Third prize: possible

  Award-winning book review: [Sentence Cup - Evaluation of Tianyuan]

  Firstly, why did I choose this book "Tian Yuan"? Is it because this book is the best? Of course not! It's just that many other books have been written by so many people!!

  Looking back on those years, I was also a fine young man, but under the influence of my classmates, after reading "The Journey to the West", I couldn't stop reading online novels. Hehe, I really talk too much!

  In 2009, the initial update was well-received, especially when it came to the part about "Zhang Bingyun", and people started calling me names like "wicked author" or "heartless author". People read web novels for entertainment, so if there's a plot twist like this, it's usually not far from being trashed. Readers didn't even bother criticizing the author, but with "Tian Yuan", readers expressed their dissatisfaction and felt like they'd been stabbed in the heart, yet they didn't say that the author was wrong. Why?

  Because of the tone of the whole book! Firstly, Blood created a "Great Tang Dynasty" that was calm on the surface but turbulent underneath. Secondly, the protagonist Jiang Yu's background also made him unacceptable to any of the three major sects: Taoism, Buddhism, and Demon Cultivation. After the alliance between Taoism and Buddhism destroyed the Demon Cultivation, they engaged in endless internal strife. The Buddha and Taoist masters did not exhibit a noble demeanor or compassion, but instead were consumed by greed and cunning, having long abandoned humanity's true, good, and beautiful nature, leaving only a group of people driven by self-interest. They cultivated truth, but what they actually cultivated was the elimination of truth. How could Zhang Bingyun, a female lead as elegant as a true immortal, follow the protagonist through layer upon layer of calamities in this world of mutual deception?

  This book, in my opinion, is the darkest one written by Tian Yuan. It's not that the protagonist is dark, but the world is too dark, and almost everyone in the world is trying to scheme against Jiang Yu. The number of good people in the entire book can be counted on one hand, and it seems like the only good people are the protagonist and his few brothers. The whole world appears to be sinking into darkness.

  What's most hateful is the depiction of Zhang Bingyun's later fate, the knife that was slashed across our hearts, just as it was about to heal, but he had to reopen the wound again, and then sprinkle salt on it, making you never forget. Then tell you: this world is so dark, who can change!!! (The tone of the protagonist's suffering in the whole book is set here)

  The portrayal of "Zhang Bingyun" this quasi-female lead is no better than the female lead in Wu Song!

  Li Hen, who was blinded by power despite his wisdom, and Li Longji, who had great wisdom but always used it in the wrong place. Li Linfu, who was cunning and sinister, yet also deeply emotional. Zhang Yue, who stubbornly clung to dogma. Gao Xianzhi, who was wooden-headed and thought himself the best in the world. The seemingly foolish but actually extremely cunning moles An and Shi. Yang Guozhong, who thought himself clever. Together, they formed the last prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty. And then there's also the insignificant but somehow unkillable Xiao Qiang - Chai Da Guanren. His life was actually a great tragedy, aside from indulging in pleasures, he never did anything meaningful. If it weren't for his involvement with Zhang Bingyun, the female lead, he would have been just a passerby, not just passing through this book, but passing through his entire life.

  Among all the enemies of the protagonist Jiang Yu, the most tragic one is Gao Xianzhi. He had clashed with Jiang Yu several times, with wins and losses, but if you think carefully, it seems that Jiang Yu never considered him a major opponent. Moreover, he probably didn't know until his death that he was just an insignificant pawn in the Buddhist sect's game. His confrontations with Jiang Yu didn't bring him much substantial benefit. If he had died at Jiang Yu's hands, it would have been a decent death, but instead, he died miserably at the hands of the Taoist sect during their large-scale attack on the Buddhist sect due to their sectarian disputes, revealing the true nature of the Taoist sect.

  Those high and mighty Xian Shen Men have long forgotten why they cultivate the truth. One by one, they only know how to pursue greater power, greater benefits, and better magical artifacts. In their eyes, humans are nothing but a group of talking tools that can be used or sold out. No one cares about the interests of "humans", only thinking about eliminating the other two families and dominating the world alone. They have long been blinded by power and forgotten why the first generation Tian Yuan Zhi Zhu sealed the Heavenly Court. They are repeating the mistakes their predecessors made, perhaps they know they are making mistakes, but they cannot help themselves, and can only sink into what seems to be a bright light but is actually an endless darkness. They claim that the Demon Gate is not as direct as the Dao and Buddhism, saying that the first two are thieves, while the latter is a robber, none of which are good things.

  The most pitiful one is Li Heng. Li Linfu helped him ascend to the throne of the crown prince, and Jiang Yu gave him the power to rival that of a Taoist immortal. However, he still had the heart of an ordinary person, forever thinking only of the imperial throne and power. Knowing clearly that if he advanced further, he might achieve immortality and be worshipped by all, yet he was infatuated with worldly desires and made great mistakes, not even knowing who had ruined his cultivation. It's laughable that he thought Jiang Yu and others were also infatuated with worldly desires and power like him, causing the once wise heart to become foolish and stupid, being manipulated without even realizing it.

  I remember someone once said that helping others a little, they will be grateful, and helping again, they will still be grateful. However, when that person finds out that their debt of gratitude can never be repaid, perhaps it's time to turn against each other. In reality, there are too many examples like this.

  Finally, let's talk about the Heavenly Yuan power. First of all, those ancient powerful beings are indeed formidable and had calculated that by this time someone would become the second generation Heavenly Yuan, so they left many hidden hands. However, human calculations cannot surpass heavenly calculations, and the one who obtained the Heavenly Yuan power is not a person from the Dao Gate, but rather an outcast from the Dao Gate, Jiang Yu.

  Why is there a Heavenly Yuan force? Is it just to give one person invincible power at a specific time? Of course not. The Heavenly Yuan force is produced by the collective wishes of all living beings, which are the lingering emotions, pain, hatred towards enemies, and disappointment with society at the last moment of life. Therefore, the first generation of Heavenly Yuan was born, hoping that this world would no longer suffer from pain and war, and letting Taoism, Buddhism, and Demonism go to one side. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the first generation of Heavenly Yuan is also a Daoist.

  It's clear that the power of Tiān Yuán won't easily acknowledge a master, it will only recognize those who truly care for the people as its master, not those hypocritical and deceitful Daoist sect members. So, human calculations are inferior to heavenly ones; apart from helping Jiang Yu get through his tribulation and delaying the sealing of the demons by Jiang Yu, the hidden hand left behind by the Queen Mother of the West has almost no effect.

  In fact, those people in the heavenly court of the lower realm, if they could remember the lesson of being sealed by the first generation Tianyuan and treat the common people well, then there would be no subsequent story. But will they do so? Will they treat the common people who seem to them like ants with kindness? Of course not, it's easy to change the world, but hard to change one's nature.

  From Jiang Yu's emergence, the initial awkwardness gradually gave way to maturity. Along the way, he did many things, some right and some wrong, but every decision was made with a clear conscience, never betraying others. Most of his troubles were brought upon himself, and though there were wins and losses, the losses outnumbered the wins. If Jiang Yu didn't possess the power of Tianyuan, his fate would have been sealed as a tragedy. In reality, this outcome is already tragic enough. Except for Jiang Yu remembering Gong Sun's aura, allowing him to find her after reincarnation, which provides us with a small comfort, there are hardly any uplifting moments. Even when he used the power of Tianyuan to quietly re-seal the Heavenly Court, and many people who cultivated Taoism, immortality, or demonhood, didn't feel any joy, only a deep sadness.

  Life is like a rapid river, ordinary people can only follow the current, while those in power sit on a large ship admiring the scenery on both banks, without regard for the lives of ordinary people. The Taoist, Buddhist and demonic masters, however, swim against the current, and all who stand in their way, whether human or boat, will be crushed to dust, unaware of how to yield. But the carp wants to cross the river teeming with gods and immortals, how can it possibly do so at will?

  After the story ended, I kept thinking, why didn't Jiang Yu make a public announcement when he was sealing away, at least show off in front of those enemies and let them complete the seal in terror? Wouldn't that be more satisfying? Later I figured it out - what's written in blood isn't a thrilling novel, but a cursed one. The entire world is against the protagonist, if it's not a cursed novel then what is?!

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  Pig head's comment: As for this book Tian Yuan, Pig head has always been reluctant to say much about it, because writing is very tiring.

  Since it's said that the world described in this book is dark, then it's somewhat similar to Pighead's state of mind at that time, just like that.

  Is Jiang Yu a tragic figure? At least he still has a glimmer of thought, at least he still has the power to change some things he wants to change. Whether it's an immortal, a god, or a demon, what they do is just an expanded version of human emotions and desires.

  Some people say that sacred immortals and demons have no desires, but this is a big lie.

  If they really have no desires and have reached a state of inaction, what is the point of cultivating longevity?

  As for Zhang Bingyun... I'm sorry to say that I even remember the 'Wei' who was killed by a single sword in Shen Mo, but she has already become vague. A role destined to be sacrificed, a role unable to resist, very pitiful.