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| Mystic Nine Sparks Nostalgia, Breaks Records and Divides Viewers After Explosive Debut. (Youku) |
Mystic Nine has wasted absolutely no time proving it is one of the biggest Chinese dramas of 2026. Just two days after its premiere, the long-awaited sequel stormed past a 10,100 heat index on Youku, becoming the platform's fastest drama this year to break the coveted 10,000 milestone. After almost a decade of waiting, audiences clearly had one thing in common—they were always going to press play first and argue about it later.
Premiering on 30 July, Mystic Nine (九门), previously known as The Mystic Nine 2 and The Mystic Nine: Against the Coming Storm, immediately climbed to the top of China's drama market.
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| Mystic Nine Smashes Youku Record as William Chan's Long-Awaited Return Dominates China's Drama Charts |
According to Yunhe Data, the series opened with a 22% effective playback market share, making it the highest-performing Chinese drama currently airing. The impressive launch also pushed the original 2016 The Mystic Nine back into cross-platform rankings, showing that nostalgia remains one of television's most reliable marketing strategies.
The sequel reunites William Chan with one of his most recognisable roles as Zhang Qishan, or "Fo Ye". Slipping back into the military uniform nearly ten years later, the actor looks remarkably comfortable returning to the character that helped define one of China's biggest supernatural adventure franchises.
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Alongside him are Joseph Zeng as Wu Laogou and Chen Yao as Huo Xiangu, creating a cast that blends familiar faces with new energy.
The series draws even more attention thanks to its connection with the sprawling Daomu Biji universe. Fans of Ultimate Note quickly recognised Joseph Zeng stepping into the role of Wu Laogou, the grandfather of Wu Xie.
Meanwhile, Chen Yao arrives fresh from winning praise for her recent performances, giving the trio considerable star power. Their popularity has translated directly into online engagement, with all three leading characters surpassing 100 million popularity points, while Joseph Zeng reportedly reached that figure only minutes after making his first appearance. That is either incredible fan dedication or remarkably fast fingers.
The story centres on Zhang Qishan, Wu Laogou and Huo Xiangu as they investigate the unexplained disappearance of an entire military unit. Their search gradually uncovers forgotten underground worlds, ancient conspiracies and secrets buried for more than a century.
Director Bai Shan, known for Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, leans heavily into eerie atmosphere and mystery, giving the sequel the same unsettling mood that made the original such a favourite among tomb-raiding drama fans.
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The success of Mystic Nine has also reshuffled China's drama rankings almost overnight. Overdo, starring Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan, slipped into third place after leading the charts for an extended period, with its market share gradually easing.
Wind-Born Warriors, led by Oho Ou, also saw its numbers soften, while Royal Betrothal, starring Wu Jinyan and Chen Zheyuan, experienced a modest decline despite remaining among the stronger performers currently on air. It turns out welcoming an old favourite back can be expensive for everyone else.
Not everything has been universally praised, however. Early reactions suggest viewers are enjoying the mystery, the cast chemistry and the return to the world of the Old Nine Gates, but opinions become much more divided once the nostalgia wears off.
Some fans believe the suspense builds a little too slowly in the opening episodes, while others complained that product placements appear often enough to interrupt the mood. For some viewers, the ghosts were not the biggest surprise—it was how frequently advertisements seemed determined to haunt every tense moment.
Casting changes have also become one of the hottest talking points. Wang Yiting steps into the role of Yin Xinyue, now Zhang Qishan's wife, while Xu Zhengxi appears as Er Yue Hong in a smaller capacity.
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Many longtime followers already expected Zhao Liying and Lay Zhang Yixing not to reprise their roles, but adjusting to new interpretations has proven easier for some than others.
Yin Xinyue's new portrayal has become one of the most debated changes across Chinese social media, with fans split between embracing a fresh direction and missing the original chemistry.
On the brighter side, several returning characters have received warm welcomes. Ying Haoming's humorous 8th Master is once again running for dear life whenever Fo Ye comes calling, providing some welcome comic relief amid all the mysterious disappearances and ancient dangers.
Wang Zuyi's masked Zhang Xiaoyu has also attracted attention, with many viewers describing him as one of the sequel's most intriguing additions. Mystic Nine appears to have achieved exactly what every major sequel hopes for.