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| Three Major Missteps That Let The Journey of Legend Down |
Cheng Yi’s latest wuxia outing, The Journey of Legend (赴山海), started off like a storm—8 billion views, top ratings, big-name leads with Gulinazha.
On paper, it had all the makings of a classic.
But fast forward a few weeks, and the shine has started to fade.
Despite its commercial success, the series is now being roasted by audiences who feel it hasn’t lived up to the hype—especially when compared to Bai Jingting’s surprise hit Mobius (不眠日).
At the centre of the debate? Three specific scenes that viewers say completely derailed the show’s momentum.
ICYMI: What Cheng Yi Said on The Journey of Legend Criticism
1. Eight Masters’ Power Transfer Looked Unconvincing
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Episode 27 should’ve been iconic: Xiao Qiushui (Cheng Yi) inheriting the life force of eight legendary martial artists, a moment ripped straight from Wen Ruian’s classic novel Shenzhou Qixia.
Fans were expecting goosebumps. Instead, they got giggles.
The effects were barebones and clunky, with characters clinging awkwardly to Cheng Yi in a way that netizens compared to the children’s tale The Golden Goose.
What was supposed to be heroic ended up looking unintentionally comedic, leaving viewers disappointed.
ICYMI: The Journey of Legend Ending Recap
2. The Family Feud Felt Overplayed
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From episode 30 onwards, the narrative leaned heavily on a sibling rivalry that quickly overstayed its welcome.
The Xiao brothers—Xiao Yiren (Zhang Juning) and Xiao Kaiyan (Zhang Xiaocheng)—spent episode after episode in a cycle of jealousy, betrayal, and plotting against their more gifted younger brother, Xiao Qiushui.
Audiences slammed this subplot as predictable, dragging, and painfully reminiscent of a dozen other dramas.
What should’ve added emotional depth ended up sapping the story of energy, as many fans noted on forums and platforms like Upmedia.
3. The Duel That Lost Its Bite
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Perhaps the biggest letdown was the highly anticipated face-off between Xiao Qiushui and his alter ego, Li Chen Zhou—the leader of the Quanjin Gang, also played by Cheng Yi.
This duel had the potential to be a show-defining highlight.
Instead, viewers were stuck with dragged-out speeches, cryptic lines, and too much emotional posturing.
By the time swords actually clashed, the dramatic tension had evaporated.
Critics pointed the finger at the script and direction for pacing issues, saying the confrontation felt “flat instead of fiery.”
Mobius Pulls Ahead
While The Journey of Legend is stumbling, Bai Jingting’s Mobius is thriving.
With its fresh time-loop concept, sharp pacing, and mystery-laden plot, Mobius has been winning praise across the board.
The comparison is unavoidable: one drama is innovating while the other is leaning on worn-out tropes and clumsy execution.
As one viewer bluntly put it, “Cheng Yi’s new project lost badly this time.”
In Short: Three misjudged scenes—the power transfer, the dragged-out family feud, and the anticlimactic duel—are being blamed for turning a potential wuxia gem into a middling drama, especially when stacked against the unexpected brilliance of Mobius.