Time-travel into novels, game-like systems, and "infinite flow" (a popular Chinese internet term for stories where characters face endless quests or survival scenarios)—The Journey of Legend (赴山海) is giving the wuxia genre a fresh reset.
The series is jointly produced by iQIYI, Tencent Video, Straw Bear Pictures, Yehua Film, and Tongle Media, directed by Ren Haitao and Lin Feng, with Liu Fang as head writer. Starring Cheng Yi and Nazha, it is currently streaming on iQIYI and Tencent Video.
Adapted from the classic novel Shenzhou Qixia (神州奇侠) by wuxia master Wen Rui'an, the story follows modern youth Xiao Mingming, who suddenly gets pulled into the novel itself. Bound by a "demonic system," he becomes the young swordsman Xiao Qiushui and must live through the book's storyline. Only by completing the main quest—unifying the martial world—can he return to reality. By blending an innovative meta concept with traditional wuxia values, The Journey of Legend puts martial arts dramas back in the spotlight.
Breaking Out with Skyrocketing Popularity
Judging from the first week's numbers, The Journey of Legend had a spectacular launch.
Even before release, pre-orders on both iQIYI and Tencent Video surpassed ten million. Many viewers jokingly called it "embryo-watching mode" (a Chinese slang for following a show even before its official birth). When it premiered on September 11, the hype paid off. On iQIYI, its heat index quickly passed 7,600 that night and hit 8,900 the next day. On Tencent Video, it soared past 26,000 within the first hour—breaking the platform's 2025 record for fastest to reach that number.
The character Xiao Qiushui broke one billion in popularity index on iQIYI and exceeded 300 million on Tencent, becoming the fastest character in 2025 to cross that milestone. By day five, Tencent's in-platform comment interactions passed 100 million, also setting a speed record for the year.
Off-platform metrics look just as impressive. The show has held the No.1 spot on Guduo's drama ranking with a heat index above 76. Its Baidu search index crossed 140,000, while lead actor Cheng Yi's own popularity index peaked at 36,398—1.73 times higher than before airing.
On Weibo, The Journey of Legend topped trending charts multiple times, with the hashtag #Fu Shai Hai gathering over 2.5 billion views, 48 million discussions, and 130 million interactions. For seven straight days in its first week, its Weibo index stayed above 90 million. On Douyin (China's TikTok), the hashtag #Fu Shan Hai exceeded 6.2 billion views, while across platforms, the show collected more than 1,000 trending topics.
As the plot moved forward, new hashtags kept spiking—like #XiaoQiushuiTrappedInAScheme#, #MainLeadVsSecondLeadBattle#, and #134CharactersEliminatedInOneEpisode#. Fan edits of high-intensity fight scenes spread quickly, driving the buzz even higher and turning September, usually a quiet season, into a frenzy.
Subverting Tropes with Humor and Fresh Ideas
The Journey of Legend has already made it clear that this isn't your standard wuxia drama. Its storytelling flips common tropes upside down, while mixing in humor and novelty.
The show opens with Xiao Mingming maxing out all buffs for the hero Xiao Qiushui, basically cheating the system. But the "demonic system" issues a warning for deviating too far from the character's original setting and forcibly drags him into the martial world. The takeaway is simple: no overwhelming cheat codes here. This becomes a core tone of the series and one of its most inventive twists.
Instead of the usual prodigy start—supreme talent, rare inner strength, and instant mastery of martial arts—Xiao Qiushui is written as a boy with clumsy lightness skills, average inner power, and only the fifth most promising in his own family. Yet he's still tasked with becoming leader of the martial alliance. Spoilers are punished with backlash that could cost him his life, and even the cheats he tries to rely on get nerfed.
So rather than the usual "power fantasy" of many transmigration stories, The Journey of Legend begins with what fans call a "heaven-collapsing start", the protagonist starts in the worst possible situation.
The narrative doubles down with constant reversals. When the Quanli Gang (literally "Power Gang") plots a diversion to capture Madam Wu, Xiao Qiushui intercepts their scheme. In a group mission to escort her, he anticipates the gang's every countermeasure, leaving them defeated at every turn. Viewers were thrilled, praising both the tension and the clever setups. The audience is kept bouncing between "I guessed it" and "I didn't see that coming," which keeps the surprises flowing.
Even when outcomes are known—like Tang Rou's death during the escort battle—the impact lands differently. Her loss reinforces the idea that fate in this world cannot be altered, undercutting the usual satisfaction of "plot armor" and injecting a sense of inevitability and sorrow into the story.
At its core, this subversive storytelling is about transformation. It tracks how a modern outsider evolves from a detached "player" to someone fully immersed in the jianghu (the martial world). This modern-meets-wuxia perspective is another highlight, as Xiao Mingming's shifting mindset drives both character growth and the drama's emotional depth.
At first, he treats the novel as a dreamlike escape. But as the martial world unfolds—through the brotherhood of the Shenzhou alliance, the veterans' commitment to justice, and the bloodshed of endless clashes—his outlook changes. He shifts from being a bystander only concerned with clearing the system's quest to someone who truly feels brotherhood, loyalty, and righteousness. He comes to understand the line his father once told him: "There are things in this world more important than life and death."
The Journey of Legend nails this psychological arc, showing how a modern mind can be reshaped by the values of the jianghu, and in doing so, gives new weight to the themes of loyalty and honor.
At the same time, The Journey of Legend isn't just about clever storytelling. As a wuxia drama, it rejects flashy "light-and-power CGI moves" (meaning overuse of glowing special effects) and brings back the visceral, physical style of "fist-to-flesh" combat.
Every episode features at least one fight scene—sometimes more. The density of action is high, and each character has their own weapons and signature techniques, designed not only for variety but also to highlight personality. From the one-on-one duel where Fu Tianyi is taken down, to the group battle escorting Madam Wu filled with strategy and counter-strategy, to the seamless teamwork of the four-man Shenzhou Brotherhood, the choreography builds both adrenaline and the atmosphere of the jianghu. The combination of beauty and power has led many viewers to share clips on social media with reactions like: "The fights are pure fire," "Finally a wuxia drama without endless slow motion," and "This feels like real martial arts again."
Through the growth of one young swordsman, The Journey of Legend brings back the flashing blades, vendettas, and brotherhood that define classic wuxia.
High-Paced, High-Intensity Storytelling for Full Immersion
The impressive data behind The Journey of Legend comes down to precise control of content. Viewers aren't just watching; they're being swept along. That immersion is driven by tightly packed plotlines and relentless pacing.
After Xiao Mingming is pulled into the demonic system and becomes Xiao Qiushui, the first 20 episodes throw him into a nonstop chain of arcs: dueling at Jin Yin Manor, slaying the Iron-Wristed Demon, unexpectedly gaining the quirky "loot box" NPC Feng Lang, outsmarting Drunken Yellow Springs, competing for the position of young sect leader, escorting Madam Wu, and breaking out of the Jianlu stronghold with the Hero's Order.
These arcs balance raw fight sequences with intricate tactical showdowns. The result is a drama that delivers both the classic rush of wuxia action and the tension of strategic battles, giving viewers a double layer of immersion.
The story also builds emotional stakes through Xiao Qiushui's personal losses and reversals. His sworn brother Tang Rou dies to protect him, exposing the cruelty of the martial world. Later, Qiushui is falsely accused in a forest ambush, crippled by Sword King Qu Hanshan, and left powerless. The injustice and helplessness reveal the darker side of the jianghu. Even when he risks everything to expose the truth, he cannot prevent the downfall of the Huanhua Sect or the death of his parents. His youthful dream of the martial world collapses into tragedy.
Yet out of despair comes transformation. After reaching rock bottom, Qiushui enters the Jianlu and earns the Longsong Sword, reclaims the true Hero's Order, and undergoes a rebirth when a master rebuilds his meridians. Consuming the Wujixian Pill grants him sixty years of inner power, marking his evolution from inexperienced youth to formidable martial hero. This reversal—from ruined to reborn, from despair to strength—delivers both emotional weight and the ultimate sense of payoff, hitting that perfect sweet spot for binge-watching.
With its relentless pacing, the show creates multiple unforgettable moments while packing in emotional intensity. The constant shift between exhilaration and heartbreak, triumph and suffering, fuels audience empathy and discussion. In short, The Journey of Legend has carved out a storytelling path built on speed, density, and dramatic power, keeping viewers firmly hooked.
System + Infinite Flow: A New Take on Wuxia
What makes The Journey of Legend stand out is not just its immersive atmosphere that recalls the legacy of classic wuxia. Its real distinction comes from building on that foundation with two modern genre tools: the "system" mechanic (borrowed from gaming and webnovels) and the "infinite flow" structure. This blend adds freshness, comedy, and cathartic "power-up" moments, while keeping the gravity of the original novel. As the demonic system says to Xiao Mingming in episode one: "Even traditional wuxia needs to be reborn."
By introducing the demonic system, the show bridges a classic IP with contemporary sensibilities, while also adding narrative humor. When Xiao Mingming first encounters the system, he blurts out lines like: "What kind of story is this if the hero doesn't get a cheat buff?" and "Real life is already miserable, do I have to suffer inside a novel too?" His snark mirrors how modern viewers might react, creating instant resonance.
But the system isn't the usual "cheat mode" you see in portal-fantasy dramas. Instead, it cancels most of Xiao Qiushui's buffs, and his "loot box" companion Feng Lang turns into a "toxic bag" version called Liu Sui Feng. This means Qiushui has to battle not only the bloody rivalries of the martial world but also the cunning tricks of the system itself. The constant push-and-pull with this unreliable "game master" adds a whole new dimension of excitement.
The show also boldly folds in infinite flow mechanics. When Xiao Qiushui dies, the system resurrects him so the story can continue. This means audiences aren't just watching as passive viewers; they're also becoming amateur sleuths—"Fu Sherlocks," if you will. Fans have been dissecting every episode, piecing together hints and debating how many times Qiushui has restarted, and whether other characters might secretly be transmigrators too. The result is a puzzle-box style of engagement that has people buzzing online.
Comic relief characters like the bumbling "Four Sticks" gang add levity to the heavier arcs. Their clashes and banter with Qiushui provide humor that softens the tension, giving the drama a tonal balance between weighty wuxia gravitas and lighthearted comedy.
By using a transmigration system to reframe a classic story, The Journey of Legend preserves the DNA of traditional wuxia while making it feel fresh for younger viewers. The Brotherhood's struggles and growth hit home with today's audiences, while the mix of infinite flow and martial arts world-building opens up bold new possibilities. One especially viral plotline—Qiushui's "two souls in one body" arc—has sparked massive online debate, with viewers desperate to know where it will lead.
This combination of respect for the classics and inventive storytelling not only revives the audience's longing for a world of loyalty and blood-soaked honor, but also creates a strong urge to keep watching and discussing. That ongoing chatter helps stabilize the show's popularity.
Judging from its first week, the show may carry some controversy, but its novel premise and distinctive design have delivered impressive results: high heat scores, record-breaking engagement, and a clear win in viewership. The steady climb in both popularity metrics and play counts proves that The Journey of Legend has succeeded in turning content innovation into real audience connection. And for the industry, it offers a blueprint: start from creative breakthroughs, ignite emotional resonance, and you can sustain long-term buzz.
When The Journey of Legend Becomes Fun to Play
The core idea of The Journey of Legend is to invite audiences into a "martial arts dream." The slogan "Embark on this journey together" isn't just a tagline—it's being realized in an immersive way. Beyond following Xiao Mingming's adventures on screen, viewers can continue to experience the wuxia world inside iQIYI's platform.
During the broadcast, bonus clips and behind-the-scenes content were released regularly. From Xiao Qiushui's martial arts tutorials to Xiao Mingming's prop-making sessions, all sorts of footage were unlocked according to fan engagement. This extended the "travel" from the story into the production itself, giving fans a taste of time travel between fiction and reality.
And when it comes to immersion, the interactive bullet comments (danmu) offer the most direct "crossing-over" experience. The Journey of Legend introduced character avatars, exclusive emotes, and animated effects that fans could use while commenting. Viewers could choose to "speak as" Xiao Qiushui, Li Chenzhou, or Xiao Mingming, and every message carried distinctive flair. During intense fights—say, when Xiao Qiushui caught Liu Suifeng's sword in episode three—bullet comments exploded with the "sword aura" effect, while episode six's duel against Hua Gufen was met with synchronized "Draw your sword!" banners across the screen. The collective rhythm of it all became part of the show's spectacle.
In this sense, audiences weren't just watching—they were co-creating the viewing experience.
The experimentation extended even further in iQIYI's Peach Bean World, where AI-driven interactions blurred the line between fiction and reality. Users could chat with Xiao Qiushui, Li Chenzhou, or Xiao Mingming, each delivering wildly different responses to the same question. Some fans bantered daily with a favorite character, while others shared their quirky chat logs online. By the third week, Xiao Qiushui had already held conversations with over 83,000 users; Li Chenzhou, who appeared more recently, had spoken with 46,000; and Xiao Mingming had chatted with 13,000.
Through bullet comment tech, AI tools, and fandom-driven rewards, iQIYI built a sprawling The Journey of Legend universe—playful, imaginative, and deeply engaging. Fans weren't just offered extra content, but tangible incentives: custom membership cards, collectible boxes, dolls, keychains, even Xiao Qiushui–style bracelets and pouches. For those who wanted more, the original eight-volume Divine Continent Chivalry novel series was also available.
From virtual identifiers to physical merch, iQIYI turned watching into playing, and fandom into participation.
In today's drama landscape, good content isn't only about being binge-worthy—it should also be interactive. Strong shows don't just pull audiences in; they inspire them to expand the world outward. With The Journey of Legend, iQIYI went beyond storytelling, weaving together content, interactivity, and fan culture into a cohesive martial arts playground. The result is a drama that's not only thrilling to watch but also genuinely fun to be a part of.
iQIYI's commitment to innovation is consistent across its wuxia lineup. The company has explored themes like "meeting fate head-on," the brotherhood of "righteous bonds," and even playful "transmigration" concepts in multiple ways. With The Journey of Legend, iQIYI has proven once again that by fusing narrative experimentation with platform-wide engagement, the wuxia genre can reinvent itself.
Though the show frames the source novel as a "down-to-earth male lead growth story with plenty of heartbreak," whether the drama itself will fully embrace that trajectory remains to be seen. What's clear, however, is that both the creative risks in its new-wave wuxia storytelling and the platform's bold attempts at audience empowerment have already paid off. Together, they've turned the dream of "Embarking on this journey together" into a lived reality—making the show one of the most rewarding picks in today's costume drama scene.
