History Literature / GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi

''In the thid year, all was peaceful.''\\

->''In the first year, all was peaceful.''

->''In the second year, all was peaceful.''

->''In the thid year, all was peaceful.''

->''......''

->''In the thirteenth year, all was still peaceful.''

->''Thus, more and more people finally came to believe that perhaps Wei Wuxian had not been that amazing after all, Maybe he really had perished.''

->''Even though he had once turned the world upside down, there had at last come a day when he was the one overturned.''

->''No one could be worshiped on the divine altar forever. Legends are merely legends. ''

** When Wei Wuxian first meets the girl nicknamed "Mianmian", Wei Wuxian decides to tease her by introducing himself as "Yuandao", which flusters her. This joke is impossible to understand without translation notes if one's not familiar with Chinese literature -- [[https://twitter.com/BigBadRedPanda/status/1295506081511362563/ he's referencing a poem from the Han dynasty called "Watering Horses at the Grotto near the Great Wall" (饮马长城窟行)]]. The names "Mianmian" (绵绵) and "Yuandao" (远道) are referenced in the second half of the first verse of the poem "青青河边草，'''绵绵'''思'''远道'''", which also translates to "Oh, how green is the grass on the riverbank; How endless is my longing for the distant road". Most importantly, the second half can also be read as "Mianmian ''longs for'' Yuandao", which is entire joke behind Wei Wuxian's "introduction".

** While there's no doubt that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] caused Nie Mingjue to die from ''qi'' deviation, it's uncertain when the character started inducing the effects that would slowly cause said death. Wei Wuxian speculates that it might have been after Nie Mingjue [[spoiler:kicked Jin Guangyao down the stairs of Golden Carp Tower and pressed his biggest BerserkButton]]. When he points this out to [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] in the final arc, the latter doesn't affirm or refute Wei Wuxian's statement. The audio drama is less vague, confirming that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao did start tampering with the Song of Clarity only after the latter kicked him down the stairs and called him the SonOfAWhore; Wei Wuxian even noticed during Empathy that he could feel the calming effects of the song at first, but not anymore in the instances Jin Guangyao would play the song after the incident]].

* AllForNothing: Despite everything Wei Wuxian sacrificed to save [[spoiler:Wen Ning and his relatives]], all his efforts were turned against him [[spoiler:through both horrible luck and tragic injustice, and it all ended in his death and the remaining Wens being brutally and remorselessly slaughtered]]. After the TimeSkip, however, Wei Wuxian gets the reassurance that his efforts ''weren't'' entirely in vain when he learns that [[spoiler:Wen Yuan, now known as Lan Sizhui, survived]].

* LastOfHisKind: By the time the final arc ends, [[spoiler:four of the five main cultivation families]] are killed off [[RacialRemnant with the exception of one surviving member]]: [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng for the Jiang Clan, Nie Huaisang for the Nie Clan, Jin Ling for the Jin Clan (not counting any other possible illegitimate children Jin Guangshan may have had who are still alive), and Lan Sizhui/Wen Yuan for the Wen Clan]].

** Wei Wuxian is always mortified whenever he finds out he's done something serious or shocking that's impacted Lan Wangji in some way, such as [[spoiler:the implications of having touched his head ribbon]].

** After Lan Wangji [[spoiler:stole Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]] at Phoenix Mountain, he was so angered at not being able to control himself and [[spoiler:taking advantage of the latter]] that he started venting out his rage on some trees nearby.
** Lan Wangji feels both mortified and guilty when he learns that Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:gave up his original golden core]]. Mortified, because it's an emotionally painful truth to take in and puts the latter's actions and behavioral changes in a new perspective; and guilty because in hindsight, it puts his own well-meaning actions at the time in a [[WasTooHardOnHim more insensitive light]].
** Jiang Cheng is both angered and horrified after learning that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian gave him his own golden core]], as it sheds a new light on the latter's past actions and behavior. Then there's their argument in the Guanyin Temple arc, which ends in him breaking down and crying out, "Why?! What gives you the right to not tell me?!"
** Lan Xichen's realization that [[spoiler:he's misjudged Wei Wuxian the entire time, never really knew Jin Guangyao's true character and unknowingly enabled some of his friend's wrongdoings due to personal bias]] hits him so hard that he's overcome with despair [[spoiler:and starts to live in seclusion]].

* SevenDeadlySins: Almost every conflict in the story occurs because of the characters being guilty of at least one of the seven deadly sins.
** '''Pride''':
*** Wei Wuxian, [[spoiler:because he gave his golden core to Jiang Cheng]], continues to practice demonic cultivation despite Lan Wangji's protests and the increasing scorn he's receiving from the cultivation world, strongly believing that he has it all under control. [[spoiler:Sadly to say, that wasn't the case, though the plot showed that his ruin was ''not'' a result of his hubris.]]
*** Jiang Cheng lived almost his whole life with an inferiority complex due to being AlwaysSecondBest to Wei Wuxian. [[spoiler:While he was able to set it aside for a while, the other clans -- [[TallPoppySyndrome who resented his quick rise to power]] -- preyed on his insecurities to turn him against his martial brother]]. One of Jiang Cheng's greatest drives is to prove himself to everyone, although his circumstances and overall personality caused that drive to earn him a great deal of grief.
** '''Wrath''': Jiang Cheng is extremely vindictive. His short temper causes him to get narrow-minded and have difficulty seeing the bigger picture or empathize with others, and he's capable of holding onto his hate towards someone for a very long time. There's his hatred for the Wens, which -- while understandable, given their role in his parents' deaths -- [[spoiler:made him unable to tell apart the guilty and the innocent]]; and more notably, there's his resentment towards Wei Wuxian, which is one of the core conflicts of the story for a good reason.
** '''Envy''':
*** Jiang Cheng has self-worth issues from being constantly overshadowed by Wei Wuxian, and [[spoiler:the Jin Clan takes advantage of this]], as previously mentioned in the Pride section.
*** Jin Guangshan [[spoiler:branded Wei Wuxian as an enemy because he wanted his power of controlling corpses to advance his plans of taking over the cultivation world]].
*** Jin Guangyao reveals that this is the ''real'' reason the cultivation clans [[spoiler:turned on Wei Wuxian]], not because [[spoiler:they fear that he's turning evil]], as that's simply their excuse. At a young age, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian had founded a completely new path of cultivation and consequently achieved so much in such a short time, and he had the aid of a young clan leader also achieved a lot in only a few months even though his clan was razed to almost nothing by the Wen Clan]]. None of the other clans, big or small -- as they had been fighting over who gets the biggest shares from the aftermath of the Sunshot Campaign -- liked the prospect of [[spoiler:such youngsters gaining a huge advantage, especially since one of them isn't noble-born]], and the cultivation world is extremely classist.
** '''Greed''':
*** Jin Guangshan [[spoiler:shared Wen Ruohan's goals of ruling over China, but was more low-key about it and only started making his move after the Sunshot Campaign ended. His ambition caused him to target Wei Wuxian, whose powers are both a threat and an asset, and while he succeeded in instigating the First Siege]], he never got to see the day when he would be crowned Chief Cultivator.
*** Due to his past [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao is driven to climb the ranks of the cultivation world, and he'll do anything and everything to achieve that]]. However, power that's earned through blood and trickery is only going to last for so long and in the end he loses ''everything'', including his own life.
** '''Sloth''': It would be difficult to associate just one character with this vice. With the exception of the protagonists and a few supporting characters, the rest of the cast are guilty of BystanderSyndrome for different reasons. Either they aren't involved in the first place and thus wouldn't have sufficient motivation to act, are heavily involved but are afraid of doing anything due to being stuck between a rock and a hard place, are unknowingly or willfully ignorant of the truth to want to take action, or everything in between.
** '''Gluttony''': After Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:came back from the Burial Mounds, he targeted Wen Chao]] and tortured him by making him eat his own flesh, and the latter is so traumatized that he more or less developed a fear of meat.
** '''Lust''': One thing Jin Guangshan is infamous for is that he isn't able to keep it in his pants whenever he encounters attractive women. This ends up causing [[spoiler:his death and the downfall of his clan in the long run, since one of his illegitimate sons decides to kill him, whereas another is used as as a vessel to bring back the person he had set to wipe out]].

* WorldOfJerkass: Plainly speaking, in the cultivation world, 10% are truly righteous and selfless, 20% are not malicious people but still have several deep-seated flaws and thus are prone to making terrible decisions, and the remaining 70% are self-serving hypocrites who would gladly screw others over for ambition, pride, glory, spite, or plainly for the kicks.

* AllForNothing:
** Xiao Xingchen left his life of isolation to try to save the world, only to [[spoiler:end up broken and dead]].
** Despite everything Wei Wuxian sacrificed to save [[spoiler:Wen Ning and his relatives]], all his efforts were turned against him [[spoiler:through both horrible luck and tragic injustice, and it all ended in his death and the remaining Wens being brutally and remorselessly slaughtered]]. After the TimeSkip, however, Wei Wuxian gets the reassurance that his efforts ''weren't'' in vain when he learns that [[spoiler:Lan Sizhui and Wen Yuan are the same person]].
** Lan Wangji's choice to [[spoiler:fight his own clan to stop them from turning in Wei Wuxian to the other clans helped buy Wei Wuxian a bit more time]], but that's it; he merely delayed the inevitable that was [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's death]]. Although Lan Wangji's goal here was unsuccessful, it's implied his actions still [[spoiler:gave Wei Wuxian the time and opportunity to destroy half of the Yin Tiger Tally, ensuring the artifact wouldn't end up in the Jin Clan's clutches in its complete form]].
** Meng Shi's hopes for [[spoiler:a prosperous life for herself and her son]] are ultimately left unfulfilled and ruined. [[spoiler:She died some time before her son became an official member of the Jin Clan of Lanling, and while Jin Guangyao managed to secure power and wealth in time, he lost both and then some after his misdeeds are revealed to the public. To add insult to injury, his corpse is sealed away, and Meng Shi's body is implied to be desecrated after it was exhumed from the Guanyin Temple. It's a popular belief in China that if the mortal body is dishonored in any way, the deceased person is less than likely to reincarnate into a new life, which is the most probable fate for both mother and son]].

* AttackTheMouth: In the ''donghua'', [[spoiler:after being turned into a fierce corpse]], Wang Lingjiao [[spoiler:bit off Wen Chao's tongue under Wei Wuxian's control]].

* AttackTheMouth: One of Xue Yang's favorite techniques is to slice off his victim's tongue, rendering them mute.

* WorldOfJerkass: Plainly speaking, in the cultivation world, 10% are truly righteous and selfless, 20% are not bad people but still have several deep-seated flaws and thus are prone to making terrible decisions, and the remaining 70% are self-serving hypocrites who would gladly screw others over for ambition, pride, glory, spite, or plainly for the kicks.

* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]] [[{{Blackmail}} threatens to release]] [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]]'s secrets to the cultivation world, forcing the latter to either 1) run away (which would ruin their reputation), or 2) act first and cripple all other clans to avoid their wrath. As [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]] predicts, the second option also ends up screwing this characer over; [[spoiler:he plans the Second Siege at the Burial Mounds to both kill the other clans and [[TheScapegoat put the blame on Wei Wuxian (again)]], but everyone pulls through thanks to the latter and subsequent events end up tainting Jin Guangyao's power, reputation and name anyways. Jin Guangyao's panicked response to this and Nie Huaisang's additional scheming is what eventually leads to the former's death and the latter's successful revenge]].

* AdaptationDeviation: In the novel, Lan Xichen noticed Lan Wangji [[spoiler:rescuing Wei Wuxian and taking him away from the Nightless City in the aftermath of the battle and notified Lan Qiren about it only after hours of recovering from his wounds]]. In the audio drama, Lan Wangji [[spoiler:took Wei Wuxian away in the ''midst'' of the bloodbath]], and it was a random Lan disciple who witnessed what happened and [[spoiler:immediately alerted Lan Qiren to them]].

* CryLaughing: Wei Wuxian flipped between laughing and crying in horror [[spoiler:at the Nightless City when he realized that no matter what he does and says, everyone will always find a way to blame him and label him a monster]].

** After [[spoiler:Lan Sizhui recovers his memories, he and]] Wen Ning set for (what's left of) Nightless City with plans to build a cenotaph in Wen Qing's honor and also [[spoiler:bury the Wen survivors' ashes]].

* HelpMistakenForAttack: After Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, Lan Wangji was one of the extremely few people who was afraid ''for'' and not ''of'' Wei Wuxian. But every time he expressed his concern, Wei Wuxian took it as an accusation instead. The trope reached its peak during the [[spoiler:Nightless City attack; when Lan Wangji tried to calm Wei Wuxian down by sending his sword towards Chenqing, Wei Wuxian thought he was trying to kill him]].

* KarmaHoudini: With the exception of [[spoiler:Jin Guangshan, Jin Guangyao, and Nie Mingjue (who died for different reasons)]], most of the [[spoiler:other (currently living) cultivators that participated in both the Nightless City attack and the First Siege]] don't get any proper comeuppance for their actions after [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's innocence was finally proven]]. While they feel greatly humiliated when [[spoiler:their attempt to start another siege ended with them being saved by the one they had set out to kill, with part of the younger generation essentially calling them out on their nonsense]], that's all the requital they get and even then it doesn't stick for long. Though by that point, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian]] doesn't care anymore as long as they leave him alone. Also, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's name has been cleared of the charges he's falsely accused of]], and since he's now [[spoiler:the partner of a cultivator ''nobody'' would dare speak up against]], they're at least guaranteed to be unable to backtalk him again and expect to gain anything from it.

** Experiencing a HeroicBSOD after the events of Nightless City, [[spoiler:all Wei Wuxian said to Lan Wangji when the latter accompanied him was, "Get lost!"]]

* MinorInjuryOverreaction: [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]] screams like mad when [[spoiler:Su She]] stabs him in the leg, and he continues to make a fuss about it afterwards despite Lan Xichen reassuring him that it's just a cut. [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's suspicions however imply Nie Huaisang might have been hamming it up on purpose.]]

* MoralMyopia: Most of the characters judge what's right and wrong based on what makes them ''feel like'', instead of actually ''makes'' them, the good guys. Thus, they can support something one moment and then decry it the next, painting them as complete hypocrites. Wei Wuxian lampshades the trope best when he [[spoiler:confronts the other clans just when they were planning to ambush him]].

* NonAnswer: What caused a lot of problems between Jiang Fengmian and his family was that he his responses to the accusations his wife made against him never confirmed nor denied whether he truly favored Wei Wuxian over Jiang Cheng or if he had any feelings for Cangse-sanren.

* NoSell: Shortly before [[spoiler:the Nightless City bloodbath began, Wei Wuxian got shot in the heart by an archer while he was confronting all the cultivation clans that declared to attack him]]. Wei Wuxian gave no reaction as he merely tore it out of his chest and threw it back at the archer, impaling him through the heart as well.

** While Nine Mingjue initially felt bad that others looked down on Jin Guangyao and overlooked his abilities on the sole basis of his parentage, he started to have less sympathy towards his plight when [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao proved how unscrupulous he can be]], even when the latter claimed that his background made a lot of things harder for him. At one point, Nie Mingjue [[spoiler:insulted him by calling him the SonOfAWhore after losing his temper]].

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: When Jin Zixunu attempted to force the Twin Jades to drink, some of his dialogue implied that this was his way of making the brothers publicly declare that the Lan Clan were allies of the Jin Clan under any circumstances.

** Whatever Lan Wangji did during the Sunshot Campaign is not shown nor made explicitly clear, but it was was enough to gain him the same level of prestige only clan leaders manage to achieve even when he himself is not one.

* OneSteveLimit: Downplayed. Some characters' names sound the same when written in romanized form, but not when written in the original Chinese characters. Such names that serve as examples are Ziyuan (from the Yu and Mo families) and Yuan (from the Lan and Wen Clans). [[spoiler:The latter detail actually plays an important role, as it helps Wen Ning clue in on Wen Yuan having grown up as Lan Yuan aka Lan Sizhui.]]

* ParentalAbandonment: It's probably easier to list the characters in the main cast without dead parents, which is unsurprising given the amount of war and dangerous situations that occur in the setting.
* ParentalSubstitute: Due to the number of parental deaths, many characters have acted as guardians for orphaned children. Jin Ling was raised by his maternal and paternal uncles, and Lan Wangji was a father and brother figure to Lan Sizhui when the latter was growing up [[spoiler:after he ws brought into the clan as Wen Yuan]].

** When waking up at the Cloud Recesses [[spoiler:after getting stabbed by Jin Ling]], Lan Wangji is sitting by his side. At one point Wei Wuxian's afraid he's about to leave and begs him to not leave him alone.

* PostVictoryCollapse: Not long after the events of the Second Siege, Wei Wuxian faints when he gets on a boat as he's overtaxed himself from fighting waves of fierce corpses. [[spoiler:Although it turns out that while he ''was'' exhausted, he wasn't going to pass out, but pretended that he fainted after Lan Wangji caught him as he wanted an excuse to sleep in Lan Wangji's arms.]]

* PowerSource: A golden core serves as the main source of spiritual power for the cultivators. It is what gives them the ability to cast spells, battle ghosts, and fly on their swords, as well as enhancing their physical strength and endurance. Once a golden core is fully cultivated, the holder completely stops aging and essentially reaches immortality. However, cultivators are not ''born'' with one and must form it by training through various cultivation stages (five in common ''xianxia'' lore) before the golden core reaches its final stage of formation.

** Zhen Guo Li (a brand of yogurt drink products) sponsored ''The Founder of Diabolism Q'' and the third season of the ''donghua''. An advertisement with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji always plays before each episode of the former, with an additional advertisement in the post-credits scene of Episode 8 and the ending of Episode 10; and the ''donghua'' also plays a few commercials, and one scene in Season 3 Episode 6 focuses on the yoghurt drink in question.

** This plays a vital role in Wei Wuxian's relationship with Jiang Cheng. When Jiang Cheng confided in him about how he always felt overshadowed by Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian promised to [[spoiler:serve by Jiang Cheng's side once the latter becomes the clan leader]], and he also promised to [[spoiler:Yu Ziyuan that he would protect Jiang Cheng with his life]]. He makes sure to fulfill [[spoiler:the latter promise, at the cost of the former -- although FromACertainPointOfView, one could say that he fulfilled ''both'' promises]].

** [[spoiler:Overhearing Jin Guangyao slandering him to Lan Xichen -- which was after he said he wanted to make peace with Nie Mingjue]] -- was the final straw that sent Nie Mingue's into a violent fury and triggered his qi deviation.

** While Song Lan is [[spoiler:finally freed of Xue Yang's control]] by the end of the Yi City arc, [[spoiler:his friend's soul remains shattered]] and A-Qing [[spoiler:has her spirit obliterated by Xue Yang]]. Wei Wuxian quickly puts her soul into a Spirit-Trapping Pouch and gives her to Song Lan along with Xiao Xingchen, telling him there is the small chance that [[spoiler:both souls can be restored when given enough time and care]], and Song Lan decides to roam the world and help people while waiting for his friend to return.

** Xue Yang murdered everyone in the White Snow Temple, blinded Song Lan and then [[spoiler:killed him years later]] just to get back at Xiao Xingchen. He also massacred the entire Chang Clan because of the clan leader's father's wrongdoings towards him.

** Wei Wuxian's lack of money is often brought up to poke fun at him, much to his chagrin. What makes this funnier is when his courtesy name gets misspelled by the townspeople as Wuqian, since ''wu qian'' translates to "no money".

** Shortly after his FirstEpisodeResurrection, when Lan Wangji first takes him to the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian immediately tries to leave under the assumption that Lan Wangji does not trust demonic cultivators and might have something bad planned for him. He gives up after every attempt blows up in his face.

** In the past, Wei Wuxian once asked Lan Wangji to sing for him. Lan Wangji hummed a melody in response, but Wei Wuxian failed to catch the name of the song. 13 later, it's the same melody that [[spoiler:allowed Lan Wangji to recognize Wei Wuxian in Mo Xuanyu's body, because Lan Wangji had only played that song, ''once'', for Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian only]].

*** Wei Wuxian, [[spoiler:because he gave his golden core to Jiang Cheng]], continues to practice demonic cultivation despite Lan Wangji's protests and the increasing scorn he's receiving from the cultivation world, strongly believing that he has it all under control. [[spoiler:Sadly to say, that wasn't the case.]]

** '''Wrath''': Jiang Cheng is extremely vindictive. His short temper causes him to get narrow-minded and have difficulty seeing the bigger picture or empathize with others, and he's capable of holding onto his hate towards someone for a very long time. There's his hatred for the Wens, which -- while mostly justified -- [[spoiler:made him unable to tell apart the guilty and the innocent]]; and more notably, there's his resentment towards Wei Wuxian, which is one of the core conflicts of the story for a good reason.

* SnarkingThanks: One of Jiang Cheng's responses to Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:donating his golden core and wanting him to ''never'' find out about it]] is the closest he gets to expressing his gratitude, but it's still said in his typically bitter and snark tone.

* SpiritCultivationGenre: Wei Wuxian, the greatest cultivator to ever live died 13 years ago. Mo Xuanyu, a much weaker cultivator, summons Wei Wuxian into his body to seek revenge on his abusive family.
* StaircaseTumble: Jin Guangyao has a terrible history of being kicked down the stairs. First as a child trying to defend his mother from an angry customer at the brothel, next when his father ordered him to be removed from the Golden Carp Tower, and lastly by [[spoiler:his own sworn brother Nie Mingjue]] at Golden Carp Tower after an argument.
* StartOfDarkness: Losing his finger to Chang Cian was what began Xue Yang's downward spiral.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] attempts to have [[spoiler:Nie Mingjue's corpse]] kill both him and [[spoiler:Lan Xichen]]. However, [[spoiler:he has a change of heart and defies this last second by pushing the latter out of the way, leaving only himself to die]].

* UndyingLoyalty: Loyalty even at the risk of one's own endangerment a few times in the novel.

** The story never confirms what Lan Wangji said to Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:in the cave after they escaped from the Nightless City]], and the only hint the reader gets is Lan Xichen explaining that [[spoiler:it gave away Lan Wangji's true feelings]]. The audio drama drops another hint by having Lan Wangji tell Wei Wuxian that [[YouHaveToBelieveMe what he's saying is the truth]] before [[LeaveMeAlone being told to get lost]], but that's about it.

* WomanScorned: One of Sisi's customers (whom she intended to marry) had a wife, and said wife hired some thugs to scar her face.
* WonTheWarLostThePeace: Powers and personalities that were even celebrated during the Sunshot Campaign often fared badly during the post-war peace and qualities that make a good fighter or cultivator aren't entirely well suited towards politics. In general, honor and cultivation power are good for night-hunts and war but it is forethought and diplomacy that matters for politics and peace.

* AdaptationDistillation: Since the novel is long and filled with a lot of expositions and detail, a few adaptations have to simply parts of the story for their more restricted formats.

*** While the Yin Tiger Tally loses presence later in the story and has its fate unknown by the epilogue (other than [[spoiler:it no longer functioning]]), the ''donghua'' still makes use of it by adding scenes of [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao trying to use it to doom everyone with fierce corpses]] and the protagonists [[spoiler:destroying it once and for all to ensure that no one can ever use it]].

* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: Based on some official artwork and adaptations, Jiang Yanli liked to part Jin Zixuan on the cheek in a loving manner.

** Xiao Xingchen left his life of isolation to try to save the world, only to end up broken and dead.

** Lan Wangji's choice to [[spoiler:fight his own clan to stop them from turning in Wei Wuxian to the other clans helped buy Wei Wuxian a bit more time]], but that's it; he merely delayed the inevitable that was [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's death]]. Although Lan Wangji's goal here was unsuccessful, it's implied his actions still [[spoiler:gave Wei Wuxian the time and opportunity to destroy the Yin Tiger Tally, ensuring the artifact wouldn't end up in the Jin Clan's clutches in its complete form]].

** While there's no doubt that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] caused Nie Mingjue to die from qi deviation, it's uncertain when the character started inducing the effects that would slowly cause said death. Wei Wuxian speculates that it might have been after Nie Mingjue [[spoiler:kicked Jin Guangyao down the stairs of Golden Carp Tower and pressed his biggest BerserkButton]]. When he points this out to [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] in the final arc, the latter doesn't affirm or refute Wei Wuxian's statement. The audio drama is less vague, confirming that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao did start tampering with the Song of Clarity only after the latter kicked him down the stairs and called him the SonOfAWhore; Wei Wuxian even noticed during Empathy that he could feel the calming effects of the song at first, but not anymore in the instances Jin Guangyao would play the song after the incident]].

** At first, it seems that Su She [[spoiler:stabbed Nie Huaisang while trying to get away]]. But once some new information come to life after [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao's death]], Wei Wuxian suspects that [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang fell on Su She's sword on purpose]]. While both possibilities are equally likely, there's no concrete proof to prove on claim over the other. The audio drama is less vague about this, as it has Su She [[spoiler:yelling "Get off!" before a stabbing sound follows, with Nie Huaisang quickly crying in pain afterwards]].

* AnachronicOrder: The novel constantly jumps back and forth between Wei Wuxian's current and previous lives. The ''donghua'' also does this to a less degree: unlike the novel, the ''donghua'' inserts all of Wei Wuxian's pre-Yiling Patriarch flashbacks betweeh the Mount Dafan and Xinglu Ridge arcs and inserts all of his Yiling Patriarch flashbacks during the Xinglu Ridge arc.

* AndThatLittleGirlWasMe: In the Yi City backstory when Xue Yang told Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing the story of a little boy who only wanted to eat sweets and was taken advantage of, he admitted to being that same little boy when A-Qing immediately inquired about it.

** After he finally had a change of heart towards Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan tried to atone for his belittlement of her and worked up the courage to have her invited to the Phoenix Mountain Hunt. He tried to court her while accompanying her around the hunting grounds, but it became clear the woman wasn't enjoying herself as she thought he was only being nice out obligation. Not wanting the misunderstanding to go on any further before she left, Jin Zixuan impulsively confessed his feelings to her and made it clear that ''he'' wanted her to be here (and not his mother like Jiang Yanli thought) -- this bewildered everyone present, and he was so embarrassed that he ran off screaming. Fortunately for him, it worked nevertheless and lead to the couple happily marrying.

* ArtEvolution: The ''manhua'' art style goes through significant changes that are a deliberate choice on the artist's part. Initially, the ''manhua'' follows a grounded art style with an equally grounded and earthy coloring scheme, which soon becomes more shoujo-esque with much brighter colors when the ''manhua'' gets to the first flashback arc about Wei Wuxian studying in the Cloud Recesses. By the time the ''manhua'' starts covering the Yi City arc, the art style became a cross between the two.

* {{Autocannibalism}}: [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian mind-raped Wen Chao]] into eating his own flesh.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Any clan leader is bound to know how to fight like a badass. The one exception is the current leader of the Nie Clan [[NonActionGuy Nie Huaisang]], [[spoiler:although that's because he's more of TheChessmaster than a fighter]].

* TheBeautifulElite: All cultivator clans tend to be seen as very attractive, being both long-lived and able to maintain their youth and able to fly and slay monsters. However, this is deconstructed in that cultivators are often isolated and sheltered which affects their ability to empathize with and understand the common folk (i.e. the people they are supposed to protect).

** After the Wen Clan [[spoiler:burned down Lotus Pier]], Jiang Cheng lashed out [[spoiler:at Wei Wuxian and blamed him for saving Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan]], yelling at him that he should have left them to die. Years later, [[spoiler:one of them eventually drops dead]].

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Although the novel's plot is almost chock-full of GreyAndGrayMorality, many cultivators think with a black-and-white mindset InUniverse, as for them there's no in-between between right and wrong. [[spoiler:However, their beliefs are based more about what's more favorable to them and their clan and less on any genuine sense of ethics.]]

* BloodFromTheMouth: Characters coughing up blood is a frequent occurrence for when they are stressed or injured.

** When Nie Huaisang stumbled upon his brother qi deviating, he broke down into tears as he tried to call out to him. Even when he got cut in the ''manhua'' and ''donghua'', he continued to cry and tell his brother to recognize him.

** Wei Wuxian has killed and injured many, so naturally he doesn't exactly bother keeping track of who. When the [[spoiler:cultivation clans gathered once again to confront him in the Burial Mounds]], each time a cultivator asks him if he remembers them before they announce whatever grievance they claim to have with him, Wei Wuxian responds with a blunt and deadpan "no".
** Heroic example. Despite Jin Zixun's hatred towards Wei Wuxian, the latter never remembered him despite having been a nuisance to him multiple times. Jin Zixun was unpleased every time he was asked if they knew each other.

** Ouyang Zizhen calls out his own father for his treatment of Wei Wuxian when he's saved him and the other juniors multiple times even though he didn't have to.

** Jiang Cheng correctly assume at Mount Dafan that "Mo Xuanyu" is actually Wei Wuxian, since this supposedly harmless lunatic not only practises demonic cultivation but also manages to summon Wen Ning with a bamboo flute. However, Zidian fails to expel Wei Wuxian's soul (since Mo Xuanyu specifically summoned him rather than had his body taken over), so everyone present at the scene doubts him.

* CheatersNeverProsper: When the Sunshot Campaign was still ongoing, Jiang Yanli helped deliver food and would occasionally bring soup in secret to Jin Zixuan. In an attempt to earn merits, another female servant pretended to be caught red-handed by Jin Zixuan, who made her a guest disciple as a reward for her "efforts". But when Jiang Yanli is caught doing the same thing and is harshly accused for taking false credit, Wei Wuxian walks in on the scene and quickly resolves the issue by calling for the female servant and exposing her lies. Besides Jin Zixuan getting beaten black and blue, there's no mention of what happened to the servant afterwards. However, since her scheme got exposed, it's unlike that she got to enjoy her rewards for long.

* CodeOfHonour: Most clans have a code of etiquette and honor that its disciples are expected to follow. However, no other clan matches the Lan Clan for scope: they carve all their rules on the giant Wall of Discipline at the entrance of the Cloud Recesses. In his time studying there, Wei Wuxian noted that there were over 3000 rules crammed onto the wall. In the 13 years since he died, a thousand more were added; the audio drama even stated that the exact number is ''4,019''.

* DeathByAThousandCuts: Xue Yang inflicted lingchi (technique that inflicts a thousand cuts on the skin) on the remaining members of the Chang Clan.

** Meng Shi's body was buried [[spoiler:underneath the Guanyin Temple]] after her death, but her grave was [[spoiler:emptied some time before Jin Guangyao attempted to retrieve her remains]]. What happened to her corpse is unknown, but Wei Wuxian speculates that [[spoiler:her corpse was dismembered and scattered to spite Jin Guangyao, since he did the exact same thing to Nie Mingjue's corpse after sending him into qi deviation]].

** Normal civilians and cultivators see the use of fierce corpses from demonic cultivation as disrespectful, since in Chinese culture doing anything to corpses that doesn't involve a burial is seen as the highest form of disrespect for the dead (as spirituality is highly valued in China). The users of demonic cultivation however approach this differently:

* DestructoNookie: Hilariously, Lan Wangji has broken multiple tubs [[spoiler:while he's having sex with Wei Wuxian and forgets his strength in those moments of passion]]. Wei Wuxian makes sure to point it out and tease Lan Wangji about it after the fact or to warn him before they actually do anything.

** On a funnier note, the Lan Clan's punishment involve copying (by hand, mind you) all ''4000'' rules of the clan. Serious cases involve copying ''while upside-down''.

** At Xuanwu Cave, Wei Wuxian -- who [[spoiler:got branded with hot iron a while ago]] -- joked to Jiang Cheng that they have cooked meat if they ever get hungry, to which the latter angrily responded by telling him he would like to sew his mouth shut.

** After Xue Yang is stopped and Wei Wuxian tells the junior disciples of what happened at Yi City, they decide to honor A-Qing and Xiao Xingchen by burning paper money.

* EffectiveKnockoff: When Wei Wuxian destroyed half of the Yin Tiger Tally, the Jin Clan of Lanling enlisted Xue Yang's help to recreate the lost half, and it's shown to be just as functional in controlling corpses. [[spoiler:However it's still lacking in power compared to its original version and loses its effectiveness after enough uses... if Jin Guangyao is telling the truth, as he claims that he wouldn't have any use for it in his attempt to escape.]]

* ExhaustedEyeBags: It takes a closer look to notice, but the ''donghua'' shows that Wei Wuxian gained eye-bags after his time in the Burial Mounds, indicating how much the discovery and honing of his new powers have drained him. He also had heavy eye-bags while waiting for Jiang Cheng to return from the mountain, [[spoiler:which foreshadowed that a certai surgery took a toll on him]].

-->'''Wei Wuxian''': Wei Wuxian was a man famous for his good looks. What is this that you've drawn?! If you haven't seen the actual person, then don't draw anything. You're gonna mislead the younger generation.

* FailureMontage: In the audio drama, an extra has Wei Wuxian go through a hilarious sequence of failutres as he repeatedly annoys the Damsel of Annual Blossoms with horrible poetry just so he would be able to see her face.
* FairWeatherFriend: Almost everyone in this in the political circle of the cultivation world. You're liked and respected if you have the status and wealth, and as long as your actions benefit their goals. As soon as either of those are no longer the case, expect to be dropped like a hot potato.

** Wei Wuxian has a particularly short temper with Jin Zixuan and is quick to respond with fists. He got expelled from the Cloud Recesses early on because he punched Jin Zixuan for insulting Jiang Yanli. He did this again when Jin Zixuan yelled at Jiang Yanli out of the belief she's trying to take false credit for making the soup he ate.
** In the ''donghua'' during his first life, Wei Wuxian punched Jiang Cheng in anger when the latter made a callous remark at [[spoiler:how Wen Qing and Wen Ning's innocence and their act of saving their lives didn't matter because they were still part of the Wen Clan]].

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: In the Golden Carp Tower arc, Jin Guangyao mentions that [[spoiler:Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian died and as its owner, only he can unsheathe it]]. Then the Sunshot Campaign arc reveals that [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng lost his core]], but while [[spoiler:they were being sheltered by Wen Ning]], Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng that [[spoiler:there is a way for him to regain his core]], and not long after [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian founded demonic cultivation]]. The reader soon realizes that all these events are connected the moment [[spoiler:Wen Ning confronts Jiang Cheng and tells him to unsheathe Suibian]].

* ForcedToWatch: In the ''donghua'' Wen Ning was made to watch [[spoiler:his own sister get incinerated into ashes]].

*** When they first "meet" after Lan Wangji saves "Mo Xuanyu" from Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling's wrath, he merely nods to "Mo Xuanyu" in acknowledgement and gratitude before leaving him to his peace. But after Wei Wuxian starts playing the flute to keep a summoned Wen Ning in a calm state, Lan Wangji immediately become stucks to him like glue and his attention is purely focused on him. Whenever Wei Wuxian tries to escape later on, Lan Wangji promptly thwarts every one of his attempts.

*** Not only can he muster disciples on short notice, they also obey him without question even when Lan Wangji [[spoiler:is trashing their ancestral hall]].

*** In the Yi City arc, when Wei Wuxian reassures Lan Sizhui to not be scared, he remarks how Wei Wuxian is a lot like Lan Wangji in that he could feel safe around them. This can easily be attributed to his empathy and perception regarding whether someone can be trusted or not, but in truth, it's actually because [[spoiler:is subconscious already knows that "Senior Mo" is the same person who helped care for him years ago]].

*** When Wen Ning asks for his birth name, Lan Sizhui answers that it's Lan Yuan. [[spoiler:The child that Wei Wuxian would oftentimes play with at the Burial Mounds was named Wen Yuan. Even when spelled with different characters, this still helps Wen Ning (and later Wei Wuxian) clue in on his identity, helped by the fact that Lan Sizhui looks just like his cousin]].

*** The ''donghua'' hints on what happened in the flashback, in the scene where Wei Wuxian was ambushed. He looked exhausted -- a hint that he just went through something extremely dangerous. There's also a small TimeSkip between Jiang Cheng climbing the mountain and this scene -- because during said time skip [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian was being operated on to have his golden core transplanted into Jiang Cheng]]. It's why he was not able to fight back against Wen Chao and co. Wen Zhuliu also looked confused after attacking Wei Wuxian, since [[spoiler:there was no golden core for him to melt]].

** Xue Yang had an entire mental break and screaming fit once [[spoiler:he realized Xiao Xingchen wasn't reanimating]], leading him to trash the entire room and threatening to [[spoiler:find A-Qing and kill her if Xiao Xingchen wouldn't get up]].

* GreyAndGrayMorality: With a few exceptions, almost the entire cast is difficult to peg as simply good or evil. Those who lean more on the side of good still have some flaws, and those who lean more on the side of evil have a few sympathetic edges. [[MoralityKitchenSink Everyone has reasons behind why they act like they do and why they perform certain actions, and said reasons make their motives understandable, but not always justifiable. Then again, there are others who do certain actions just for the sake of doing it]].

* HistoryRepeats: Almost. When the Wen Clan became too oppressive, all the other clans united to take them down. But when [[spoiler:the Jin Clan started following in their shoes]], none of the other clans noticed. And even if they did notice, they chose to do nothing about it, either to avoid getting into any political spats or because they simply didn't care as long as they could profit from the chaos. Worse yet, [[spoiler:the clans persecuted the only person who saw the truth for what it was, and never realize that they were not so different from the despots they defeated]].

** A light-hearted moment at Yi City involves Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi arguing over their respective animals' names, with the latter pointing out that Jin Ling has no right to mock Little Apple when he named his own dog Fairy.

* IfIWantedYouDead: When accused of wrongdoings multiple times, Wei Wuxian makes it clear that it wasn't him purely because he would had a ''much'' easier time killing the people in question.

** The house where Lan Wangji resides is called the ''Jingshi'' (translates to either "Silent Room" or "Room of Tranquility"). After [[spoiler:he and Wei Wuxian get married]], at night the house is [[TheImmodestOrgasm anything but silent]].

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: After [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao's horribly maimed and has yet another near-death encounter]] at Guanyin Temple, he knows that he can no longer either kill or talk his way out. He even accepts [[spoiler:Lan Xichen]]'s threat to kill him if he tries something again. [[spoiler:Unluckily for him, a certain someone ensures that his concession will not keep him his life.]]

* LickedByTheDog: When Jiang Cheng [[spoiler:went to the Burial Mound and saw that Wei Wuxian was just sheltering a group of innocent and tortured refugees rather than raising an army like the other clans were claiming he was]], the lone toddler of the group approached him and hugged his leg. Wei Wuxian commented later that the latter would only do that to people he liked, confirming the child had at least formed a good impression of the Jiang leader (despite the man being a cold and intimidating figure). Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng was not charmed whatsoever.

** In the animated chibi spinoff, Wei Wuxian as a teenager found a technicality in each of the Lan Clan's rules and gleefully abused it. He even wrote a book on it for the other students called "How to Survive in the Cloud Recesses".

-->'''Xue Yang''': Spirit-trapping Pouch, Spirit-trapping Pouch. Right, a Spirit-trapping Pouch. I need a Spirit-trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch...
** "I'll eat it! I'll eat it!" was the last thing the insane Wang Lingjiao said just before [[spoiler:choking herself to death, manipulated by Wei Wuxian]].

** When [[spoiler:Jin Ling stabs him after finding out who he really is]], Wei Wuxian only mentally remarks in annoyance how [[spoiler:he and Jiang Cheng are really alike since they stab in the same places]]. However, he does eventually lose his consciousness from the wound.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Downplayed since majority of the female cast die as well, but majority of the casualties in the story (at least as seen in the visual adaptations) are male characters. Including the protagonist himself, at least before he was brought back to life.

* ArrowCatch: Wen Ning effortlessly caught an arrow shot in his direction once in [[spoiler:Qiongqi Path when one of Jin Zixun's men attempted to shoot Wei Wuxian]].

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]]'s very good at predicting how his opponents will act, and is also a decent judge of character. When he realizes that someone's looking into [[spoiler:the severed head in his vault]], he sticks around to catch the possessed paper doll that's sneaking around, then quickly invents a plausible excuse when confronted by other cultivators and reveals [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian's continued existence]] to sway the situation in his favour in the meantime.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Before her wedding, A-Yan prayed to the Heavenly Maiden that her fiance would be loyal to her forever. Her wish was granted via her fiance's death the very next day, because her wish was interpreted in the worst way possible -- he dies so he would never have the chance to be unfaithful to her.

** The overall story ends on a mixed note. The BigBad is finally defeated, and Wei Wuxian clears his name and [[spoiler:finds happiness with Lan Wangji]], but it doesn't mean their loved ones get the same resolution. [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's relationship is finally free of hatred, but they can never go back to being the brothers they once were; Lan Xichen falls into a depression after the death of his last sworn brother, and doesn't seem to be recovering any time soon]]. If there are any upsides, [[spoiler:Lan Sizhui regains his memories as Wen Yuan and becomes closer with Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Wen Ning; Jin Ling has forgiven Wei Wuxian and they begin to properly bond as uncle and nephew; and Lan Wangji makes sure to visit his brother every now and then.]]
** The AnimatedAdaptation adapts most of the novel's bittersweet ending, but with some modifications. What remains the same is that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji still get to have their happy ending together, Lan Sizhui remembers his past and re-establishes his relationship with both them and Wen Ning, and Wen Ning finally decides to walk his own path. Not to mention, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji manage to locate the Yin Tiger Tally and destroy it so that no one can repeat what Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao had done]]. Then there are the things that happen differently: [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng fails to get closure after learning about how Wei Wuxian had sacrificed everything, and he's left alone and so broken from the guilt that he ends up secluding himself. Lan Xichen -- while he still mourns Jin Guangyao's death -- is at least not yet in seclusion]]. And lastly, [[spoiler:Jin Ling still learns of the truth behind his parents' deaths and belatedly receives the gift that Wei Wuxian meant to give to him on the day Jin Zixuan died]], but unlike in the novel it's up in the air [[spoiler:how he deals with the grudge and grief that he's held for the past few years]].

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Heroic example. Despite Jin Zixun's hatred towards Wei Wuxian, the latter never remembered him despite having been a nuisance to him multiple times. Jin Zixun was unpleased every time he was asked if they knew each other.
* CassandraTruth: Nie Mingjue was right about how [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao isn't someone who can be trusted]], which was just scratching the surface. But it would take at least 13 years for Lan Xichen as well as everyone else to finally see that.

* DeliberateInjuryGambit: When Wei Wuxian tries to [[spoiler:lure Nie Mingjue's corpse into a coffin]] at Guanyin Temple, he gets interrupted when [[spoiler:Su She stabs Nie Huaisang, which catches Nie Mingjue's attention due to them being of the same blood]]. Later on, Wei Wuxian theorizes that [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang fell on Su She's sword on purpose as he didn't want his brother to be buried until ''after'' Jin Guangyao is finished off]].

* DidntThinkThisThrough: While Bicao is the one to tell Qin Su about [[spoiler:how she and her husband are half-siblings]], she never accounts for the possibility that [[spoiler:her mistress would kill herself out of despair]]. Wei Wuxian even calls her out on it.

* ExactWords: When Lan Sizhui interrogated Song Lan's corpse, Wei Wuxian notices that Song Lan specifically answered "Xiao Xingchen" when he was asked about who killed him, but not also when asked about who was controlling him -- allowing him to figure out that the "Xiao Xingchen" who's with them right now is actually Xue Yang in disguise.

[[folder:F-N]]

** Although TheReveal in the climactic arc that [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang was likely the mastermind behind Jin Guangyao's downfall]], there's hints that the character in question is smarter than he acts and is more involved in the plot than one would first think.

* ForWantOfANail: Wei Wuxian himself notes that everything may have played out differently had he not [[spoiler:saved [[SpannerInTheWorks Su She]] from the Waterborne Abyss]].

* FreakOut: Xue Yang had an entire mental break and screaming fit once [[spoiler:he realized Xiao Xingchen wasn't reanimating]], leading him to trash the entire room and threatening to [[spoiler:find A-Qing and kill her if Xiao Xingchen wouldn't get up]].

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: The GreyAndGreyMorality is one of the most front-and-center themes of the novel, but the story doesn't shy away from the fact that sometimes [[HumansAreBastards it's the humans who are the most fearsome and difficult enemies to deal with]]. The likes of ghosts and demons are a straightforward evil to which cultivators unanimously unite to defeat, but it's a much trickier deal when they start dealing with ''each other'', especially when politics or revenge is involved.

* ImprobableAge: Most of the clan leaders are incredibly young. Justified in that the turmoil of that last 20 or so years killed a lot of powerful cultivators. The Wen Clan in particular targeted clan leaders to weaken their enemies.

** Wei Wuxian would claim he can't sleep without Lan Wangji in order to annoy the other into leaving him, which doesn't work. Hilariously, this lie ends up coming true during the Yunping City arc, where Wei Wuxian finds out that he truly can't sleep without Lan Wangji at his side.

* ItsPersonal: The whole reason Wei Wuxian went after [[spoiler:Wen Chao, Wang Lingjiao and Wen Zhuliu]] in his first life was because they were the ones who [[spoiler:killed his guardians, burnt his home down, destroyed his friend's golden core and pushed him into the Burial Mounds to die amongst other things]]. It's telling that they're the only people Wei Wuxian had deliberately exacted slow but painful and bloody vengeance on.
* IWasJustJoking: When Wei Wuxian jokingly suggests that Lan Wangji carries him by piggyback, he gets shocked when Lan Wangji prepares to do so.

* LeaveNoWitnesses: [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] hired [[spoiler:disfigured prostitutes]] as part of his plan in killing [[spoiler:his father]], then killed all of them after the deed was done. Only one was spared because [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao recognized her as someone who once helped his mother at the brothel he grew up at, although he had her locked up]].

* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Since Wen Ning is a walking corpse and can no longer feel pain, he gives little reaction when getting injured no matter how bad it is. Break an arm? He'll pop it back in place. [[spoiler:Punch through his torso? He'll just rearrange the damaged organs.]]
* MaliciousSlander: Wei Wuxian is the most frequent victim of malicious rumours, both in the past and the present. Sometimes, it happens behind his back, and other times people are hurling vicious insults right at his face.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] hints to Wei Wuxian about Lan Wangji's feelings for him at Guanyin Temple, in hopes of exploiting his vulnerable side towards the latter and mentally breaking him down. Instead, this just motivates Wei Wuxian to [[spoiler:finally confess to Lan Wangji once and for all]], relieving the tension between them and giving them a clearer head to subdue the BigBad.

* NotNowKiddo: Ouyang Zizhen attempts to defend Wei Wuxan by pointing out that something doesn't add up since Wei Wuxian saved his and the other juniors' lives despite the cultivators' claims that Wei Wuxian came back to life to commit more evil. However, his father dismisses him and tells him that he's young and doesn't know anything. Ouyang Zizhen does get to properly speak up for Wei Wuxian the second time around, however.

* NotYourProblem: Inverted. The Waterborne Abyss that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fought originally came from the waters of Qishan, not Gusu. It ended up in Caiyi Town because the Wen Clan drove the creature there on purpose for the Lan Clan to deal with.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:O-Z]]

* OutOfTheFryingPan: In an audio drama extra, Wei Wuxian was being harassed by a dog before Lan Wangji drove it away. Wei Wuxian was initially relieved, but started moaning about how he's finally free of the dog, but now he's stuck with Lan Wangji -- who might punish him again for sneaking in alcohol.

* RageBreakingPoint: [[spoiler:Overhearing Jin Guangyao slandering him to Lan Xichen -- which was after he said he wanted to make peace with Nie Mingjue]] -- was the final straw that sent Nie Mingue's into a violent fury and triggered his qi deviation.

* RuleOfSymbolism: Both the ''donghua'' and the audio drama have featured Lan Wangji holding his guqin, with the strings broken and his hands bloodied. In China, broken strings symbolize someone losing their spouse, and given what happened before the TimeSkip...

** While Wei Wuxian initially engages in TeethClenchedTeamwork with the cultivators [[spoiler:that failed to kill him again]] in order to deal with the BigBad, once he gets more information about [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] from Sisi and Bicao, he and Lan Wangji set out to roam around the rest of Lotus Pier so they could take a breather from the other cultivators.

* SilenceYouFool:
** Lan Wangji occasionally uses the Silencing Spell if someone is either too chatty, loud, or disrespectful.
** In the final arc Lan Wangji coldly tells Jiang Cheng to "spare some virtue" after Jiang Cheng gets too caustic with Wei Wuxian, essentially telling him to shut the hell up.

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: Meng Shi is often on the receiving end of insults even in death, since whenever someone calls Jin Guangyao a SonOfAWhore they mean to insult both him and his mother just because of their background and/or profession.

* TakeMeInstead: Both Wen Ning and Wen Qing [[spoiler:gave themselves up to the Jin Clan so that Wei Wuxian wouldn't be persecuted for Jin Zixuan's death. It ended up being AllForNothing as not only did the other clans still launched an attack on the Burial Mounds, Wen Qing's corpse was also burned to ashes and Wen Ning was imprisoned to be experimented upon]].

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Before her wedding, A-Yan prayed to the Dancing Goddess that her fiance would be loyal to her forever. Her wish was granted via her fiance's death the very next day, because her wish was interpreted in the worst way possible -- he dies so he would never have the chance to be unfaithful to her.

** In the ''donghua'', when Jin Ling mocks Lan Jingyi for being scared of the Dancing Goddess statue, he immediately shivers in a comical manner in fear when Lan Sizhui notices that the statue might be alive.

*** When Wen Ning asks for his birth name, Lan Sizhui answers that it's Lan Yuan. [[spoiler:The child that Wei Wuxian would oftentimes play with at the Burial Mound was named Wen Yuan. Even when spelled with different characters, this still helps Wen Ning (and later Wei Wuxian) clue in on his identity, helped by the fact that Lan Sizhui looks just like his cousin]].

** After the events at Golden Carp Tower, Wen Ning trails Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji from the shadows and helps fight off any fierce corpses near their path. Wei Wuxian and the audience only find out when he shows himself to the protagonists, and the pair realize he's the reason why they faced no trouble on their way from the Cloud Recesses to the entrance of the Burial Mound.

** Wei Wuxian went on a horrific killing spree against the Wen Clan after [[spoiler:he escaped the Burial Mound, which was where he was left to die by Wen Chao]].

* TakeMeInstead: Both Wen Ning and Wen Qing [[spoiler:gave themselves up to the Jin Clan so that Wei Wuxian wouldn't be persecuted for Jin Zixuan's death. It ended up being AllForNothing as not only did the other clans still launched an attack on the Burial Mound, Wen Qing's corpse was also burned to ashes and Wen Ning was imprisoned to be experimented upon]].

** Wen Ning tells Jiang Cheng about [[spoiler:the time the latter searched for Baoshan-Sanren in such extensive detail]] to ensure that the latter can't delude himself into thinking that the former is lying about the fact that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian gave his golden core to Jiang Cheng]].

-->-- '''Prologue'''

->''In the first year, nothing happened. In the second year, nothing happened. In the third year, nothing happened. In the 13th year, nothing happened either.''

->''More and more people were starting to believe that, maybe, the Yiling Patriarch actually perished. Even if he was capable of turning the world upside down, it was finally his turn to be toppled over.''

->''Nobody would remain at the top for all of eternity -- legends are only legends.''

** Jin Zixuan was the only legitimate son of Jin Guangshan. Despite his arrogant exterior, he was honorable and kind once you got to know him. Menahwhile, his half-brother Jin Guangyao is an illegitimate son who worked his way up and [[spoiler:despite acting kind and self-effacing, is actually the novel's main villain]].

* SlashedThroat: [[spoiler:Xiao Xing]] took his own life by slashing his throat with his sword.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: Downplayed in regards to the romance between the main duo and other characters' reactions to it. While homosexuality is a huge no-no in RealLife China both then and today, it was still more accepted in the country centuries prior -- and the setting of the novel is inspired from ancient rather than modern China. However, there are several characters in the story -- be they named or background characters -- who express homophobic behavior, and the reader should expect to see the word "cut-sleeve" (the Chinese derogatory slur for "homosexual") more than once.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: Su She [[spoiler:exposes himself when he reflexively draws Suibian after Jin Guangyao pulls a surprise attack on him, since Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian's death and thus would respond only to its master]].

* DestroyTheAbusiveHome:
** The whole reason Mo Xuanyu summoned Wei Wuxian was so that the latter would kill his abusive family. His plan is successful, albeit thanks to the demonic arm and not Wei Wuxian himself.
** Jin Guangyao burned down the brothel he grew up in, as he and his mother had been treated poorly by both the customers and the other prostitutes. [[spoiler:He then [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas built a temple for his mother over its remains.]]]]

* IHaveManyNames: With the story's setting being an alternate version of ImperialChina, all notable people have at least three names: a birth name, a courtesy name, and a title. This applies for the male characters, since the female characters are introduced with only one name and it's never confirmed if it's either their birth or their courtesy names. In RealLife, women in ancient China are granted both, but their courtesy names are rarely, if ever, recorded in history.

** The junior disciples accompanying Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in Yi City cry loudly after Wei Wuxian tells them of [[spoiler:what happened to A-Qing and Xiao Xingchen]].

''Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi'' (Chinese: 魔道祖师 ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''), also known as ''Founder of Diabolism'', is a ''[[BoysLove danmei]]'' and ''[[SpiritCultivationGenre xianxia]]'' novel by Creator/MoXiangTongXiu, which was first published as a WebNovel on the Chinese WebNovel site JJWXC.

* AdaptationDeviation:
** While the audio drama is the most loyal adaptation of the novel, it still makes a notable change or two to how it adapts the plot. In the novel, Lan Xichen noticed Lan Wangji [[spoiler:rescuing Wei Wuxian and taking him away from the Nightless City in the aftermath of the battle and notified Lan Qiren about it only after hours of recovering from his wounds]]. In the audio drama, Lan Wangji [[spoiler:took Wei Wuxian away in the ''midst'' of the bloodbath]], and it was a random Lan disciple who witnessed what happened and [[spoiler:immediately alerted Lan Qiren to them]].
** By the finale, the whereabouts of the Yin Tiger Tally is ultimately left unknown in the ending -- no one knows where it is, or whether it was destroyed or not. On the other hand, the final episode of the ''donghua'' has [[spoiler:the Yin Tiger Tally retrieved by Wei Wuxian and him setting out to destroy it once and for all to ensure that no one can ever use it, with Lan Wangji later helping him]].

* AdaptationExpansion: The audio drama adds several scenes that weren't included the novel or were only mentioned in passing. To a lesser extent, the ''donghua'' also does this at certain points in the story.

** In the present timeline, [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] is revealed to be Wei Wuxian's biggest threat and is the man behind some significant incidents and conflict (such as [[spoiler:triggering Nie Mingjue's death]]), although much of it was influenced by [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain Jin Guangshan]]]].

* DeathOfAChild: Most of the deaths that occur in the novel are either teenagers or adults, but never children, in both the past and present time. There is one exception: Jin Rusong, Jin Guangyao's son, who's said to have been killed by one of Jin Guangyao's political enemies, [[spoiler:although the truth is a lot darker than what most know]]. We're at least spared the details as to ''how'' the death happened.

* DestroyTheAbusiveHome: The whole reason Mo Xuanyu summoned Wei Wuxian was so that the latter would kill his abusive family. His plan is successful, albeit thanks to the demonic arm and not Wei Wuxian himself.

* TheDogWasTheMastermind: Nobody saw [[spoiler:the vengeance of the supposedly inept and cowardly Nie Huaisang]] coming.

* DrivenByEnvy: The fiasco at the Xuanwu Cave started because Wang Lingjiao was jealous of Mianmian's looks and wanted her dead once she noticed Wen Chao took a liking to her.

* FamilyExtermination: He annihilated the entire Chang Clan out of revenge for their previous leader costing him one of his fingers.

* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: Discussed between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng regarding Jiang Yanli's (rearranged) marriage to Jin Zixuan. When Wei Wuxian expressed his disapproval by pointing out that Jin Zixuan might end up like his philanderer of a father and cheat on Yanli, Jiang Cheng coldly responded that he can just try.

* LastOfHisKind: By the time the final arc ends, [[spoiler:four of the five main cultivation families]] are killed off [[RacialRemnant with the exception of one surviving member]]: [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng for the Jiang Clan, Nie Huaisang for the Nie Clan, Jin Ling for the Jin Clan (not counting any other possible illegitimate children Jin Guangshan may have had who are still alive), and Lan Sizhui/Wen Yuan for the Wen Clan]].

* MortonsFork: In the past, Wei Wuxian was always thrown into precarious situations where he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. Such instances occurred when [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng lost his core, when he rescued the Wen remnants, when he learned that the clans were planning to lead a siege on him; and in every instance, he could never find a compromise or a way out no matter how hard he tried]].
-->''He had known from the start that no matter what he said, nobody would listen to him. What he denied could be forced; what he admitted could be twisted.''

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Lan Xichen's realization that [[spoiler:he's misjudged Wei Wuxian the entire time, never really knew Jin Guangyao's true character and unknowingly enabled some of his friend's wrongdoings due to personal bias]] hits him so hard that he's overcome with despair [[spoiler:and starts to live in seclusion]].

* NeckSnap: A-Tong, the Mo family's servant, dies via snapping his own neck when possessed by the demonic left arm.

* NotSoDifferentRemark: Lan Sizhui makes a note that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are actually more similar than they realize, taking on responsibilities and reliably seeing those responsibilities to the end.

* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: The audio drama reveals at Guanyin Temple that Lan Xichen [[spoiler:begged Lan Qiren to not punish Lan Wangji with the discipline whip in spite of his brother's grievous crime of attacking the clan elders]].

* RevengeByProxy: Xue Yang murdered everyone in the White Snow Temple, blinded Song Lan and then [[spoiler:killed him years later]] just to get back at Xiao Xingchen. He also massacred the entire Chang Clan because of the clan leader's father's wrongdoings towards him.

* SerenadeYourLover: In the past, Wei Wuxian once asked Lan Wangji to sing for him. Lan Wangji hummed a melody in response, but Wei Wuxian failed to catch the name of the song. 13 later, it's the same melody that [[spoiler:allowed Lan Wangji to recognize Wei Wuxian in Mo Xuanyu's body, because Lan Wangji had only played that song, ''once'', for Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian only]].

** As Meng Shi didn't have the wealth or the means to constantly take care of herself, giving birth to a child slowly weathered out Meng Shi over the years which made her less and less desirable for customers. Naturally, this didn't work out in her favor. In one instance, it got her beaten up by a client.

* XanatosSpeedChess: [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]]'s shown to be capable of adjusting his plans on the fly, by getting personally involved in the scene to manipulate the situation in his favour again. This is necessary as his gambit isn't entirely perfect and [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] is also a brilliant chessmaster that's skilled at evading traps.

** After telling her story to the cultivators, Wei Wuxian asks Sisi why she's the SoleSurvivor and who helped her escape from prison. Both times, Sisi honestly answers that she doesn't know. [[spoiler:Another character that tends to answer any question aimed at him with "I don't know"? Nie Huisang.]]

* [[AudioPlay Audio Drama]]: This is produced by Polar Penguin Studios and consists of three seasons. The audio drama is available at the Chinese audio streaming website [=MissEvan=] (Season 1 [[https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/drama/15861 here]], Season 2 [[https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/drama/19059 here]], Season 3 [[https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/drama/22602 here]]). A Japanese dub of the audio drama began airing in January 2020 on [=MimiFM=].

** Despite everything Wei Wuxian sacrificed to save [[spoiler:Wen Ning and his relatives]], all his efforts were turned against him [[spoiler:through both horrible luck and tragic injustice, and it all ended in his death and the remaining Wens being brutally and remorselessly slaughtered]]. After the TimeSkip, however, Wei Wuxian gets the reassurance that his efforts ''weren't'' in vain when he learns that [[spoiler: Lan Sizhui and Wen Yuan are the same person]].
** Lan Wangji's choice to [[spoiler:fight his own clan to stop them from turning in Wei Wuxian to the other clans helped buy Wei Wuxian a bit more time]], but that's it; he merely delayed the inevitable that was [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian's death]]. Although Lan Wangji's goal here was unsuccessful, it's implied his actions still [[spoiler:gave Wei Wuxian the time and opportunity to destroy the Yin Tiger Tally, ensuring the artifact wouldn't end up in the Jin Clan's clutches in its complete form]].

** While there's no doubt that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] caused Nie Mingjue to die from ''qi'' deviation, it's uncertain when the character started inducing the effects that would slowly cause said death. Wei Wuxian speculates that it might have been after Nie Mingjue [[spoiler:kicked Jin Guangyao down the stairs of Golden Carp Tower and pressed his biggest BerserkButton]]. When he points this out to [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] in the final arc, the latter doesn't affirm or refute Wei Wuxian's statement. The audio drama is less vague, confirming that [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao did start tampering with the Song of Clarity only after the latter kicked him down the stairs and called him the SonOfAWhore; Wei Wuxian even noticed during Empathy that he could feel the calming effects of the song at first, but not anymore in the instances Jin Guangyao would play the song after the incident]].

** Wei Wuxian feared in the past that if Jiang Cheng knew even a hint about [[spoiler:how he really regained his cultivation]], he would take it poorly and break down again. Fearing that outcome, Wei Wuxian never hinted to anyone about what happened to him and why [[spoiler:he switched to using only demonic cultivation, and told Wen Ning to never tell Jiang Cheng about the transplant under any circumstances]]. In the present day, [[spoiler:Wen Ning only ends up breaking his word when [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown Jiang Cheng antagonizes Wei Wuxian]] past his RageBreakingPoint that he ends up suffering a [[HeroicRROD minor]] ''[[HeroicRROD qi]]'' [[HeroicRROD deviation]]]].

* ChangedMyMindKid: An inversion in that it's the kids who changed their minds. [[spoiler:During the Second Siege, Wei Wuxian decides to use ''himself'' as bait to give all the other cultivators enough time to escape the Burial Mounds unharmed.]] The juniors are told to leave as well; but they decide to go back and help anyway.

* ChekhovsGun: The forehead ribbon, are treated as sacred by the Lan Clan and is not allowed to be touched by anyone else. [[spoiler:Its meaning is "to conduct oneself well", but the founder once claimed that before the person one loves, no rules are necessary, hence the forehead ribbon is a token of love between a member of the Lan clan and the lover.]] Wei Wuxian's reaction upon finding out is ''hilarious''.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: He [[spoiler:exposes himself when he reflexively draws Suibian after Jin Guangyao pulls a surprise attack on him, since Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian's death and thus would respond only to its master]].

** Meng Shi's body was buried [[spoiler:underneath the Guanyin Temple]] after her death, but her grave was [[spoiler:emptied some time before Jin Guangyao attempted to retrieve her remains]]. What happened to her corpse is unknown, but Wei Wuxian speculates that [[spoiler:her corpse was dismembered and scattered to spite Jin Guangyao, since he did the exact same thing to Nie Mingjue's corpse after sending him into ''qi'' deviation]].

* {{Elopement}}: After the whole mess with [[spoiler: Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue]] has been dealt with, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji]] leave to elope so they can finally have their alone time while temporarily disassociating themselves from the cultivation world.

*** When Wen Ning asks for his birth name, Lan Sizhui answers that it's Yuan. [[spoiler:The Wen child that Wei Wuxian would oftentimes play with is also named Yuan. Even when spelled with different characters, this still helps Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian draw the same conclusion. Wen Ning even comments on how Lan Sizhui looks like a relative of his]].

* GaleForceSound: By using his ''guqin'', Lan Wangji can produce shock waves that are powerful enough to create small ''craters'' on the ground.

* HelpMistakenForAttack: After Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, Lan Wangji was one of the extremely few people who was afraid ''for'' and not ''of'' Wei Wuxian. But every time he expressed his concern, Wei Wuxian took it as an accusation instead. The trope reached its peak during the [[spoiler: Nightless City attack; when Lan Wangji tried to calm Wei Wuxian down by sending his sword towards Chenqing, Wei Wuxian thought he was trying to kill him]].

** When it comes to Wei Wuxian's [[spoiler:sex life with Lan Wangji, he is very much open to rough play]]. Yet he draws the line when it comes to [[spoiler: spanking, which is essentially one of the ''mildest'' parts of rough play, even when Wei Wuxian has already dabbled in lewder stuff]]. Granted, it's explained that he dislikes it not because of the pain, but because it feels humiliating since parents do the same thing to unruly children.

* ItsAllMyFault: It's implied that Wen Qing readily [[spoiler:sacrificed herself and her brother to the Jin Clan]] because she felt responsible for Wei Wuxian's ostracization and [[spoiler:Jin Zixuan's death]].

* IWasJustPassingThrough:
** It wasn't initially Wei Wuxian's plan to investigate a corpse that's related to a huge conspiracy. After his resurrection, his plan simply comprises traveling around while keeping his distance from everyone of his past. However, the events at Mount Dafan show that fate had other plans for him. [[spoiler:Then the finale hints that his getting involved in the mysteries surrounding the demonic arm was actually planned from the beginning.]]
** Downplayed when Lan Wangji met Wei Wuxian in Yiling in the past. He explained to Wei Wuxian that he was in Yiling for a night-hunt, however it's hinted that he was actually there to pay a visit to Wei Wuxian and see how he's doing.

** The Lan Clan is famous for their musical skills (especially the ''guqin''), which can be used to summon spirits, interrogate spirits, forcibly silence people, and even [[spoiler:nullify magical powers -- albeit temporarily]]. Lan Wangji in particular a master of the ''guqin''; he's very knowledgeable in the ''qin'' language required to talk to spirits, and he knows the composition of every piece there is to know, whether it's for offense, defense, or entirely other purposes.

* MustBeInvited: In the "Intrusion" extra, it's revealed that the very concept of houses is enough to repel both humans and non-humans to some extent without supernatural reinforcement. Of course, once the nasties get past the really tall gate thresholds, they can then come in at any time. [[spoiler:Luckily, most houses in ImperialChina are constructed with three 'gates': the main gate, the main hall door, and the main bedroom door. And a virgin boy may or may not be required to guard the last one if necessary...]]

* NoSympathy: When Jiang Cheng finally vents out ''all'' of his feelings and frustrations to Wei Wuxian after [[spoiler:the entire truth about his golden core comes out]], Lan Wangji silently defends Wei Wuxian throughout and only speaks up once by telling Jiang Cheng to watch his words in a very cold manner. While he's not unable to see that Jiang Cheng suffered through a lot as well, from Lan Wangji's perspective, [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse whatever hardships and losses Jiang Cheng went through does not nor will it ever justify his treatment of Wei Wuxian]].
* NotHelpingYourCase: Every time Lan Wangji asked Wei Wuxian to come back with him to Gusu in the past, he never properly explained himself and would only state that there are consequences to using demonic cultivation when the subject comes up. Naturally, this made Wei Wuxian think that he wanted him arrested and so refused, leading to them arguing and becoming more distant than they were before.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Wei Wuxian goes on a horrific killing spree against the Wen Clan after [[spoiler:he escapes the Burial Mounds, which was where he was left to die by Wen Chao]].

* RuleOfSymbolism: Both the ''donghua'' and the audio drama have featured Lan Wangji holding his ''guqin'', with the strings broken and his hands bloodied. In China, broken strings symbolize someone losing their spouse, and given what happened before the TimeSkip...

** Mianmian left [[spoiler:her clan]] out of disgust when she defended Wei Wuxian after the Sunshot Campaign but was dismissed by everyone on the sexist pretext of her being a woman who Wei Wuxian saved once. Lan Wangji also left alongside her when he witnessed that almost nobody was willing to speak reason nor be reasoned with.
** When Wei Wuxian outs Su She as [[spoiler:part of the mastermind behind the events leading to the Second Siege]], Su She immediately hightails it and leaves the rest of the cultivators behind to deal with [[spoiler:the walking corpses]].
** While Wei Wuxian initially engages in TeethClenchedTeamwork with the cultivators [[spoiler:that failed to kill him again]] in order to deal with the BigBad, once Wei Wuxian gets more information about [[spoiler: Jin Guangyao]] from Sisi and Bicao, he and Lan Wangji set out to roam around the rest of Lotus Pier so they could take a breather from the other cultivators.

** Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli take after their [[IronLady mother]] and [[NiceGuy father]], respectively.

** Nie Mingjue is a BloodKnight warrior who prefers fighting to poetry and politics while Nie Huaisang is weak at cultivation, prefers gentlemanly pursuits and is [[spoiler:more cunning and better at politics. They also turn out to be not so different as both deeply value their family and are willing to go to great lengths for revenge.]]
** Jin Guangyao and Jin Zixuan are an interesting case. Jin Zixuan is the only legitimate son of Jin Guangshan. Despite his arrogant exterior, he's honorable and kind once you get to know him. Jin Guangyao is an illegitimate son who worked his way up and [[spoiler:despite acting kind and self-effacing, is actually the novel's main villain]].

* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Wen Ning tells Jiang Cheng about [[spoiler:the time the latter searched for Baoshan-Sanren in such extensive detail]] to ensure that the latter can't delude himself into thinking that the former is lying about the fact that [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian gave his golden core to Jiang Cheng]].

* TearsOfJoy: When Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:finally manages to confess his feelings]], Lan Wangji pulls him into a tight and joyful embrace in response. Wei Wuxian notes that Lan Wangji's body and the sound of his voice hints that he's close to crying, and shortly after he feels a wet sensation on his shoulder.

* WhatDidIDoLastNight: Lan Wangji asks Wei Wuxian the question almost word-for-word after the first time they drink together, since he doesn't remember anything he does under the influence of alcohol.
* WhereItAllBegan: For a time, Wei Wuxian lived in Yiling as a StreetUrchin after his parents' deaths. Yiling is also where [[spoiler: he founded demonic cultivation]], and where he ultimately perished.

* WingdingEyes: In the aniamted chibi gag spinoff, characters' eyes tend to turn into symbols for comedic effect, such as turning into sparkles whenever they get excited or amazed.

* WrittenByTheWinners: The reader realizes that this trope comes into play when they learn of [[spoiler:the complete story of the Yiling Patriarch and what most people InUniverse are saying about him]], with said people either spreading the tales due to simple ignorance of the truth (in the case of the townspeople) or to glorify themselves by [[spoiler:painting Wei Wuxian in a bad light (in the case of the cultivators)]].

--> -- '''Prologue'''

* Xiao Xingchen left his life of isolation to try to save the world, only to end up broken and dead.

* AssholeVictim: Discussed InUniverse in the ''Iron Hook'' extra. After the juniors hear the entire story of the eponymous ghost, they agree that the blacksmith's wife (the Iron Hook's first victim) got her just desserts for killing him just because she was bored with being his wife.

* CastingGag: [[Literature/ShaPoLangNovel This isn't the first time]] Zhang Jie voiced a main character in a ''danmei'' novel adaptation who's infamous for his flute-playing (although the [[DreadfulMusician reasons differ]]) and is feared in the battlefield. Bonus points since in the same adaptation, Guo Haoran played a major supporting character who serves as the former's closest friend and has his hands full dealing with him, except that they never fell out and remained as VitriolicBestBuds throughout; and Yang Tianxiang played the bastard son of an emperor, although his character was readily accepted into the royal family after his lineage was revealed to him, in contrast to Jin Guangyao, who didn't have it nearly as easy.

** The ''Iron Hook'' extra, Jin Ling invites the Lan disciples to help him with a case involving the aforementioned Iron Hook, and Wei Wuxian tags along to guide them and give them advice.

* HeelRealization: Averted with [[spoiler:the cultivators that conspired to kill Wei Wuxian in both the first and second sieges]]. Almost none of them experience any shame and remorse for their actions and [[spoiler:just repeat their mistakes of slandering other people and acting like they're in the right the whole time]].

* IronicEcho: When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji argue about demonic cultivation in Chapter 62, Jiang Cheng ends the fight by reminding Lan Wangji that Wei Wuxian is of the Jiang Clan and wherever he'd return to, it wouldn't be with him. Cut to more than a decade later, where Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:marries Lan Wangji and now lives in the Cloud Recesses]]. And beforehand, Wei Wuxian had already found himself estranged from his old home, with [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng driving the final nail in the coffin by spitefully telling him that he's not welcome in Lotus Pier. There are hints that he regrets saying that, but the words have already left his mouth]].

* ISeeDeadPeople: The existence of ghosts and their exorcisms are a central point in this story.

--> '''Xue Yang''': Spirit-trapping Pouch, Spirit-trapping Pouch. Right, a Spirit-trapping Pouch. I need a Spirit-trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch...

--> ''He had known from the start that no matter what he said, nobody would listen to him. What he denied could be forced; what he admitted could be twisted.''

** For a sword whose name means "avoiding dust (mundane matters)", Bichen sure sees a lot of mundane uses aside from chopping up supernatural threats: a shovel, to break through walls, [[spoiler:a dildo...]][[note]]The last one occurred only in an EroticDream, but still[[/note]]

* MustBeInvited: In the ''Intrusion'' extra, it's revealed that the very concept of houses is enough to repel both humans and non-humans to some extent without supernatural reinforcement. Of course, once the nasties get past the really tall gate thresholds, they can then come in at any time. [[spoiler:Luckily, most houses in ImperialChina are constructed with three 'gates': the main gate, the main hall door, and the main bedroom door. And a virgin boy may or may not be required to guard the last one if necessary...]]
* MyGodYouAreSerious: When Wei Wuxian jokingly suggests that Lan Wangji carries him by piggyback, he gets shocked when Lan Wangji prepares to do so.

** The ''Iron Hook'' extra never revealed the name of the Hook Hand's wife, but the audio drama gives her the nickname "A-Die" or "''Xiao''-Die".

* NonMaliciousMonster: Not every supernatural being is a threat, as sometimes there are spirits born from virtue instead of resentment. Such an example is the Damsel of Annual Blossoms. The ''Lotus Seed Pod'' extra also shows that while most water ghouls are commonly known to drown people who enter its territory, there are some who just swim around without wanting to harm anybody.

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Implied to be the reason why Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng [[spoiler:aren't able to reconcile in the ending]]. From Wei Wuxian's perspective, [[spoiler:he and Jiang Cheng have hurt each other too much and they are too different; and he believes that they shouldn't be stuck in the past as they now have their own paths to follow]]. From Jiang Cheng's perspective, there's the knowledge of [[spoiler:what Wei Wuxian had sacrificed for him and why he broke his promise and the subsequent guilt he feels; he sees that Wei Wuxian is now happy and content by Lan Wangji's side and decides not to intrude on that; and he believes that there's nothing more to say between them]].
-->'''Wei Wuxian''': Right now, I do really think... it's all in the past. It's been too long. There's no need to struggle with it any longer.

* OneSteveLimit: Downplayed. Some characters' names sound the same when written in romanized form, but not when written in the original Chinese characters. Such names that serve as examples are Ziyuan (from the Yu and Mo families) and Yuan (from the Lan and Wen Clans). [[spoiler:The latter is revealed to be a bit of subversion as Wen Yuan and Lan Yuan/Sizhui refer to the same person.]]

* PlotTriggeringDeath: In order to fulfill the requirements of summoning a villainous ghoul to take revenge, Mo Xuanyu had to scatter his own soul and die for good (as in, beyond any possibility of coming back as a ghost, even). Mo Xuanyu thus had to die for Wei Wuxian to reenter the world and get the plot rolling.

* PowerSource: A golden core (''jindan'') serves as the main source of spiritual power for the cultivators. It is what gives them the ability to cast spells, battle ghosts, and fly on their swords, as well as enhancing their physical strength and endurance. Once a golden core is fully cultivated, the holder completely stops aging and essentially reaches immortality. However, cultivators are not ''born'' with one and must form it by training through various cultivation stages (five in common ''xianxia'' lore) before the golden core reaches its final stage of formation.

** There's a Cornetto commercial (with the characters promoting said ice cream brand) in almost every episode of the ''donghua''. One episode also features Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng at a dessert shop in Caiyi Town, eating what's unmistakably a Cornetto ice cream cone; and another episode has Wei Wuxian eating a similar dessert in Qinghe.
** An advertisement for Zhen Guo Li (which is a brand of yogurt drink products) is always played at the beginning of every episode of ''The Founder of Diabolism Q''. There's an additional advertisement in the post-credits scene of Episode 8 and the ending of Episode 10 is an InUniverse advertisement of the product.

* SupernaturalRepellent: The ''Iron Hook'' extra shows that salt is also effective in holding off ghosts or beings of resentful energy in general.

---> '''Ouyang Zizhen''': Hanguang-Jun, why did Senior Wei collapse?\\

** Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan had a close friendship that eventually saw a tragic ending. Long story short, everything went downhill for them after [[spoiler:they apprehended Xue Yang, who would soon get back at them both]]. It ultimately ended with [[spoiler:the former's suicide and the latter dying at his (oblivious) friend's hand]]. Eventually, Xue Yang gets killed, leaving Song Lan (now a fierce corpse) free to roam the earth with his friend's soul and weapon]], and only time will tell whether they'll reunite once again.

---> '''Jiang Cheng''': What do you mean [[spoiler:the sword took me as Wei Wuxian]]? How?! Why would it be me?!\\

---> '''[[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]]''': [[spoiler:Huaisang]], you're truly impressive. How unexpected for me to fall in your hands like this... [...] No wonder... It must've been quite hard to have hidden yourself for so many years!

** In ''The Founder of Diabolism/Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'', Wei Wuxian as a teenager found a technicality in each of the Lan Clan's rules and gleefully abused it. He even wrote a book on it for the other students called "How to Survive in the Cloud Recesses".

* TamerAndChaster: The animated adaptation tones down a lot of the overt eroticism and {{gorn}} from the novel, due to Chinese censorship regulations. Censorship also forces Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's relationship to be downplayed and never stated onscreen to be romantic (Wei Wuxian's hammy acting as Mo Xuanyu aside), though the ShipTease hints are enough to drive the point home to viewers by the epilogue. On the other hand, the chibi spinoff ''The Founder of Diabolism Q'' is a lot less subtle about the romance, on the premise that the spinoff is a gag series with questionable canoncity and shouldn't be taken seriously.

* WingdingEyes: In chibi gag SpinOff ''The Founder of Diabolism Q/Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'', characters' eyes tend to turn into symbols for comedic effect, such as turning into sparkles whenever they get excited or amazed.

* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Out of the 32 named characters, only six are female. Most of the men are noted to be rather handsome, even the older ones[[note]]Lan Qiren is confirmed to be attractive (without his beard) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and Wen Ruohan said to look like a man in his 20s[[note]], due to them being cultivators.

** For a sword whose name means "avoiding dust (mundane matters)", Bichen sure sees a lot of mundane uses aside from chopping up supernatural threats: a shovel, to break through walls, [[spoiler:a dildo...]][[note]tThe last one occurred only in an EroticDream, but still[[/note]]

* AllForNothing: Meng Shi's hopes for [[spoiler:a prosperous life for herself and her son]] are ultimately left unfulfilled and ruined. [[spoiler:She died some time before her son became an official member of the Jin Clan of Lanling, and while Jin Guangyao managed to secure power and wealth in time, he lost both and then some after his misdeeds are revealed to the public. To add insult to injury, his corpse is sealed away, and Meng Shi's body is implied to be desecrated after it was exhumed from the Guanyin Temple. It's a popular belief in China that if the mortal body is dishonored in any way, the deceased person is less than likely to reincarnate into a new life, which is the most probable fate for both mother and son]].

* ArcWords: "Thank you" and "I'm sorry", both of which are repeatedly echoed throughout the story.
** Wei Wuxian tells Jin Ling that these are two phrases everyone must learn to say.
** They're the last words [[spoiler:Wen Qing]] said to Wei Wuxian before [[spoiler:sacrificing herself to the Jin Clan]].
** They're the words that Lan Wangji never wants to hear from Wei Wuxian as whenever they exchanged those words in the past, [[spoiler:they would always meet again under worse circumstances]].

* FailedASpotCheck: Mo Xuanyu went out of his way to write down his story before performing the sacrificial ritual so that Wei Wuxian would understand why he was summoned into the former's body. However, he failed to specify the exact terms of his dying wish and hence why he summoned him to begin with. Fortunately for him, Wei Wuxian is able to correctly guess that he wanted his family dead.
* FairWeatherFriend: Almost everyone in this in the political circle of the cultivation world. You're liked and respected if you have the status and wealth, and as long as your actions benefit their goals. As soon as either of those are no longer the case, expect to be dropped like a hot potato.

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: In the Golden Carp Tower arc, Jin Guangyao mentions that [[spoiler:Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian died and as its owner, only he can unsheathe it]]. Then the Sunshot Campaign arc reveals that [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng lost his core]], but while [[spoiler:they were being sheltered by Wen Ning]], Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng that [[spoiler:there is a way for him to regain his core]], and not long after [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian founded demonic cultivation]]. The reader soon realizes that all these events are connected the moment [[spoiler:Wen Ning confronts Jiang Cheng and tells him to unsheathe Suibian]].

* ForWantOfANail:
** Mo Xuanyu wouldn't have any reason to summon Wei Wuxian if Mo Ziyuan wasn't cruel towards him.
** Wei Wuxian himself notes that everything may have played out differently had he not [[spoiler:saved [[SpannerInTheWorks Su She]] from the Waterborne Abyss]].

* IronicName: The house where Lan Wangji resides is called the ''Jingshi'' (translates to either "Silent Room" or "Room of Tranquility"). After [[spoiler:he and Wei Wuxian get married]], at night the house is [[TheImmodestOrgasm anything but silent]].
* {{Irony}}: For a clan that practices asceticism, several of the Lan Clan of Gusu members are romantic in nature -- which Wei Wuxian lampshades.

* LaughingMad: Wang Lingjiao was laughing in insanity before [[spoiler:choking herself to death with a stool leg]].

* LoopholeAbuse: Many of the Lan Clan rules only count as long as one is ''inside'' the Cloud Recesses, something which Wei Wuxian has tried to exploit. Of course, the Lans are still encouraged to follow the rules even when they're outside the place.

* LuminescentBlush: Mianmian became flustered and red-faced once she got the joke behind Wei Wuxian introducing himself as "Yuandao".

** Experiencing a HeroicBSOD after the events of Nightless City, [[spoiler:all Wei Wuxian said when Lan Wangji accompanied him was, "Get lost!"]]

** Wei Wuxian uses a flute to control corpses. Simple whistles work just as fine, but he prefers using a flute because its sound reaches greater distances, and consequently has more power in its commands.
** The Lan Clan is famous for their musical ''guqin'' skills, which can be used to summon spirits, interrogate spirits, forcibly silence people, and even [[spoiler:nullify magical powers -- albeit temporarily]].

* MeaningfulName: The entire event covering the fight between the Wen Clan and the rest of the cultivation world is known as the Sunshot Campaign (射日之征), with the "Sunshot" (射日) in the title referring to the [[https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/hou-yi/ legend of Hou Yi]], a famed archer of Chinese mythology who's well-known for saving the world by shooting down nine out of the ten suns when they nearly burned away the earth, and the Wen Clan's motif is the sun.

* PaperTalisman: Among the juniors Lan Sizhui uses paper talismans the most, either to suppress spirits or [[MundaneUtility light fires for illumination]].

* ParentalSubstitute:
** Jin Ling was raised by his maternal and paternal uncles due to losing his parents when he was still a baby.
** Lan Wangji [[spoiler:turns out to have raised Lan Sizhui aka Wen Yuan]]. Although they're not legally or technically recognized as father and son, their relationship is familial in nature, and there is no doubt that the two are very close. [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian starts taking on this role as well for the younger boy after the events of the epilogue.]]

** Mianmian left [[spoiler:her clan]] out of disgust when she defended Wei Wuxian after the Sunshot Campaign but was dismissed by everyone on the sexist pretext of her being a woman who Wei Wuxian saved once.

* SwordBeam: Cultivators can create these by sending spiritual energy through their swords.

* TamerAndChaster: The animated adaptation tones down a lot of the overt eroticism and {{gorn}} from the novel, due to Chinese censorship regulations. Censorship also forces Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's relationship to be toned down and never stated onscreen to be romantic (Wei Wuxian's hammy acting as Mo Xuanyu aside), though the ShipTease hints are enough to drive the point home to viewers by the epilogue. On the other hand, the chibi spinoff ''The Founder of Diabolism Q'' is a lot less subtle about the romance, on the premise that the spinoff is a gag series with questionable canoncity and shouldn't be taken seriously.

* TragicBromance:

* UndyingLoyalty: It's featured a few times in the novel.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: Those who are familiar with Chinese culture and history might notice that the ''donghua's'' second visual rendition of the opening song features four different flowers, also known as the [[http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-four-gentlemen.php Four Gentlemen]].

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Whole-''Season'' Flashback for the ''donghua'', rather. With the exception of the first two episodes and the latter half of the final episode of the first season, which serve mainly to introduce the viewer to the plot, the rest of Season 1 focuses on the past to chronicle how Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch.
* WizardingSchool: Although all of the major clans boast many talented cultivators, the Cloud Recesses is noted for being especially good at training their disciples, which is why other clans would send a few of their disciples to study there for a year. The Cloud Recesses also boasts a top-level book collection, famed and strict teachers, too many rules, and the practical aspects of cultivation on the side.

* ProductionThrowback: In an audio drama episode where Lan Wangji helps Wei Wuxian get ready to sleep, the latter asks for the former to narrate "The Resentment of Chunshan" to him, which is an InUniverse slash fiction from the author's previous novel ''Literature/RenZhaFanPaiZiJiuXiTong''.