Heaven Official’s Blessing Volume 6, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, is a part of the Chinese genre of Danmei and Xianxia. This means the story is featured around male-male romance and is heavily influenced by Chinese mythology and philosophies of Taoism, Buddhism, traditional Chinese medicine, religion, martial arts, etc.
The protagonist, Xie Lian, was once an esteemed martial god and crown prince of the Kingdom of Xianle. He cherished his worshippers and once had a dream to “save the common people.” However, despite ascending into the heavens, his efforts to protect them were futile, for not only did he fail to save them from war, but also became one of the main reasons for its downfall. He attracted the attention of White No-Face, the world's first and most devastating of the Great Calamities, and was banished from heaven twice. Xie Lian, now in his third ascension, confronts his past trauma against White No-Face, with the assistance of the feared ghost king, Hua Cheng. They work together to infiltrate Mount Tonglu and uncover the secrets and identity of White No-Face. Coincidentally, Xie Lian also discovers a deep connection between Hua Cheng and his past and reveals complicated feelings for one another.
This volume genuinely caught me off guard. When I first started reading it, I was overjoyed that the slow-burn romance was finally burning. Unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last long, as it quickly transformed into shock and sadness. The amount of tragedies the main character faces is actually insane and heartbreaking. Since the beginning of the series, I always figured Xie Lian had an unpleasant past considering the fate of his kingdom and his banishments, but I didn’t expect it to be like this. The torment was endless and it was honestly depressing for both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.
The depth and complicity of these characters really come to light in this volume. So much goes on and that’s what I appreciate most about this genre. It doesn’t focus solely on the action or solely on the romance, but a healthy mix between the two. This volume in particular was probably one of the more significant ones in this series as well as one of my favorites. I definitely would recommend this volume and this entire series as a whole.
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