritual power of the Heaven and Earth.
When Ruo Chen destroys the last spiritual cave, he falls into the cave hole together with Yin Yin and they end up in Nine Hells Realm in Episode 28. He enters the Demon Tower in Episode 29 and meets his father’s spirit. He learns that his father was the Demon King and only they will have the blue demon flame. Millions of years ago, Nine Hells was a prosperous city which transported spiritual energy to the Mortal Realm to maintain balance in the 3 realms. But High Immortal Tai Yi launched an attack on Nine Hells and controlled the transport of spiritual energy until it led to a surge. As a result, chaos erupted.
Tai Yi’s plan is to rule over the 3 realms. He built the Demon Tower after destroying Nine Hells. The tower is to absorb all the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. As Ruo Chen’s father was heavily injured, he asked Jin Hua and Zhang Wan Cai to hide Ruo Chen in the Mortal Realm. They put Ruo Chen in a sleeping state and only woke him up about 20 years ago when they thought the timing is right to face Tai Yi. Ruo Chen then masters the blue flame to become the new Demon King.
Who Is The Master Of Endless Sea?
The Master of Endless Sea is actually Ji Tian Xia. He was the spirit that Gu Qing mistakenly freed millions of years ago which resulted in her and Yin Feng’s banishment. His homeland was destroyed by Tai Yi and he was imprisoned in the Heavenly Realm. This is revealed in Episode 36 during Ji Tian Xia and Yin Feng’s conversation.
After escaping, he fled to the Mortal Realm and created the Endless Sea. In Episode 33, Ruo Chen exposes the Endless Sea’s secret. The millions of lovers’ tears that Master Iceberg collected are then deposited in Endless Sea. The power of these tears are then used to suppress the Demon Tower from emerging. So, when Ruo Chen destroys and dries up the Endless Sea, Yin Yin automatically regains back her memories.
That is why Ji Tian Xia insists on guarding the Endless Sea and even broke up with his lover, Su He, over it. They reunite in Episode 34 after the Endless Sea is destroyed and Su He has passed all her cultivation to Yin Yin. Ji Tian Xia is part of the group which includes Ruo Chen’s adoptive parents and Reverend Zi Wei that has manipulated Ruo Chen’s life with the aim to get him to destroy Demon Tower.
Other Key Events
- Qiu Shui and Shi Ji got married in Episode 13. Yin Yin’s father is cured by Chief Jin Shan of Xu Xuan’s poison in exchange.
- Yin Yin’s mother frees Su He and begs her to protect her daughter in Episode 18.
- Yun Feng dies protecting Ruo Chen from Sun Guo and his subordinates in Episode 19. He is killed by Xi Chen.
- Xuan Zhen’s face is scarred due to Xi Chen’s divine flame attack in Episode 25.
- Ruo Chen burns Xi Chen’s to ashes in Episode 31 to avenge Yun Feng’s death.
- Yin Yin kills Xu Xuan in Episode 31 as revenge for poisoning her father.
- Ling turns into ashes and fades away after Ruo Chen destroys Endless Sea in Episode 33.
- Shen Bo Yang aka Death Reaper transfers his technique and powers to Xuan Zhen in Episode 33. He lives in the forbidden area of Xi Xuan Mountains and guards the sect from the shadows.
- Bing Xian confesses her feelings to Xuan Zhen in Episode 34. But he rejects her as he has decided to inherit Shen Bo Yang’s task.
- Reverend Zi Wei kills Sun Guo in Episode 35 before opening the fight with Tai Yi.
Divine Destiny Review – An Untypical Hero
I don’t know why Divine Destiny is not getting better ratings and reviews compared to some other dramas of the same genre. Perhaps the leads do not have as big a fan base as some other idols and this will definitely hamper the ratings and publicity. Personally, I feel that this drama is no worse than recently released titles such as The Longest Promise and it is even better than Snow Eagle Lord. However, I have to admit that the start for Divine Destiny may not be palatable for some viewers given the unconventional male protagonist.
Ruo Chen is not your typical righteous and flawless hero. He starts off as a scammer who steals money from guests at his inn. Then, he takes over someone else’s identity to enjoy the benefits that come with that fake status. Therefore, it is not easy to relate to Ruo Chen and see him as a hero when the drama begins. You will have to throw away your expectations of a typical hero and watch this with an open mind when you get onboard. This will last about 10 episodes before revelations will make the story really interesting. You will see that there is much more going on behind the scenes that is out of the young man’s control.
Basically, the meat of the story starts somewhere in the second quarter of the drama. Of course, not all viewers will have the patience to wait that long especially when the leads are not popular idols. But the plot is actually a very interesting one to me although the characters may not be likable.
Interesting And Well-Executed Plot
Divine Destiny doesn’t have the typical xianxia tropes like Beauty Of Resilience although it does have jealous third parties. But it doesn’t degenerate into toxic schemings to tell its story. The love triangle is very well explained with everything being tied back to the beginning. So, the story flows very naturally and it is understandable why there is such an obsession from the second male lead. The love triangle can be annoying to watch but the mistaken identity provides a solid basis for the relationship complications.
Romance aside, the drama is more about saving the world from a mysterious force. The plot is well-executed because not everything is told upfront which lessens the predictability. The story may not be as simple as Destined, but it isn’t that complicated either to throw off you offtrack. It might require a bit of attention to understand everything that is going on but there are few dull moments.
By the time you reach the end, everything will be nicely tied up with proper explanations. There is no open ending like in Till The End Of The Moon to make you fill in your own interpretation. Some parts also relate back to the start when it all began. To me, the ending is meaningfully done which adds to the overall satisfaction.
Questionable But Refreshing Aspects (Spoilers Alert!)
As I watched Divine Destiny, I find that the drama has questionable ethics in its story but at the same time, find it a little different from the usual. As mentioned, the moral compass of the male protagonist is kind of skewed at the beginning. Why things turned out the way it did might seem understandable later on but it then brings up the issue of manipulation and lies by omission by his elders.
Basically, the hero’s life has been prearranged for him without him knowing. He was being manipulated into position to fulfill his so-called destiny in stopping a calamity even though that would result in his death. By the time he is told, the wheels have already been set in motion and he is too far in not to be the chosen one.
So, the morals in the story are not exactly black and white but are tinged with shades of grey. Even the subplots such as the magical tears are extracted by taking advantage of lovers’ desperation and everyone in the know are keeping quiet because they are useful for their supposedly higher purpose. I think this is what makes the drama interesting and refreshing as what the good guys are up to are not always straightforward and righteous to those directly affected although they may be necessary in the bigger scheme of things.
Acting & Chemistry
This is the first time that I have watched Angelababy in a more expressive role. I think she has improved in terms of acting from her days in General And I. It is good to see her getting out of her comfort zone with her role as Yin Yin in Divine Destiny. Some of her emotional scenes still lack finesse but her overall performance is okay to me in this drama.
If there is any complaint about her role, I would see it as more of a miscast than a problem with acting. Perhaps I have gotten used to seeing her in more reserved and/or gentler roles that the impulsive and domineering Yin Yin in Divine Destiny doesn’t seem to suit her appearance.
Ma Tian Yu is also acceptable as Ruo Chen to me. He gives the character an appearance of simple-mindedness which helps to temper the annoyance a viewer might have at his deception. I don’t think this is an easy role to take on because the character is not righteous to begin with.
Both the leads exhibit good chemistry as an onscreen couple and it is pleasurable to watch their interactions. I can’t say their chemistry is electrifying but they did do enough to depict the love the characters have for each other in the story.
My Verdict – Give It A Try
My recommendation for Divine Destiny is to give it a try. Don’t be influenced by some of the low ratings. This is a little different from the usual especially the start and you will have to be patient to wait for the story to develop. It is also not a drama whereby you have to really like the leads and characters to get into it. The characters won’t be likable like in Back To The Brink but the story will take a life of its own. So, even if the characters don’t leave you bedazzled, the plot-driven nature of Divine Destiny will make things interesting enough to give it a go.
On the negative side, the romance isn’t great in this drama and there will be a cliche or two with amnesia taking away a big part of the sweetness that viewers may be craving for. The persistence of the love rivals may also be annoying to watch. But romance is also not the only focus of the drama. Personally, I wouldn’t watch this for the romance at all. The couple get together very early in the drama to set the stage for the events to come. Thus, the romantic feel isn’t that great overall and there is nothing fluffy about this.
Finally, for this Divine Destiny review, I would rate it 7.5/10. Watch it for the story. Give time for the plot to unravel the twists and turns. It may not have mega bucks for the production budget like some other top tier dramas, but the story is still well-told. You will also need to go in with an open mind because once you start nitpicking on the characters, you won’t be able to get beyond the first few episodes. So, patience counts for this one!
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