Humans are the spirit of all living beings, Gu are the essence of Heaven and Earth.
With his Three Fundamental Views* unrighteous, a demon is reborn.
Former days are but an old dream, an identical name made anew.
A story about a time traveller who constantly keeps on being reborn.
A unique world that grows, cultivates, and uses Gu.
The Spring Autumn Cicada, Moonlight Gu, Liquor worm, All-Encompassing Golden Light Worm, Fine Black Hair Gu, Hope Gu…
And a peerless great demon that freely acts to his heart’s content.
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Gu is a legendary venomous insect, often used in black magic practices. It can take on the form of several insects, usually snakes, crickets, worms etc.
* = one’s world view, values of worth and philosophy on life
Fang Yuan is a demon in the truest sense, he does not care for anything but his own benefits and goals. He does not discriminate nor will he judge, as long as you're useful that is. Fang Yuan will use anyone and anything, commit the worst of atrocities or even be a saint if it helps him reach his main goal. The goal in question being Immortality, the one thing not a single venerable from the past could achieve.
Reverend Insanity is set in a world where the supernatural is just a natural occurrence, Gu worms create all kinds mysterious effects; and the "Power system" of this story is not focusing on the strength of the Gu worms but more on the way they are used, this creates a balance in which no enemies are weak and no enemies are strong when fighting on the same level.
The creativity of the power system is so amazing, an infinite amount of Gu worms exist all with their unique uses and the combinations of the Gu worms create infinite possibilities. Gu worms don't even always have to be used to fight, and thus Gu masters don't have to fight at all if they don't wish to. In Reverend Insanity there are many chapters dedicated to developing land, producing something to trade on the market, or simply establishing connections with others. To Fang Yuan combat and combat strength is not the method to obtain his goal, it is but a tool for negotiation and obtaining benefits.
The Gu worms are based on different paths of nature, the simpler path like fire, water, earth; and also some paths that will make you think more about the way the world works like luck path, heaven path, and human path. Also the way fate is described as multiple different outcomes that can be only very slightly be influenced by luck will make you think about the characters in different ways, and you might even change sides if you are convinced by the arguments that both sides have in the major conflict of this story.
The world building of Reverend Insanity is amazing, it depicts a society in which the strong rule over the weak in clans and sects. The power struggle between and in clans is amazing and realistic, accurately describing the corrupt nature of humans in positions of power. The further you progress into this quite savage but beautiful world, the more you will come to understand the intricacy of its interorganizational relations.
The world is split up into multiple regions each with their own way of life and culture. The Northern region is defined by a more primitive way of life in which the strong feed on the weak and there is a constant conflict between tribes. The Eastern region is abundant with resources and the people living there are living comfortable lives, because of the resources many geniuses bloom. The Western region is a huge desert where people live a harsh life living of off the few oases. The Southern region is a region average in resources and habitability, the people live in clans and there are few major conflicts. The Central region is a safe place ruled by sects where geniuses are handpicked from the population to make the sects prosper. (This is the most basic explanation, it is way more detailed than this.)
Even though Fang Yuan is the main character, that doesn't mean that all the others are side characters. It seems as though every character that is described in the story has some kind of actually meaningful connection to the plot, be it very direct or something that you'll find out in a few hundred chapters later. Reverend Insanity tells the story of Fang Yuan through many peoples eyes, the eyes of a heartbroken girl thirsting for revenge, the eyes of a girl not from this world saddened by her fate, the eyes of a man filled with ambition, the eyes of a man trying to fix his past mistakes, the eyes of a rival wanting to see how it will end, the eyes of a man looking at the back of his brother, and many more perspectives are telling the story of this atrocious demon.
There is a lot of character development in this story, especially in the quasi-protagonists (they are not true protagonists, but I do not really consider them side characters). The characters experience the world changing due to the influence of the great demon and it shapes their characters, makes them gather their resolve, and sparks their ambitions.
This story has sadly been cancelled by the Chinese government because it comments on many aspects of society and the human nature. Even though the story is not completed it is one of the best ones I have ever read. So if you like intelligent protagonists not bound by common sense or morals, do give it a read.
Hype. I had once grieved, gradually, I became able to withstand everything. I had once rejoiced, gradually, I became unmoved by the world. And now! All I have left is an expressionless face, my gaze is as tough as a monolith, only perseverance remains in my heart
I could dedicate a whole day to trying to write about my appreciation for Reverend Insanity, and it still wouldn't come out right, I still wouldn't do it justice, it still wouldn't be enough.
And sometimes the author made the mc do something just for the sake of being evil and not for the plot.
Also, I really hate it when the mc starts killing innocent people but then let his enemies go because his enemies got good backgrounds and it'll be troublesome to kill them and face the vengeance of their clan.
But when he got stronger and got the ability to purge the clan, he'll not do it coz he thinks that it'll not benefit him. And he doesn't care about them since he's now strong, everyone below him are just like ants in his eyes.
But he kills good and precious people since they're easy to bully and they dun have strong background. 😑😭
I really hate it when he killed my fave character who's been loyal to him all the time. And let those people who betrayed him scot free.
The thing is, he doesn't care about vengeance. When people betrays him and if he thinks that the person is still useful to him, he'll let him go and act like nothing happened.
Whenever he says 'I'll pay you back' whenever he's betrayed, he's just merely acting. This is to scheme against his enemies and made them think that they got him. But the truth is, he doesn't really care. And he believed that if someone can successfully kill him or betray him, it's his fault. And he'll never feel anything towards the dude who betrayed him.
I think this is a good trait. But, as a reader, it really irritates me to see his past enemies getting stronger and stronger. Like, i dun wanna see them anymore! Just pls kill these hypocrites! But sadly, Fang Yuan wont do it.
But overall, this is a good novel. The world building, the cultivation system is unique, well developed characters, smart mc, and smart antagonists!
The mc is not a good person. He's the first evil mc I've read but i dun hate him. Tho i hate some of his actions and decisions but that doesn't mean that this isn't an enjoyable novel.
The sociopathic protagonist goes around wantonly murdering innocent children, protected by plot armor from the results of all his moronic actions.
Everyone else in the world is described as a dim-witted hypocrite while the author goes to great lengths to justify the cartoonishly evil actions of the main character with the moral narcissism you'd find in the diary of a friendless teenage boy.
رواية جميلة جداً بها دروس حياتية كثيرة لكنها متطرفة من العديد من النواحي لهذا لا أنصح بها واذا اردت متابعتها لا أنصحك ان تأخذ كلام البطل ككلام لأنك ستتطرف ربما للأسوأ لهذا مُنعت من الصين لأن بها كلام يصف حكومة الصين مباشرةً وهذا من شأنه ان يؤدي الى تغير الأشخاص الذين قرأو الرواية الى اشخاص "معتلين اجتماعياً" مع كل الأسف الروايات التي مثلها قليلة وستضل تحفة بالنسبة لي لكني لا أجرؤ على متابعتها لأني عانيت بسببها وخرجت عن واقعي لفترة طويلة الى ان ادركت هي سبب معاناتي فكنت اقارن نفسي مع البطل وتصرفاتي ايضًا.. هذا جعلني ارى إني تافهه وكلما تحاول ان اصبح مثل البطل اصبح أسوأ لأني لست عجوز عمره 500 عام لهذا اعاني عندما اقارن او اُقلد الى ان ادركت انني مثل فانغ تشنغ شخص عادي تماما ليس لديه خبرات او اي من هذا الهراء وانا انا لن اتمكن من تحصيل خبراته بتقليد تصرفاته اعيد انها رواية عظيمة وبها حكم كثيرة لكن لأانصحك بأتباع نظرة البطل في هذه الحياة لأنها لن تؤدي إلى الى معاناتك
I was betrayed by goodreads, and my review has, for some reason, disappeared. This is a very sad state of affairs, since it was my longest and most detailed, making it a proper essay.
Characters: 6/5 Glorious World: 5/5 the best of the best Story: 5/5 top notch
characters Every character is a smart human being, even the side ones. Their motivations and reasonings are explored in the story in an organic and interesting way. The main character still manages to outsmart everyone, which really lets you feel his smartness, since even you were outsmarted. The whole thing reads like the last chapter of a detective novel. Great
World: I'm too sad that my last review got deleted to write much. Anyway, the world has perfect information. We know everything that the main character takes into account. It's great. The world is great.
Story: Last chapter of a detective novel. Perfect foreshadowing for every scheme. Constant scheming. Great
I actually loved the book, but since it was abruptly halted (apparently because of some political issues that were talked about in it, tho I'm not entirely sure) I was sadly trapped in the worst kind of cliffhanger of my life. Which is why I did not give it a higher rating.
But I must say, the book is kind of brutal compared to others in the fantasy category. It can be "boring" for those who enjoy seeing the protagonist struggle mentally, because this one is evil. He's not shackled by morality like many MC's, and he certainly has no issues in making any situation into an opportunity/advantage for himself. Even if he has to betray and sacrifice others (which is honestly kind of refreshing because he's not prone to make stupid decisions for other people's sake).
World hating idealistic mc who spurns humanity and embraces the “demonic”. Could be interesting, if by demonic the author meant demonic and not isolated. This mc is his own worst enemy, purposely creating enemies because he’s too pretentious to want (or even playact being) friends. He is a big baby with trust issues and even with knowledge of the future he needs deus ex machina to survive.
Review – Reverend Insanity Reverend Insanity is a dark and brilliant cultivation novel with a ruthless main character, Fang Yuan, who defies all moral norms. The story explores deep themes like power, survival, and destiny through a unique system based on Gu insects. It's intense, unpredictable, and full of strategy. Perfect for readers who enjoy morally gray characters and complex world-building.
one of the best web novels I've ever read, if not the best. interesting worldbuilding, awesome philosophy, interesting protagonist, good side characters and most of all, an amazing plot.
Decent, but I guess great for those who are shallow-minded. Also, I really agree with that one comment about mentioning how the author describes the scene in pedophilic detail and then name-dropping Buddha to justify Fang Yuan. very edgy, and that part when he mentions to the readers that everything will change from now on is typa shit. Hahaha, cornball. But I'm enjoying his adventure so far. This rating might get lower or higher depending on whether I continue reading and if I am satisfied with the story.
This book can be very dark at times and translation is a little off, but very entertaining and has some of the highest highs of any book’s climax I’ve read. The story is still ongoing I believe, but the author does a great job of making the character feel both relatable and absolutely and disgustingly inhuman and sings between the two. Fang Yuan is certainly a villain and he has no qualms about it, but that’s partly why the story is so interesting.
The best cultivation novel I have read. It has the usual webnovel flaws, but what is great , is absolutely fantastic. Other than Lord of The Mysteries and Shadow Slave, nothing has come close to this for me. Hope we will get a continuation of this sometime🙏🏼🙏🏼
my first ever web novel, I read ri at the lowest point in my life and it unironically changed my life. It shifted my perspective. I think everyone should totally read it!!