Maybe it is not the most original novel out there but it is interesting.

I like the MC (as @gregis already said) it's nice to see a MC who died young in his previous life....oh it sounds messed up. You got the point though, we don't have a 40 years old dude in the body of a kid.



As in most chinese novels, the MC is quite decent from my point of view: loving with family (in this MC's case his mother and his older brother) and vicious against enemies (you'll get to see that after 60 chapters or so).

The translations are still at the beginning, the story still being in its initial stage. The plot starts developing after
I already said, 70 chapters are like just the beginning of the novel. I'm really looking forward to what happens next.

Fortunately the guys translating this have a quite decent pace 1 chapter a day, so you don't get old waiting for a new chapter to be translated.

EDIT:


... Last updated on May 9th, 2016, 10:18am

Have to say CSG is one of the weaker WN among its genre. Its a story about a man who is at the peak of power in his world, whom died and was reborn into another world. Although having to "restart" his cultivation, he still has memories of his past life including techniques and foundation hence they aid his rise through power. Certain circumstances(offending a bigger faction) forced him into exile and from there he travels around to "level up" before facing the enemy.

I've labelled this WN as CSG Online precisely because it exactly plays out like an MMO with all its glory and its horrors. CSG has a weak writing as its main formula is Main Quest and Side Quests. Main Quest(the novel's Main Plot) happens every 10-20 level ups while the gap in between is stuffed with countless Side Quests. We have short Side Quests ranging from 1-2 chapters up to even big Chain Side Quests of several dozen chapters. Purpose? Loot/Money and to level up(level up his cultivation and break through realms), thats strictly it. The grind is real.

Now theres nothing absolutely wrong with this format but MMOs are notorious for the crazy and boring grind, the lackluster story in these side quests and disappointing main quest that noone cares about, players only care about PvP, loot, end-game and e-peen. This is the problem with CSG Online, it follows the MMO formula to the letter. The numerous side stories have minimal background development, close to no focus on its aftermath or concept of cascading consequences and very loosely tied with the main plot. They are also extremely random and pop out of nowhere so the story pacing and plot development is in utter chaos. Like a typical MMO, they're all hit and run, fire and forget, standalone Side Quests with its main aim being to level up and get some loot. Very little effort to concoct a grand plot with interweaving side stories. There is no soul to the stories.

Oh, and romance wise, for now its not the main focus but theres plenty of potential ladies but as all wuxia/xianxia/xuanhuan novels, cultivation comes first.

One thing i do like about CSG Online though is its "no bullshit" in battles. The MC, Jian Chen is like an assassin. No need for flashy skills, no unnecessary moves, focus on minimal effort to deal a fatal strike. If you're a fan of shounen who likes "staged showdowns" like:

MC: Taste my level 4 Sky Wolf Blade!!!
Enemy: Urg!! Not bad, I'll show you my level 6 Tiger's Paw!!!
MC: Ahhh!!! I'm at a disadvantage!! Bankai!!! Level 7 Dragon Soul Domain!!!
Enemy: Level 8 Aegis Defence!!!
MC & Enemy: Lets end this fight with our strongest, most epic and most secret, one time use, level 99 skill!!!

You will be disappointed!!! CSG has non of that bullshit. Its all 1 shot 1 kill. Battles are for the most part short, sweet and simple. While major/hard battles focuses on utility, planning and cunning. MC has unorthodox tactics like large scale poisoning of enemies, pitting factions against each other, stealth assassinations or mix of parrying, baiting and feints to jump on opportune fatal strikes. He is a throat stabber, he relies on his incredible speed and agility and not stamina/endurance battle tactics. Now of course the cunning and guile is not that intricate(like i said, the WN has weak writing) but it certainly beats the overused "staged showdowns" therefore i appreciate the author's efforts here.

Besides that, like most of its genre, the MC is standard. He is quite strong, prideful and cares deeply for his loved ones however is not a good Samaritan, he won't go all out in his way to help a beggar on the sidewalk. Offend me or touch my family and i'll wipe out you clan. Revenge!!! You know, the usual stuff in Wuxia/Xianxia. Also main focus is on MC, so very little limelight on supporting characters, again like most Wuxia/Xianxia novels which is a shame.

Do take note that this review is just based on the first few hundred chapters, we're sitting at close to 400 so theres really a lot more content we've yet to read. To be honest, there isn't really sufficient chapters to throw down a fair review. I'm confident that it will get significantly better in the later chapters, maybe the author deliberately made the pacing of the main storyline slow. Personally, i'll still continue reading this, there is still potential. Afterall the main story of revenge on the other offending clan is kinda a sub-plot, because there is still the shrouded history of MC's mother/uncle who came from a fallen empire, this i believe will be the underlining heavy meat in CSG. Overall definitely not a horrendous WN but also not the best.

... Last updated on February 11th, 2016, 3:29am

whats interesting about this character is that its not the usual person that you get when they switch worlds. Usually you get someone who has some crazy amount of experience and is older 30s or 40s and act this way throughout the novel whether if they are reborn in a baby or adult. in this one you get a younger character still 20s to 30s but not jaded in feelings, and also what i loved was that and he grows up in the new world he becomes dynamic there are changes and even his age plays a part in his actions *(i mean his stage of development age like teenager). i highly recommend it if your the type to want to immerse yourself into the world.

The setting and everything is decent enough to give it a chance, and the first few chapters seemed to be building up to an interesting storyline and excitement. For me personally, after some time I couldn't bear the writing style. I can't even say if it has to do with the translator or the author. I suspect the author. There is no depth at all to the text that I read. The scenarios are simple and, frankly, boring. There is a distinct lack of maturity in the narrative. And when I think about it I feel as if the writer has a very indifferent attitude towards his writing. I am unable to articulate the matter concisely. If I had to use one word to describe how I felt, it would be "simple". It's not the simplicity of IET's writing, because there is no underlying sense of excitement or thrill, no complexity to the plot and characters, barely anything to make the reader's pulse quicken and eager for more. Despite the massive amount of chapters and favorable rating on MU, this novel doesn't strike me as having many merits.

... Last updated on August 2nd, 2015, 4:48pm

Story isn't bad, it's what I look for when I search Xianxia. Has nice action and setting. However it is pretty boring because the Characters have no depth in them. I'm at chapter 53 at the moment, none of the characters have a personality. Also when fighting, there is no urgency. In addition to that, when he cultivates, all it says is, he stays in his room and then a time lapse of a couple months. Dropped it because it was boring

Simply put, CSG is the first Xianxia I did not enjoy. It isn't the story's ideas or anything. In-fact I really enjoyed the whole setting. My biggest problem was the writing itself. It feels slow and boring. Like you have to push your way through certain fight scenes. Fight scenes are meant to be enticing,Bringing a brimming and amazing scene into your head where you feel the intensity of every move. However, the fight scenes are awfully slow and take to much time to happen. It is like the author is purposely trying to stretch the moment to bore you to death. So the biggest problem is the pacing, it needs to be fixed and reformed.

In short, for an action WN, action isn't its strong suit.I'm still interested in the world and how problems will get resolved, but chances are I'm wont pick it up again.

... Last updated on October 19th, 2016, 12:33pm

Top expert gets reincarnated. Crippled to OP. It's another typical cliche Xianxia.

Plot has really gone down the drain too. There's been 100+ chapters him doing random crap, and I'm don't think it's going anywhere in the near future.

On the other hand. If you're like me and enjoy typical Xianxia stories, then I strongly recommend you read this. This story is crammed with action.

P.S. As of chapter 200, there is absolutely no sign of any romance or harem, and this doesn't feel like that kind of story either.

The wuxia genre can tend to plagiarize itself pretty heavily, and if you are reading more than a few at a time you can almost take one MC and fit him perfectly into to another web novel and not even notice a difference. Big surprise right? Who would have though the Chinese would do something like that?

CSG to some extent follows the general plagiarized themes, such a reincarnation, fast character growth, a method of measuring martial cultivation through a named system, gaining martial power though magic beast cores, spiritual affinity to elements such as earth, wind fire, light…. ect similar to Coiling dragon, and ISSH only with a Doulou Dalu or BTH reincarnation twist throw in to justify the mentorship through past lives in lieu of a magic bead or ring containing and god level teacher.

Having said all that, this story does heavily focus on the MC sword skills and techniques which does make it stand out a bit for me because I really enjoy these parts.

While I can’t really complain about the common themes, because I like them so much, I can complain about the chapter length. Some of the other authors have spoiled me and I love the longer chapters. CSG should be saved up three chapters at a time to read to really be enjoyed.

The story picks up around 80, and of you like Wuxia, then you will love this.

I was going to drop it because of the forced romance with the spoiled girl that wanted to kill the MC during their first and second meeting. However, I kept reading because of the other characters and the story is interesting. I do not understand the mind of these light/web novel authors. How do you end up falling for a chick that tried to kill you?

It started out a bit bland, took about 200 chapters to finally start getting its unique vibe, then late in the 300s it seems as if the author lost interest in the entire world and plot and completely changed EVERYTHING. All the beginning 350+ chapters building up the cultivation, all of the MC's hard work, fighting enemies and leveling up and learning new sword techniques, the importance of Saint Force which was the core mechanic behind everything...wiped away. What a joke.

As for precisely why I'm so disappointed:


... Last updated on March 30th, 2016, 6:21pm