The Journey Of Legend Review

The Journey Of Legend (赴山海) debuted with such high expectations but the overall feedback doesn’t seem to match the initial excitement. Hence, I can’t help but to watch it myself to find out if it is as bad as some critics have portrayed it to be. Moreover, I really don’t mind watching another Cheng Yi drama. It did take me a while to complete the whole drama and I think I can understand why some viewers hurled brickbats after watching it. I guess when expectations are high, you need a lot to satisfy viewers. Anyway, below is my review of The Journey Of Legend after completing all the 40 episodes.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Historical romance
Aired: September 2025
Images credit: iQIYI Facebook

The Cast Of The Journey Of Legend

• Cheng Yi as Xiao Qiu Shui / Li Chen Zhou / Xiao Ming Ming
• Eleanor Lee as Tang Fang
• Xu Zhen Xuan as Liu Sui Feng
• Liu Meng Rui as Song Ming Zhu
• Ding Yong Dai as Xiao Xi Lou
• Hu Ke as Sun Hui Shan
• Johnny Zhang as Xiao Yi Ren
• Edward Zhang as Xiao Kai Yan
• Gulnezer Bextiyar as Xiao Xue Yu
• Cheng Xiang as Zuoqiu Chao Ran / Li Chao Fan
• Li Jun Yi as Deng Yu Han / Deng Zhe
• Zhao Hua Wei as Tang Rou / Tang Xu
• Xiao Yan as Nangong Xiao Yi
• Du Jun Ze as Liang Dou
• Julian Cheung as Yan Kuang Tu
• Cao Cui Fen as Old Madame Wu
• Ji Chen as Kang Chu Yu
• Qiu Xin Zhi as Qu Han Shan

Main Characters

Xiao Qiu Shui / Li Chen Zhou / Xiao Ming Ming

Ming Ming is an author of martial arts novels. He is a laidback fellow. Qiu Shui and Chen Zhou are characters in the novel that Ming Ming is writing. Qiu Shui is the third son of the reputable Xiao family who heads Huanhua Sect. He is a playful young man who often gets into disciplinary problems with his father. But Qiu Shui is smart and witty with a sense of righteousness. In contrast, Chen Zhou is the Chief of the Power Gang. He is mysterious but commands power and awe among his subordinates. His sect is a ruthless one dominated by power struggle and killings. Chen Zhou has a wife named Zhao Shi Rong.

Tang Fang

Tang Fang is the daughter of Tang Yao Shun who heads the Tang Clan. She also has a brother, Tang Rou, who is Qiu Shui’s sworn brother. Tang Fang can be hot-tempered and distrustful but is principled. She is at odds with Tang Song and Tang Qing who belong to another branch of the Tang Clan.

Liu Sui Feng

Sui Feng is the Deputy Chief of the Power Gang. He is ruthless and cruel in his quest to achieve his aims and exact revenge against those who have wronged him in the past. As Sui Feng battles outsiders, he also has to contend with internal enemies within his own camp.

Supporting Characters

Song Ming Zhu

Ming Zhu is the Red Phoenix of the Power Gang. She is Sui Feng’s subordinate and has feelings for him which is unrequited.

Xiao Xi Lou & Sun Hui Shan

Xi Lou and Hui Shan are Qiu Shui’s parents. Hui Shan is the more indulgent parent towards their youngest son while Xi Lou tries to be a strict father. But both of them dotes on Qiu Shui. Xi Lou is also the leader of Huanhua Sect which is considered a reputable and righteous martial arts sect in Daxi.

Xiao Yi Ren & Xiao Kai Yan

Yi Ren and Kai Yan are Qiu Shui’s elder brothers. Yi Ren is the eldest and expected to take over from their father as head of Huanhua Sect in due course. He is also recognized for his martial arts skills and sense of responsibility. Kai Yan is the second son of the family. He is seen as stable and even-tempered. All the 3 brothers appear to get along and genuinely care about each other.

Xiao Xue Yu

Xue Yu is the adopted daughter of Xi Lou and Hui Shan. Although adopted, she is treated like one of their own. Xue Yu is a healer with martial arts skills. She is also supportive sister to Qiu Shui.

Zuoqiu Chao Ran / Li Chao Fan, Deng Yu Han / Deng Zhe & Tang Rou / Tang Xu

In the real world, these Chao Fan, Deng Zhe, and Tang Xu are good friends of Ming Ming. In the novel, they are Qiu Shui’s sworn brothers and known as Chao Ran, Yu Han, and Tang Rou. They see Qiu Shui is their elder brother or leader. Tang Rou is also Tang Fang’s younger brother.

Nangong Xiao Yi

Xiao Yi is a member of the Nangong Clan which has a close relationship with the Xiao family. She and Yi Ren are a couple.

Liang Dou

Liang Dou is Prince Liang of Daxi. He has a close relationship with the Xiao family.

Yan Kuang Tu

Yan Kuang Tu is also known as Crazy Yan. He was a top martial artist who was ruthless and arrogant which made him a lot of enemies. But he was also the owner of Voidheart Codex which is a prized martial arts technique that could enable a martial artist to rule the world.

Old Madame Wu

Old Madame Wu is the mother is General Wu Jie, a powerful military commander guarding the Daxi border against the Northern invaders. She is an astute and a kind-hearted old woman who is rumored to have the Hero Command Token in her possession.

Kang Chu Yu

Kang Chu Yu is known as the Sun-Gazing Divine Swordsman. He appears to be in the righteous camp but is actually the Nameless Demon in the Power Gang. Kang Chu Yu has a son, Kang Jie Sheng, who is a gambler.

Qu Han Shan

Qu Han Shan is a powerful figure in Guangling city. He is known as a principled and upright man in public. But beneath the surface, he is the Sword King of the Power Gang.

Synopsis

Xiao Ming Ming is writing a martial arts novel with the help of an AI when a bug causes him to be pulled into the story. He ends up as the protagonist in the novel, Xiao Qiu Shui, and is forced to follow the key points of the plot. Qiu Shui is the son of the leader of Huanhua Sect. After saving a general’s mother who is rumored to be in possession of the Hero Command Token, Qiu Shui and his family become a target of the Power Gang who also wants the token. The token is believed to provide leads to a prized treasure of the martial arts world.

After his sect was massacred and his parents presumed dead, Qiu Shui is determined to exact revenge against those who have carried out the evil deeds. From a playful and carefree young man, he evolves into a powerful and responsible martial artist with a strong sense of duty towards his family as well as country. Along the way, he faces various obstacles and hardships but perseveres without losing his principles and righteousness.

The Journey Of Legend Ending & Recap

The Journey Of Legend has an open ending. The last 2 scenes show Ming Ming lying unconscious on a hospital bed with his friends telling him that Li Nan had died 2 days earlier and it has been confirmed that he was selling state secrets. After that, Ming Ming’s vitals are seen dropping and in the last scene, Qiu Shui is seen walking towards the light.

Prior to the switch back to the modern world, Qiu Shui has used the top level of Voidheart Codex to defeat and kill Kai Yan. But using it at that level means it will drain off all his vital energy. Hence, Qiu Shui dies after killing Kai Yan to save General Wu and defeat the Northern invaders. Kai Yan had captured General Wu earlier and colluded with the Northerners.

Kai Yan also tricked Crazy Yan and captured him as well as Xue Yu in Episode 37. He absorbed Crazy Yan’s qi to become stronger which resulted in Crazy Yan’s death in Episode 38. Kai Yan also forced Xue Yu to marry him. Xue Yu tried to poison Kai Yan but got herself killed instead. But Xue Yu managed to write down the Voidheart Codex technique on her sleeve as whispered to her by Crazy Yan before she died. This enabled Qiu Shui to learn it after taking away his sister’s body and discovering the technique inside her sleeve.

Sui Feng was severely injured to shield Ming Zhu during an attack by Kai Yan in Episode 39. Ming Zhu took care of him until he recovered and he softened towards her. Chen Zhou and Shi Rong died in each other’s arms in their quest to rescue General Wu who has been captured by Kai Yan. A trap was set for them to kill them off.

Sui Feng’s Past

Sui Feng has a soft spot for Tang Fang because she had shown him kindness and helped him while they were kids. He reveals who he was from their childhood days to Tang Fang in Episode 17. His father was from the Tang Clan but left him and his mother to return to the Tang Clan to become a leader. So, Sui Feng grew up with his mother in Baicao Valley until Xi Lou led a group of men to flatten the sect. He escaped to the Tang Clan and pleaded with Old Madam Tang to exact revenge against Xi Lou. However, his pleas were ignored. It was during that time that he met Tang Fang.

Sui Feng believes that Xi Lou had framed Baicao Valley by accusing them of making Marching Pills for the Northern invaders. The pills could make people overcome hunger and pain from injuries but would cause them to lose their mind. However, Tang Fang doesn’t agree with Sui Feng’s way of exacting revenge with his cruelty. Thus, she chooses to side with Qiu Shui over him.

In Episode 30, Sui Feng learns from Deng Qing Feng of Hailin Sect that it was Xi Lou who saved him and sent him to the Tang Clan during the massacre of Baicao Valley. The killings had already started when they entered Baicao Valley then. They thought the witnesses were being killed and the pills being moved.

Hero Command Token

Qiu Shui finds the Hero Command Token in Episode 20. It is hidden inside the sword given to him by Old Madame Wu after her bodyguard’s passing. The rumor is that the Voidheart Codex is inside the token but Qiu Shui has no idea how to retrieve the codex from the token. The Voidheart Codex is a long lost martial arts technique practiced by Crazy Yan.

In Episode 27, Qiu Shui and Chen Zhou meet in a duel. Chen Zhou wins the duel but didn’t kill Qiu Shui. Instead, he arm-twists him to go to Nantian Abyss together to look for the treasure there. With his pendant and Qiu Shui’s token, a treasure map is revealed. During the Northerners invasion into Daxi in the past, they have carted away Daxi’s treasures. But General Wu confronted them and the loot ended up being scattered over Nantian Abyss during the battle.

Crazy Yan happened to venture into the abyss later and found the treasure. He carved the location map onto the Hero Command Token with the plan to get Old Madame Wu to reveal it to General Wu as the matter was too important to be spoken openly. However, some people with ulterior motives mistakenly believed that the token is related to the Voidheart Codex.

Who Killed Qiu Shui’s Parents?

Qiu Shui realizes in Episode 32 that it is his second brother, Kai Yan, who killed their parents. This is because only the 3 Xiao brothers would know how to open the special lock to gain entry to the family fortress. As Yi Ren couldn’t have been at the fortress, it only leaves Kai Yan as the culprit. Kai Yan has returned to the family fortress to secretly practiced the Voidheart Codex.

In Episode 29, Qiu Shui has memories of life as Ming Ming after seeing his mother’s corpse and noticing the word ‘Reset’ on her palm. In that world, he is an author while his boss-cum-senior is Li Nan who has plagiarized his work. Li Nan is also selling military secrets and Ming Ming discovers the files due to a bug on the company’s computer network. A short circuit happens when Li Nan tries to snatch the laptop from Ming Ming during their fight. Both of them end up unconscious and transmigrated to an alternate world where Ming Ming’s story lives.

In Episode 33, Kai Yan is revealed to be Li Nan in the modern world. It is Li Nan who told Kai Yan where the Voidheart Codex is hidden and pushing him to be the number one martial artist. However, Kai Yan accidentally killed his own mother due to his inability to control the technique. He also killed his father who stumbled in and found out what he had done. Kai Yan has always held grievances that his parents favored Yi Ren and doted on Qiu Shui while he felt overlooked.

After killing his parents, Kai Yan becomes ruthless and highly ambitious. He kills Tie Yi and gains control of the latter’s Waterways Gang before cooperating with the Northerners for mutual benefit in Episode 34.

What Happened To Yi Ren?

Yi Ren blames Qiu Shui for indirectly causing their parents’ death and the massacre of Huanhua sect members in Episode 18. This causes a crack in their relationship. The pressure on Yi Ren to revive Huanhua Sect after their parents’ death prove too much for him to handle. With the sect at their weakest point, associates and other sects begin to step on the Xiao family.

Qiu Shui doesn’t agree with Yi Ren’s approach in reviving Huanhua Sect which leads to further deterioration in their relationship. In Episode 28, Yi Ren believes Qiu Shiu has the Voidheart Codex as his powers have strengthened tremendously. When Qiu Shui insists that he doesn’t have it, Yi Ren thinks that his brother is hiding it from the family and the relationship breaks down completely.

In his desperation to be stronger to prove that he can revive Huanhua Sect, Yi Ren makes a deal with a mysterious masked man and Tie Yi supposedly to be of service to the Daxi Emperor. However, Yi Ren doesn’t know that the 2 men is Kai Yan in disguise until informed by Qiu Shui in Episode 33. Kai Yan tries to convince Yi Ren that he is doing it to regain the Xiao family’s status by aligning themselves with the Emperor. But Yi Ren doesn’t buy into Kai Yan’s explanation. He stabs Kai Yan to side with Qiu Shui during a duel in Episode 34. Yi Ren dies after Kai Yan struck him in the head in retaliation. Before Yi Ren dies, he apologizes to Qiu Shui for his past mistakes.

Chen Zhou’s Background

In Episode 28, it is revealed that Chen Zhou is actually the Daxi Emperor’s brother. He appears ruthless and cruel but tells Qiu Shui that those he kills are guilty parties who have colluded with the Northerners. He is a patriot whose only interest is to protect Daxi. While his method and Qiu Shui’s approach may not be the same, they do share the same goal. Chen Zhou also informs Qiu Shui that he didn’t give orders to kill his parents. Instead, their deaths were caused by someone inside the Xiao residence.

In Episode 32, it is revealed that Chen Zhou has been poisoned by the Emperor who distrusts him. Hence, his health is progressively getting weaker.

Other Key Events

• Tang Rou dies when he shields Qiu Shui from Kang Chu Yu’s and his son’s attack in Episode 8.
• Qiu Shui’s parents and Huanhua Sect members are believed to be slaughtered by the Power Gang led by Sui Feng in their quest to get the Hero Command Token in Episode 18.
• Qiu Shui kills Kang Chu Yu wh is colluding with the Northerners to avenge Tang Rou’s death after gaining 60 years of internal strength in Episode 21.
• Fire King is a Northerner spy and is killed by other Power Gang leaders through Chen Zhou’s set-up in Episode 21.
• Qiu Shui kills Qu Han Shan in Episode 24 to avenge the death of his parents. Qu Han Shan is also working with the Northerners.
• Tang Song and Tang Qing are exposed for colluding with the Power Gang to try to gain control of Tang Clan in Episode 24. They and their branch are punished by Old Madame Tang and hence, Tang Fang’s father gets to keep his position as clan master.
• Yu Han’s father and the Hailin Sect members are killed in Episode 30. Yu Han’s father is about to reveal that Tie Yi was the one who brought out the ledger that implicated Baicao Valley as the supplier of the Marching Pills to the Northerners. So, he is silenced by Kai Yan who has taken over Tie Yi’s identity. Kai Yan has already killed Tie Yi earlier.
• Tang Song and Tang Qing kill Tang Fang’s father and Old Madam Tang in Episode 35 to take control of the sect and align themselves with Kai Yan. They are then killed by Tang Fang in Episode 39.
• Crazy Yan discovers that Xue Yu is his long lost sister from the whistle she uses in Episode 36.

The Journey Of Legend Review – Confusing Mess

The Journey Of Legend is basically a wuxia drama. So, I kind of understand why many viewers gave it a lower than expected rating. It is adapted from an old martial arts novel and I guess it is never easy to retell the story on screen. This is because wuxia stories tend to have many characters, sects, and backstories. It is easy to lose the essence of the story when there is so much that needs to be conveyed. Adaptations of Jin Yong’s classics such as Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre and The Legend Of The Condor Heroes also have their fair share of critics.

To me, The Journey Of Legend is a mess because it fails to tell the story in a convincing way. There is a lot to fit into 40 episodes and some parts inevitably got left out or glossed over. As a result, things can get confusing or feels inadequate. They are simply not well-explained or left hanging without proper closure. For instance, we are never told why the 2 characters played by Cheng Yi look like each other and yet, there is a mysterious feel to their similarities being played up in the beginning. Then, the revenge that the second male lead has been wanting for years fizzles out without a proper account when the truth comes out. In short, you will get these pockets of vagueness that add up to mar the overall enjoyment of the drama.

At the same time, The Journey Of Legend also attempts to inject an element of transmigration or alternate universe into the story. Thus, it starts in the modern world with the author being sucked into his own story that he has written due to a bug in the system that he is using.

Alternate Universe Cliche

Personally, I’m not a fan of time travel or transmigration. Authors becoming the protagonists in their own story as the opening and returning to the real world at the closing may be a novelty 5 years ago with dramas such as The Romance Of Tiger And Rose. But when The Journey Of Legend opens with something similar in 2025, it immediately gives me the ‘I-have-seen-this-before’ vibes. Getting the protagonist to inject modern words and concepts into an ancient setting doesn’t seem funny anymore because it feels recycled.

Nevertheless, I was prepared to sit through it and just tried to enjoy the story that follows. The plot picks up quite well after the initial hump. The foundation to the story is set and things start to really get moving. But the alternate universe thingy also overcomplicates the story that viewers can only guess the rationale behind the 2 worlds and the characters that appear. Honestly, I still do not know how the villains of both worlds could have connected and is the same man. Unless I have missed it, I don’t think there is any explanation for that.

Some other issues involving the transmigration are also unclear including the ending. Basically, you can follow the gist of the story but just don’t be too focused on the details which are in short supply. You will have to make your own assumptions as everything isn’t spelled out for you in a clear and concise manner.

No Romance

Just like The Immortal Ascension, The Journey Of Legend has no romance for you to savor. So, don’t watch this if you want sweetness, skinship, and loving gazes. While there seems to be room for romance for the protagonists in the first quarter of the drama, it simply fades out as the story progresses. There are merely hints that the pair have feelings for each other but they are never expressed. The other character played by Cheng Yi has a wife in the story and they do love each other deeply. But the story is not about them and whatever bits of romance available are not going to matter that much.

The focus is solely on one man and his journey of becoming a hero. From being a playful lad, he gradually matures and becomes a top martial artist who commands respect in the pugilist world. The rest are reduced to supporting roles. Even the female leads such as Eleanor Lee and Gulnezer Bextiyar do not appear in all episodes. They fade in and out throughout the story. So, it isn’t surprising that romance is not in the picture for this drama.

With the large number of characters, their stories don’t get fleshed out as deeply as they should. Some characters are introduced and then get killed off after appearing in only a few scenes. A love triangle is subtly introduced involving the second male lead but then gets abandoned. As such, it is hard to get invested in any of the characters except for, well, the main lead who is then left carrying the show.

Acting

Cheng Yi is undoubtedly the main draw in The Journey Of Legend. Other actors are mere side dishes. Maybe the second male lead, Xu Zhen Xuan, does have sufficient screen time especially in the first half of the drama but comes the second half, his story simply fizzles out. So, Cheng Yi is the constant fixture in the drama. Moreover, he is playing 3 roles and perhaps this is where he tends to do best. He also played 3 characters in Immortal Samsara which is a saga of unforgettable love.

Thus, the actor is experienced enough to give the 3 characters a difference to make them unique. The way he switches from playing Xiao Qiu Shui to Li Chen Zhou and vice-versa seems effortless. One is more compassionate and righteous while the other is shrewd and ruthless although they share the same noble goals. The differences in temperament and values are successfully portrayed to give each character their distinctive personality. You can say that the energy of these 2 characters is completely different with Cheng Yi’s portrayal.

The only problem though with the protagonist in The Journey Of Legend is the all crying that the actor has to do. I do not know why but this time, Cheng Yi’s tears don’t have the same moving emotions to make me cry with him. Perhaps the story isn’t compelling enough. I don’t blame the actor because I think it is more about the script and direction rather than the acting. With the number of deaths, there are quite a number of those self-pity, self-blame, and helpless scenes which just makes me feel numb to all the tears shed.

My Verdict – Only For Fans

The Journey Of Legend is a high budget drama and it shows in the martial arts moves. The choreography is pretty well-done for a wuxia drama although I think it can’t beat Side Story Of Fox Volant if you are really into this genre. Nonetheless, the fighting scenes do give the drama a boost to me. The storytelling though is problematic. It is made more complicated than it should. The alternate world factor does not make the drama more exciting or mysterious but results in more questions than answers instead.

There are a lot of characters in the plot which is not unusual for a martial arts novel adaptation. However, there is a lack of careful planning and editing here. Hence, characters that should have more of their stories fleshed out and provide viewers with closure doesn’t seem to get the attention needed. Some subplots are explored such as the romance but get stunted or abandoned altogether. The villain ends up being very one-dimensional as his story doesn’t take place until the last dozen episodes or so. Some happenings are introduced but are cut short to the result such as the rescue of the general towards the end.

Thus, for this review of The Journey Of Legend, I will give it a score of 7.5/10. If you are a wuxia or Cheng Yi fan, I think it is still worth a try. It is not entirely bad as the gist of the story is there. Just don’t expect everything to line up perfectly and all your questions answered. If you can live with plot holes, assumptions, and vagueness, then it should be fine to spend your time on this one.

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