LayarHijau – Cheng Yi is once again in the spotlight with his latest wuxia drama The Journey of Legend (赴山海), co-starring Gulnazar. The series initially scored impressive achievements, surpassing 8 billion views and even topping the ratings. However, despite its commercial success, The Journey of Legend has been met with harsh criticism. Many viewers believe the show failed to live up to expectations and has fallen behind Bai Jingting’s new hit, Mobius (不眠日).
In the latest episodes, Cheng Yi takes on the challenging task of portraying two characters: Xiao Qiushui, a disciple of Huanhua Jianpai, and Li Chen Zhou, the leader of the Quanjin Gang. Their much-anticipated duel should have been a climactic highlight, but instead, audiences found themselves distracted by three major flaws that they believe ruined the show’s overall impact.
Eight Masters’ Power Transfer Scene Looked Cheap
In episode 27, Xiao Qiushui receives the life-long energy of eight great martial arts masters. In Wen Ruian’s original novel Shenzhou Qixia, this was an iconic and inspiring moment. Unfortunately, the drama’s visuals were too simplistic and awkwardly executed. Rather than epic, viewers mocked the scene, comparing it to the fairytale The Golden Goose, where everyone who touched Cheng Yi seemed to “stick” to him.
Overly Cliché Family Feud
The second half of the drama heavily focuses on conflict among the Xiao brothers: Xiao Yiren (played by Zhang Juning) and Xiao Kaiyan (played by Zhang Xiaocheng). The elder brother resents Xiao Qiushui’s superior martial skills, while the second brother constantly stirs up conflict for his own motives. Viewers slammed the storyline as overly cliché and tiresome, saying it dragged down the overall quality of the series, as Upmedia reported.
Xiao Qiushui vs. Li Chen Zhou Duel Lacked Dramatic Tension
What should have been the narrative’s turning point—the confrontation between Xiao Qiushui and Li Chen Zhou—ended up falling flat. Li Chen Zhou’s cryptic dialogue and Xiao Qiushui’s emotional reactions stretched the scene far too long, losing all dramatic tension. Instead of thrilling, many viewers found it frustrating and accused the screenwriter and director of poor pacing.
Meanwhile, Bai Jingting’s Mobius (不眠日) has garnered strong praise. With its mystery-driven storyline and time loop element, the drama has successfully captured audience attention and earned positive reviews. In comparison, The Journey of Legend appears weaker, with many viewers concluding that Cheng Yi’s latest project has “lost badly” to its rival.
