History Literature / MoDaoZuShi

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mdzs_poster.png]]

->''In the first year, nothing happened. In the second year, nothing happened. In the third year, nothing happened. In the thirteenth 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.''
--> -- '''Prologue'''

''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' (魔道祖师), translatable as either "Founder of Diabolism" or "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation", is a ''[[BoysLove danmei]]'' ''[[SpiritCultivationGenre xianxia]]'' WebNovel by Creator/MoXiangTongXiu, published first on the Chinese web novel site JJWXC.

Years ago, a young cultivator named Wei Wuxian rose to fame by discovering a new school of cultivation that involved the manipulation of dark energy and raising the dead (both of which had never been done or attempted before). He used said abilities to give the cultivation clans an edge over their common enemy, the tyrannical Wen Clan. Over time, however, Wei Wuxian came to be feared and hated, and soon he met his grisly end at the hands of the people who once trusted him.

Thirteen years after Wei Wuxian's death, Mo Xuanyu, a mentally-troubled cultivator, decides that he has had enough of his family's abuse. He casts a spell that summons Wei Wuxian's spirit -- long thought to be scattered and destroyed -- into his own body, in exchange for Wei Wuxian granting his wishes of revenge. Everything that happens after that, however, is up to Wei Wuxian to decide. But he's not alone in this journey that is his second life, as he finds himself accompanied by Lan Wangji, an acquaintance of the past whom he has a complicated history with.

Along the way, they encounter new mysteries that are more connected than they initially seem. At the same time, the mystery that is Wei Wuxian himself is slowly unveiled.

Is Wei Wuxian a hero or a villain? How much of the legends of the Yiling Patriarch are true or false? And how blurred is the line between good and evil?

The novel is 113 chapters long, with 13 extra chapters that detail events that take place either before or after the main story. It's been translated in various languages, with an English translation announced by Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment and scheduled for a 2021-2023 release as five volumes.

The novel eventually received the following adaptations:

* AnimatedAdaptation: The ''donghua'' is produced by B.CMAY Animation & Film (the same studio behind the first season of ''Literature/TheKingsAvatar''). The first season aired from July to October 2018 with 15 episodes, the second season aired in August 2019 with eight episodes, and a third season aired from August 7, 2021 with 12 episodes. The ''donghua'' can be found [[https://v.qq.com/x/cover/k4mutekomtrdbux/i0026ssfw4k.html on Tencent's site]] for Chinese audiences and on [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMX26aiIvX5rWjEqareJBmoX-_uTFtemk Youtube]] with subtitles in 12 languages for international audiences (although a VPN may be required in certain countries). The ''donghua'' has also been officially dubbed in Korean, and is available on the Korean streaming website [[https://laftel.net/player/39706/39020 Laftel]]. The ''donghua'' also received a Japanese dub, which started airing on January 10, 2021.
** [[{{Spinoff}} Spin-Off]]: An animated chibi series called ''Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'' aired from July 31, 2020 with 30 episodes. B.CMAY confirmed that the ''Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'' is LighterAndSofter in tone.
* [[AudioPlay Audio Drama]]: The audio drama 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 version of the audio drama has also been green-lit by [=MimiFM=] and has started airing since January 24, 2020.
* [[AudioAdaptation Audio Book]]: An official auditory narration of the novel is available at [[https://www.ximalaya.com/youshengshu/25069034/ Ximalaya FM]]. The narrator is Zhang Zhen, who voiced Jiang Fengmian in the audio drama.
* ComicBookAdaptation:
** The ''{{manhua}}'' is available via the [[https://www.kuaikanmanhua.com Kuaikan Manhua app]] and [[https://m.wecomics.com/comic/index/id/236 WeComics]].
** A ''{{manhwa}}'' adaptation was green-lit by BL Laboratory, the same company that officially licensed the original novel in Korea.
* LiveActionAdaptation: The live-action drama titled ''Series/TheUntamed'', which is loosely based on the novel, aired on Tencent and [=WeTV=] from June 27 to August 20, 2019 (August 14 for those with VIP access to Tencent and August 7 for those who provided additional payment for earlier access); with a total of 50 episodes. Two spinoff web movies, ''The Living Dead'' and ''Fatal Journey'', were released on November 7, 2019 and March 26, 2020, respectively.
* A mobile game based on the [[Series/TheUntamed live-action series]], also named ''The Untamed'', is in the works.

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!!''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' contains examples of the following tropes:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Tropes with their own pages]]
[[index]]
* [[Aesop/MoDaoZuShi An Aesop]]
* [[DubNameChange/MoDaoZuShi Dub Name Change]]
* [[FamousLastWords/MoDaoZuShi Famous Last Words]]
* [[Foil/MoDaoZuShi Foil]]
* [[LostInTranslation/MoDaoZuShi Lost in Translation]]
* [[ShipTease/MoDaoZuShi Ship Tease]]
[[/index]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:#-E]]
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Between his demise and his resurrection, Wei Wuxian was dead for thirteen years.
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: It's expected for all spiritual swords to be this, especially if its wielder is notably more powerful than the rest.
* TheAce: Cultivators are trained according to the standards of [[CulturedWarrior ancient Chinese gentlemen]] - [[OfficerAndAGentleman almost like aristocratic warrior-knights]]. Most cultivators are expected to be the best examples of humanity. Some others are especially noted to be even better, especially the top five cultivators of Wei Wuxian's generation. At the start of the story's timeline, the five top gentlemen in this cultivation world are, from top to bottom: [[PrettyBoy Lan Xichen]], [[IceKing Lan Wangji]], [[TheDandy Jin Zixuan]], [[TheTrickster Wei Wuxian]], [[AlwaysSecondBest Jiang Cheng]].
* 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: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji return to where the Yin Tiger Tally is and destroy it once and for all to ensure that no one can ever use it]].
* AdaptationDistillation: The animation rearranges and takes out plot points to better fit them into a TV show format.
* 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.
* AdultsAreUseless: A running theme in the flashbacks is how the previous generation failed the next one. In particular, Jiang Fengmian's generation was too caught up in their own problems to raise their children well or address the Wen Clan's growing abuses. Their deaths forced a group of ill-prepared teenagers to clean up after their mess.
* AffectionateNickname: China has quite the detailed naming system, and one of them involves addressing either family or someone they're really close to by a shortened version of their birth or courtesy name, which is prefixed with "A-". For example, there's "A-Xian" (Wei Wu'''xian'''), "A-Cheng" (Jiang '''Cheng'''), and "A-Li" (Jiang Yan'''li'''). Whenever a character uses this, it's usually a good indication of how fond they are towards the other.
* 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 Lanling Jin Clan, 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]].
* AmbiguousSituation:
** Few details of how involved the clans and especially their respective leaders were in the First Siege are known. The Gusu Lan Clan for example [[spoiler:was lead by lan Qiren rather than the actual leader Lan Xichen himself]], bringing into question how the latter was involved if at all.
** 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 Koi 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]].
** Even with what Lan Xichen told Wei Wuxian about his parents, it's hard to determine what's true and what's false about them, especially since Lan Xichen's own knowledge about how his parents got married is only from hearsay. It's also never revealed exactly how Madam Lan died or [[spoiler: what kind of grudges she had with the Lan Clan to kill one of them, or whether the murder involved a grudge she had or a grudge held against ''her'']].
** 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]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: A lot of tragedy could be traced back to a few people getting too ambitious and wanting to rule over the cultivation world, disturbing the peace and bringing strife in order to gain material power.
* AmplifierArtifact: The Yin Tiger Tally drastically increases its user's ability to use demonic cultivation. For example, Wei Wuxian's use of the Yin Tiger Tally allows him to control thousands instead of hundreds of fierce corpses.
* AnachronicOrder: The novel constantly jumps back and forth between Wei Wuxian's current and previous lives. The ''donghua'' also does this, albeit not as much as the novel.
* AnalogyBackfire: When Su She accuses Wei Wuxian of being afraid of death, Wei Wuxian counters that fearing death is not the same as not wanting to die, much like how there's a difference with him not wanting to [[spoiler: leave Lan Wangji's embrace]] and being afraid of doing such... before he retracts his statement by realizing that they're actually the same thing. In this case, the trope is invoked on purpose, as Wei Wuxian was trying to piss Su She off.
* 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 also the words that Lan Wangji never wants to hear from Wei Wuxian as whenever they exchanged those words, [[spoiler: they would always meet again under worse circumstances]].
* ArrangedMarriage: Cultivation clans often do arranged marriages in order to forge more political connections, increase one's standing, and so that the clan leaders would have an heir.
** Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's engagement was originally of this nature, before the fathers decided to break it off (spurred by Wei Wuxian's fight with Jin Zixuan) for the sake of their happiness. However, the couple eventually reached mutual feelings on their own terms and would marry several years later anyway.
* ArtifactOfDoom: Simply put, several things went downhill in the past because of [[spoiler: Jin Guangshan]]'s desire to obtain the Yin Tiger Tally and use it to rule over the cultivation world.
* ArtShift: The ''manhua'' is drawn by only one artist, although the art style goes through significant changes that are less of a result of ArtEvolution and more of 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.
* 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.
* 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]].
* AwfulTruth:
** Lan Xichen tells Lan Wangji that he doesn't want to easily accept that [[spoiler: his long-time friend is a liar and a murderer]] because accepting it and all the implications that come with it would be too much for him to take. True enough, when that time came, the full impact of the revelation [[spoiler: shatters his spirit (metaphorically speaking) and drives him into seclusion]].
** Lan Sizhui's tragic past is the reason Lan Wangji didn't tell him of his origins, and why Wen Ning also keeps quiet even after finding out [[spoiler:who he really is]], although both agree that it's only a matter of time until he remembers. Eventually, he finds out but takes the truth of his origins relatively well. While he does get emotional when he reveals what he knows to Wei Wuxian, it's portrayed in a positive and heartwarming light.
* BackFromTheDead: What kicks off the story in the present timeline is Wei Wuxian coming back to life after being summoned in another body. Fierce corpses are basically zombies, so Wen Ning, [[spoiler: Nie Mingjue and Song Lan]] are "alive" again in a way.
* 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).
* BetaCouple: Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli are the other couple aside from [[OfficialCouple Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji]] whose relationship plays a significant role in the story.
* BigBad:
** Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao are [[DiscOneFinalBoss the cause of the first major (chronological) crisis in the series]], triggering the tragedies of the Sunshot Campaign.
** 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]]]].
* BittersweetEnding:
** The resolution to the Yi City arc is bittersweet in nature, at best. [[spoiler:Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing are dead but Song Lan is free and is WalkingTheEarth with the remnants of their souls. There is a slim hope that maybe one day, their souls can be repaired and they return to the living world; and with Xue Yang dead, they have a chance at a happier life.]]
** 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]].
* 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.]]
* BloodBrothers: Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao become sworn brothers after the Sunshot Campaign, forming the trio known as the Venerated Triad.
* BloodFromTheMouth: Characters coughing up blood is a frequent occurrence for when they are stressed or injured.
* BookEnds:
** The prologue begins with some people gossiping about and decrying Wei Wuxian, [[spoiler: who's mistakenly perceived to be the BigBad]], after his death. In the epilogue, Wei Wuxian overhears a few men doing the same thing regarding [[spoiler: Jin Guangyao, the ''real'' BigBad]], after ''his'' death.
** In the trailer for the first season of the audio drama, the first spoken line was, "[[spoiler:Lan Zhan. You're really great. I like you.]]", which is also the last spoken line in the trailer for the third (and final) season.
** The audio drama begins with a mother and father proceeding to tell their son about the tale of the Yiling Patriarch as the evil bogeyman of the cultivation world, [[spoiler: a tale that's eventually revealed to be exaggerated and false]]. In the final episode of the third season, [[spoiler: Luo Qingyang starts telling her husband and her daughter a true story about Wei Wuxian that portrays not as an evil lunatic but as a kind and heroic man]].
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Adding to the GrayAndGrayMorality of the story is that some of the characters, regardless of whether they're bad or good or both good but with different viewpoints, make valid statements when they get in an argument with someone else based on certain topics. Unfortunately, many of the characters are either too proud, stubborn, or moral to make a compromise, which is when [[PoorCommunicationKills severe miscommunication kicks in...]]
* BrickJoke:
** After Wei Wuxian got rescued from the Xuanwu Cave, he realized he lost the pouch Mianmian gave him and wondered where it went. Chapter 112 reveals that [[spoiler: Lan Wangji stole it from him and has been using it as his wallet the entire time]].
** In the Sunshot Campaign arc, Wei Wuxian introduced himself as "Yuandao" to Mianmian to tease her, as the names Mianmian and Yuandao make up part of a romantic poem. Lan Wangji even lampshades the play on words. Then in the epilogue, after [[spoiler: their run-in into a grown-up and married Mianmian]], Lan Wangji calls Wei Wuxian "Wei Yuandao" out of jealousy.
* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Only ''six'' out of ''thirty-two'' named characters are female, and most of the men, even the older ones (Lan Qiren - confirmed by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and Wen Ruohan said to look like a man in his 20s) are noted to be rather handsome.
* 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.
* CatFight: The prostitutes Sisi and Anxin got into a physical fight in the past. Sisi was notably the one who struck first since she heard Anxin badmouth Meng Shi, and she was having none of it.
* CatapultNightmare: Once [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian learned demonic cultivation after being thrown into the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian used his newfound powers]] to haunt Wang Lingjiao in her dreams, leading her to wake up by springing up and screaming every night. It's apparently already happened enough times where she's become too afraid to sleep.
* CentralTheme: One of the core messages of ''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' is that what is right and wrong doesn't automatically equate to what is acceptable and unacceptable.
* CerebusRollercoaster: What is an otherwise light-hearted story of adventuring is overshadowed by the overarching plot of finding and piecing together parts of a dismembered body scattered all over northern alternate ImperialChina. For example, the novel ''literally'' jumps from investigating a mass murder of a whole clan, to [[spoiler: Lan Wangji getting drunk]] in the space of two chapters.
* 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.
* CharactersDroppingLikeFlies: Compared to her previous work, the author doesn't hold anything back with the character deaths this time around, with the first chapter even starting with the statement that the protagonist is dead. By the time of the finale, it's easier to count the characters who survived than those who kicked the bucket.
* ChekhovsGun:
** The forehead ribbon. [[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''.
** Mianmian gave her medicinal pouch to Wei Wuxian either in an embarrassed fit (in the novel) or out of guilt for him getting hurt from protecting her (in the ''donghua''). It ended up being of great help to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji when they got trapped in the Xuanwu Cave and had to tend to their injuries. On a more hilarious note, her pouch also shows [[spoiler:how petty Lan Wangji can be when jealous]], since the epilogue reveals that [[spoiler:he stole it from Wei Wuxian and has been using it as his wallet ever since]].
* 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.
* ChildSoldiers: One of the tragedies of the Sunshot Campaign was how so many of the main characters were forced to become soldiers and generals at an incredibly young age (Wei Wuxian's generation was 16-20 years old). Wei Wuxian's so protective of children because he wants to preserve their innocence, having lost his in the war.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: In contrast to the generation before them, the younger cultivators aren't involved in anything that involved either the Sunshot Campaign or the First Siege, and anything they know about it is simply from word of mouth of their predecessors. [[spoiler: Because of this, they don't share their parents' flaws of ambition and prejudice.]]
* ChineseVampire: The really tall thresholds at the entrances and exits of ancient Chinese coffin homes (like a morgue, except storing corpses in coffins and all) is meant to prevent corpses from getting out. As Wei Wuxian explains, when the corpse is animated by natural energy, the body is still undergoing ''rigor mortis'', so it can only hop, and it becomes difficult to hop over the threshold. So it hops, it trips, and it falls and stays on the ground until daybreak, where it could be discovered...
* ClassTrip:
** The Yi City involves Wei Wuxian and a bunch of younger-generation disciples of multiple clans messing about in an empty zombie-filled city, learning about corpse poisoning and how to cure it, how to look at ghosts, a practical use of dark magic, and mundane-people methods of warding against the supernatural threats. It's basically an impromptu class-trip cum internship.
** 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.
* 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 three thousand-plus rules crammed onto the wall. In the thirteen years since he died, a thousand more were added; the audio drama even stated that the exact number is ''4,019''.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The five most prominent cultivation clans are easily distinguishable by the colors they wear.
** Gusu Lan Clan: Light blue and white.
** Yunmeng Jiang Clan: Purple and black.
** Lanling Jin Clan: Yellow and orange.
** Qinghe Nie Clan: Dark green and olive.
** Qishan Wen Clan: Red and white.
* CompressedAdaptation:
** The ''manhua'', similar to the audio drama, closely follows the narrative of the novel; but it also skimps on a lot of details from the novel that the audio drama was able to include or expand on.
** The ''donghua'' also condenses some plot points at times, particularly during the flashbacks which detail what happened to Wei Wuxian after the Sunshot Campaign ended. This becomes the case even more when the second season ends at the conclusion of the Xinglu Ridge arc.
* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Reconstructed. For the cultivators, this is more or less a must. As Wei Wuxian puts it best: ghosts use their appearance to scare people because it affects the people's consciousness in such a way that it becomes a lot easier to suck out their energy, and as such they're a lot weaker when faced against those who show no fear towards them.
* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: Aside from ambition and miscommunication, another major source of conflict in the story is mob mentality. Whatever the masses agree with will be accepted as truth; [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong anyone who has even a slightly different view is either ignored or seen as an enemy]]. [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian faced the full brunt of this trope, and even when he finally clears his name, the cultivation clans don't learn their lesson and just move on to lambasting someone else.]]
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: The Gusu Lan Clan's manner of disciplining unruly disciples? Have them copy the clan rules at least once. After the TimeSkip, Wei Wuxian realizes that the clan decided to add handstands to the punishment to ensure that the lessons stick.
* CountingToThree: Counting from three, in this case. When [[spoiler: Jin Zixun refused to reveal where the Wen survivors are being held]], Wei Wuxian threatened to use Chenqing and started counting down to make it clear he's not going to wait all day for his answer.
* CowboysAndIndians: While in Yueyang, Wei Wuxian sees a group of young boys playing "Sunshot Campaign", where each boy plays a prominent figure that contributed in the war against the Wen Clan, with Wei Wuxian being one of them.
* CripplingOverspecialization:
** The book averts the SquishyWizard trope since magic in the Chinese view is a technique analogous to FullContactMagic and SupernaturalMartialArts on some levels. However, apparently nobody bothers to learn, say, protective magic or a magic shield. This is averted in the ''donghua'', where the cultivators from the Jiang and the Lan Clans are able to conjure barriers for defense.
** Wei Wuxian is the founder of demonic cultivation, being able to control corpses and ghosts with a flute, and his martial arts can take on any normal person. [[spoiler: However, due to a missing or weak golden core, he is not arrow-proof, still needs to eat, and has much less tenacity than other cultivators.]]
* TheDarkArts: What demonic cultivation is seen as. While it's proven to be very useful in many situations, it's still feared and hated by many cultivators since it makes use of resentful energy, which is usually supposed to be purified and exorcised, not harnessed and utilized.
* DeathByOriginStory: The story starts from Wei Wuxian's death from all the cultivator clans uniting to kill him, and its aftermath. And given the novel's propensity to flashback to Wei Wuxian's previous life, a lot of the characters that show up in the past are dead in the present.
* 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.
* DeconstructorFleet: Of the ''xianxia'' genre as a whole, showcasing that even when granted the power to achieve immortality or slay other divine beings, humans aren't automatically AboveGoodAndEvil; and sometimes the greatest threat is not the supernatural or the unknown, but human nature itself. Lan Wangji puts it best in a few words when he gently reminds the junior cultivators, "We are all human." While he's mainly referring to how everyone is bound to get exhausted sooner or later regardless of their cultivation level, it can also refer to how cultivators are still susceptible to GreyAndGrayMorality.
* DesecratingTheDead:
** Wang Lingjiao mocked [[spoiler: Yu Ziyuan]]'s death and wanted to hit their corpse further, but was stopped by Wen Zhuliu.
** After Wang Lingjiao died, her corpse was treated with little respect by the enemy. In the novel, [[spoiler: Jiang Cheng shoved the stool leg she choked on further down her throat after finding her body]]; and in the ''donghua'', [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian brought her back as a walking corpse to mutilate Wen Chao before tearing her into pieces]].
** After being killed, [[spoiler:the Wen remnants]] were thrown into the blood pool at the Burial Mounds.
** 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]].
--->[[spoiler:'''Nie Huaisang''']]: I think that if this person hates [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] so much, they'd probably be entirely merciless towards something he cherishes more than his life.
* DestinationDefenestration: PlayedForLaughs during the flashbacks when an embarrassed Lan Wangji threw Wei Wuxian out of the Library Pavilion, and the latter was perching on the windowsill at the time. [[ActuallyPrettyFunny Wei Wuxian even laughed while falling mid-air.]]
* 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.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: Nobody saw [[spoiler:the vengeance of the supposedly inept and cowardly Nie Huaisang]] coming.
* DramaticIrony: Due to the ForegoneConclusion established in the first few chapters, most of the flashbacks can be amusing or painful to go through when one knows what will happen in the end. The flashbacks for example goes to great lengths to establish Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian as HeterosexualLifePartners when the reader knows that eventually they drift apart and become enemies.
* TheDreaded:
** Wei Wuxian, and by association Wen Ning, with the mere mention of their names causing many to almost literally wet their pants in fear.
** On a funnier note, the Gusu Lan Clan's punishment involve copying (by hand, mind you) all ''four thousand'' rules of the clan. Serious cases involve copying ''while upside-down''.
** Although they otherwise respect him, the younger disciples of the Lan Clan fear Lan Wangji's wrath for the very innocuous reason of him being in charge of disciplining students.
* DressCodedForYourConvenience: Much like how the major clans have their respective {{Color Motif}}s, the type of robes they wear are unique and distinct from the other, from the type of clothing down to the designs on their attire.
* 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.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: After twenty years of trials, losses, misunderstandings and various other obstacles, [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get together in the end and are now HappilyMarried]].
* EffectiveKnockoff: When Wei Wuxian destroyed half of the Yin Tiger Tally, the Lanling Jin Clan 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.]]
* ElementalNation:
** Excluding the Lanling Jin Clan (which is mainly characterized by their wealth) the other four main cultivation clans are associated with the four elements.
*** The Gusu Lan Clan represents air, as they reside on the top a mountain and their motif is a cloud.
*** The Yunmeng Jiang Clan represents water, since the clan resides near a lake, their disciples are noted to be adept swimmers, and their motif is a lotus (which is a flower that grows on water).
*** The Qinghe Nie Clan represents earth. While their clan isn't given much focus, at one point in the story the main characters ended up in the Nie ancestral hall, which is mistakenly known as a Man-Eating Castle due to being a tomb that "consumes" any unwanted visitors by burying them alive.
*** Lastly, the Qishan Wen Clan represents fire as their motif is the sun, and their favorite way of subjugating other clans is by burning their bases down. Ironically, when the clan met its end, its own base (the Sun Palace) was burned down by the other four clans.
** However, going by China's [[https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/china-five-elements-philosophy.htm "Five Element Philosophy"]], the Lanling Jin Clan would represent metal and the Gusu Lan Clan would represent wood, while the other three clans remain associated with the other three elements of water (Jiang), earth (Nie), and fire (Wen).
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: The ''donghua'' shows that the Lan Clan incorporates spinning in some of their attacks, such as Lan Wangji spinning his guqin before using it to fight against the enemy.
* EvilIsEasy: Deconstructed. Demonic cultivation is considered to be the ''xianxia'' equivalent of TheDarkArts. After Wei Wuxian discovered it, many followed in his footsteps because demonic cultivation makes use of resentful energy, which is both readily available and abundant around all of China, and doesn't require the caster to cultivate a golden core (which requires plenty of time and effort). While there are some people who use demonic cultivation for sinister purposes, demonic cultivation isn't necessarily evil; and while dangerous, it can be used for good. In the ''donghua'', Lan Wangji puts it best: like a weapon, whether a power is good or evil depends entirely on the intent of its wielder.
* EvilPowerVacuum: The Wen Clan, led by Wen Ruohan, attempted to subjugate all the other cultivation clans, but was stopped and nearly eradicated during the Sunshot Campaign. Afterwards, [[spoiler: the Jin Clan tried to take their place and nearly succeeded had it not been for Jin Guangshan's abrupt death]]. Then when [[spoiler: Jin Guangyao died in the finale]], a conversation between random bystanders hint that [[spoiler: the Nie Clan]] may or may not be next. While their clan leader is confirmed by the author to ''not'' be a villain, any reader who reached the end of the novel still knows how ruthless they can be.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:F-N]]
* 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.
* FamilyOfChoice: The novel shows through Wei Wuxian's various relationships that family doesn't necessarily consist only of the people you're related to by blood, but also the people who you love and loves you in kind and stick by your side no matter what.
* FantasticFightingStyle: Each clan has a unique fighting style, to the point that it's easy to tell which fighting style one's using. Nie Mingjue could easily tell that [[spoiler: Jin Guangyao used the Wen Clan's swordsmanship in killing his commanding officer]], and Wei Wuxian figured out that [[spoiler: the corpse he and Lan Wangji are investigating is Nie Mingjue]] from his attempt at swinging a weapon.
* FiveSecondForeshadowing: In the Koi 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]].
* FlashbackArc: The novel has many flashbacks, but aren't necessarily presented in a chronological order. The first season of the ''donghua'' compiles a few of these flashbacks into a single arc, covering Wei Wuxian's life from his first days in Gusu to when he became the Yiling Patriarch.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** The story hints at Lan Wangji already recognizing Wei Wuxian after the events of Dafan Mountain and how he figured out who he was, long before Wei Wuxian learns about either truth himself.
*** 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.
*** After encountering a dog, Wei Wuxian calls Lan Wangji by his birth name rather than his title (like he usually does) in a panic, yet Lan Wangji never questions why he's referring to him in such a familiar manner. Similarly, he doesn't react when Wei Wuxian clings to him out of fear even though the flashback chapters had Lan Wangji tell Wei Wuxian upfront that he's not one for touching or being touched.
** 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.]]
** The novel gives enough hints prior to the finale that TheReveal of Lan Sizhui [[spoiler:and his true ancestry]] allows the audience [[InternalReveal to figure things out before Wei Wuxian does]]. A few examples include:
*** In the Yi City arc, Wei Wuxian feeds spicy congee to the junior disciples who were afflicted with corpse poisoning. When Lan Sizhui tries the congee himself, he thinks that the taste evokes a sense of ''nostalgia''. [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian would often try to feed Sizhui with spicy food back when he was still a toddler]].
*** 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]].
*** After he and the other juniors get rescued in the Second Siege arc, he comments on how he knew that Wei Wuxian is really broke the entire time. [[spoiler: In the past, he called Lan Wangji "Brother Rich" while poking fun at Wei Wuxian by calling him "Brother Poor"]].
*** When [[spoiler:the deceased Wen refugees come back to life]] to protect Wei Wuxian from [[spoiler:the corpses controlled by the Yin Tiger Tally]] at the Burial Mounds, [[spoiler:one of them]] starts walking towards Lan Sizhui and attempts to touch him in a non-hostile manner. [[spoiler:Wen Yuan is said to often hang out with his grandmother a few chapters prior, and the corpse that attempted to touch him is described to look small and hunched-over, a description that would perfectly describe an old woman.]]
*** 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]].
** While subtle, there are a few clues that would build up to TheReveal regarding Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:and his golden core]].
*** 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]].
*** Ever since the Sunshot Campaign ended, Wei Wuxian's tendency to never bring his sword with him was repeatedly brought up. At one point, Wei Wuxian told Jiang Cheng that he'd rather not bring his sword because he knew he would be repeatedly challenged to a sword fight, which he's not in the mood for. [[spoiler:In the present, Wen Ning confirms his claim. A cultivator's weapon is linked to their golden core and Wei Wuxian didn't want anyone finding out that he no longer had his -- something which would have been made very obvious the second he engages in a duel with any cultivator.]]
* 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]].
%%* FourTemperamentEnsemble: %%Administrivia/TypeLabelsAreNotExamples
%%** The Jiang family: Jiang Cheng (Melancholic), Jiang Yanli (Sanguine), Jiang Fengmian (Phlegmatic), Yu Ziyuan (Choleric).
%%** The (named) junior disciples: Lan Sizhui (Phlegmatic), Lan Jingyi (Leukine), Jin Ling (Choleric), Ouyang Zizhen (Sanguine).
%%** The top five cultivators of Wei Wuxian's generation: Wei Wuxian (Sanguine), Lan Wangji (Melancholic), Jiang Cheng (Choleric), Lan Xichen (Phlegmatic), Jin Zixuan (Leukine).
%%** The leaders of the Four Great Clans after the TimeSkip: Jiang Cheng (Choleric), Lan Xichen (Leukine), Jin Guangyao (Phlegmatic), and Nie Huaisang (Melancholic). After the finale, it becomes: Jiang Cheng (Choleric), Lan Xichen (Melancholic), [[spoiler: Jin Ling]] (Leukine), and Nie Huaisang (Phlegmatic).
* FramingDevice:
** Wei Wuxian enters Empathy (a technique where the user can see a ghost or fierce corpse's memories) a few times, allowing the story to show flashbacks of the characters in question.
** Flashbacks of Wei Wuxian's past usually come up whenever he remembers them in-series, mainly because he has such a bad memory it's a wonder he remembers anything.
%%* FreudianTrio: %%Administrivia/TypeLabelsAreNotExamples
%%** Between the three, Wei Wuxian is the Ego, Lan Wangji is the Superego, and Jiang Cheng is the Id.
%%** The main three junior disciples: Lan Sizhui (Superego), Lan Jingyi (Ego), and Jin Ling (Id).
%%** The Venerated Triad: Lan Xichen is the Ego, and Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao often switch positions in being the Id and the Superego.
%%** Among the Yi City group, Xue Yang is consistently the Id. Between him, A-Qing, and Xiao Xingchen, A-Qing is the Ego while Xiao Xingchen is the Superego. But between Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan, Xiao Xingchen becomes the Ego whereas Song Lan is the Superego.
* FullNameBasis: This is China we're talking about, so characters are referred to by their full names by default. However, one must pay attention to whether someone is addressed by either their birth name or their courtesy name, as it generally indicates the state of someone's relationship or how serious a situation is.
%%* FunctionalMagic: Cultivation works in a similar fashion to this.
* GenderIsNoObject: Zigzagged. Sexism is still existent in the novel's setting, although there's no rule against women becoming cultivators. Women can also become clan leaders, but that's extremely rare.
* GlorySeeker: Many of the cultivators who [[spoiler: participated in the Second Siege that either have no personal spat with Wei Wuxian or lost a relative to him]] are only in it for the renown they'd get upon felling who many see as a famed villain. [[spoiler: Except that unlike in the First Siege, their attempt to kill Wei Wuxian isn't nearly as successful, especially when it's Wei Wuxian who ends up saving them instead -- much to their embarrassment.]]
* GossipEvolution: The novel occasionally shows how the common folk repeats exaggerated versions of either the truth or a simple lie.
* 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]].
* HappyFunBall: At first glance, the Yin Tiger Tally looks somewhat mystical but otherwise there is nothing otherworldly about its appearance. However, it holds so much power that it's desired by many, most notably the Lanling Jin Clan.
* 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]].
* 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]].
* HonorBeforeReason: The novel brutally deconstructs and examines notions of honor, righteousness and selflessness. Honor without wisdom becomes naivete and recklessness which can bring more suffering either by being manipulated and taken advantage of, or by simply not considering or understanding the consequences of your actions. Just because it's the honorable thing to do, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. But at the same time, doing nothing is not the right thing to do ''either''.
* HourglassPlot:
** In the past, Lan Xichen was the one who was certain and clear-minded whereas his younger brother was facing internal conflict. In the final arc, their positions are reversed, with Lan Xichen falling into self-doubt and Lan Wangji being sure of his thoughts and actions. Additionally, [[spoiler: Lan Wangji is reunited and bound to his (romantically) loved one, while Lan Xichen is pained with the betrayal and loss of his (platonically) loved one]].
** As Lan Wangji himself notes in one of the extras, in the past Lan Xichen would [[spoiler:visit him and talk to him while he was in seclusion]]; but now, the situation is completely reversed.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* ImprobableAge: Most of the clan leaders are incredibly young. Justified in that the turmoil of that last twenty or so years killed a lot of powerful cultivators. The Wen Clan in particular targeted clan leaders to weaken their enemies.
* InelegantBlubbering:
** Wei Wuxian breaks down into hysterical sobbing in an attempt to avoid being taken into the Cloud Recesses, where excessive noise is not allowed. It doesn't work.
** 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]].
** Jiang Cheng is a crying wreck at a few emotional points of the story, and the reason is always tragic.
* InsaneTrollLogic: When Wang Lingjiao [[spoiler: went to Lotus Pier]], her excuse was that the Wen Clan were suspicious that [[spoiler:the Jiang Clan seemed to be turning against them because one of their disciples shot a kite that she claimed to looked like the sun, which is the insignia of the Wen Clan]]. Even Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian angrily grumbled under their breaths that her logic didn't make sense since [[spoiler:the kite is clearly shaped like a monster]], but they couldn't argue back.
* InvoluntaryDance: A-Yan tends to break into a dance every now and then, imitating the way the statue in the mountain would dance and smile.
* 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]].
* 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 Gusu Lan Clan members are romantic in nature -- which Wei Wuxian lampshades.
* ISeeDeadPeople: The existence of ghosts and their exorcisms are a central point in this story.
* KangarooCourt: The [[spoiler:entire cultivation world]] will judge anything and anyone based on how they ''want'' to judge them, not on how they ''should'' be judged, leading to many people receiving punishments disproportionate to their actual crimes (if any).
* 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.
* KarmicJackpot: Lan Wangji and Mianmian are the only ones who [[spoiler: publicly defended Wei Wuxian (and the Wen survivors, by extension)]] when all the other cultivators did the opposite and [[spoiler: deemed Wei Wuxian a menace]]. Everyone turned a deaf ear and overruled their statements, but the two both ended up coming out on top compared to everyone else. Lan Wangji, through his own merit and by distancing himself from politics as much as possible, becomes one of the most renowned living cultivators and [[spoiler: ends up getting married to the love of his life]]; and Mianmian, by leaving her clan and becoming a rogue cultivator, gets HappilyMarried and has a loving family of her own.
* LaughingMad: Wang Lingjiao was laughing in insanity before [[spoiler:choking herself to death with a stool leg]].
* 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]].
* LeaveTheTwoLovebirdsAlone:
** Exhausted after a long and grueling fight following the Second Siege, Wei Wuxian collapses in Lan Wangji's arms, who lets him lie on his lap and gently tends to him. The juniors, who are in the same boat as the two, suddenly get flustered as they watch the tender scene unfold and are overcome with the need to leave the boat cabin and get some fresh air.
** After Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:loudly professes his love]] to Lan Wangji, the two of them plus [[spoiler:Jin Ling and Lan Xichen]] are taken inside the Guanyin Temple. The latter two make sure to sit as far away from the former two as possible since they know that [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji still have plenty to discuss about their feelings for each other]].
* LightningLash: Jiang Cheng wields Zidian, a whip that emits purple lightning. One strike from it can force spirits out of the bodies they're possessing. It originally belonged to his mother, Yu Ziyuan.
* LineageComesFromTheFather: A running undercurrent. Being ImperialChina, everyone expects sons to inherit from fathers and continue the family line. The novel examines how this affects succession, bastards and expectations born of the LikeFatherLikeSon trope. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are victims of this trope as both take after their mothers. This causes strife because Jiang Cheng is viewed as an InadequateInheritor because he doesn't act as the ideal leader of the Jiang Clan as embodied by his father. Wei Wuxian is constantly gossiped about as being a son of a servant and acting above his place because no one seems to remember that he's still the son of a talented and famous cultivator.
* LoopholeAbuse: Many of Gusu 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.
* LowFantasy: By ''xianxia'' standards. While cultivation still plays an important role in the story, the novel focuses less on cultivation lore and more about human conflict.
* LuminescentBlush: Mianmian became flustered and red-faced once she got the joke behind Wei Wuxian introducing himself as "Yuandao".
* MadeOfEvil: Wei Wuxian created the Yin Tiger Tally from reforging an ancient sword that had absorbed the resentful energy of ''hundreds'' of men.
* MadnessMantra:
** "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]].
** Experiencing a HeroicBSOD after the events of Nightless City, [[spoiler:all Wei Wuxian said when Lan Wangji accompanied him was, "Get lost!"]]
* MagicMusic:
** 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]].
* MeaningfulEcho: Several things that occur or are mentioned early on in the story are featured or brought up again near the ending.
** When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji leave the Cloud Recesses to investigate the mystery of the vicious severed arm, Wei Wuxian jokingly announces that they can finally elope. Then around eighty-or-so chapters later, [[spoiler: shortly after the Guanyin Temple arc, the two leave to elope for real]].
** During their encounter in Qinghe, when Jiang Cheng asks Wei Wuxian if he has anything to say to him, the latter replies that he doesn't. Then in the finale, when Jin Ling asks Jiang Cheng if he had something to say to Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng also says that he doesn't.
** In Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's final argument, Jiang Fengmian calls his wife by her name instead of "My Lady" like he always would when Yu Ziyuan's accusations get too vicious. Years later, when Jiang Cheng forces Wei Wuxian into a confrontation in the Jiang ancestral hall, Wei Wuxian calls his former friend by his courtesy name instead of his birth name when Jiang Cheng starts to drag Lan Wangji into their argument and mock him and his relationship with Wei Wuxian.
** In one of the earlier flashbacks, Wei Wuxian invited Lan Wangji to hang out with him in Yunmeng, with the latter refusing. [[spoiler: The last extra chapter is all about them finally going on a date in Yunmeng]].
* 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.
* MediumBlending: As per B.CMAY's style, the ''donghua'' combines 2D and 3D animation, with the latter animation mainly reserved for inanimate objects, background sceneries, large monsters, and crowds of people.
* 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.
* MightMakesRight: The entire cultivation world is classist, even when excluding the Wen Clan and their attempts to subjugate all the other clans. While they won't admit it, almost everyone acts on the notion that those in power and have wealth are immediately the ones who are in the right, and [[spoiler: anyone who challenges them is immediately wrong and villainous even if they raise fair points]].
* MissingMom: Almost every significant character either never had a mother to raise them since birth or loses their mom at an early age. For the former, there's Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui. For the latter, there's Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli]], and Jin Guangyao, just to name a few.
* 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]].
-->'''Wei Wuxian''': If he wanted to to kill me, he didn't have to think about whether it was a fatal blow or not, and if I died, it'd be my own bad luck. If I wanted to protect myself, however, I had to think about this and that not to harm, unable to take even a single strand of hair away from him? In conclusion, [[spoiler: you all could pull a siege on me, but I'm not allowed to fight back]], am I right?
* MusicalTrigger: A musical instrument serves as a memory trigger for Lan Sizhui. He remembers his past [[spoiler: as Wen Yuan after seeing Chenqing since he often played with the flute when he was a child]].
* 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.
* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours: While never fully explored, many cultivators oftentimes choose to spar with each other as a way of both testing their skills and showing off said skills to others. One of the reasons many continued to get on Wei Wuxian's case for never bringing his sword is because they're robbed of the opportunity to duel him.
* NamedByTheAdaptation: The audio drama gives a name to some of the bit characters who are otherwise nameless in the novel.
** 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".
** The novel briefly mentions a servant girl who tried to steal credit from Jiang Yanli by claiming that she's the one who's been cooking and delivering soup to Jin Zixuan during the Sunshot Campaign, and the audio drama refers to said servant girl as Lady Song.
* NamedWeapon: It's all the rage in this genre of novels. Every notable character has a personal blade (sword/''jian'' or sabre/''dao''), maybe another magical treasure as well, all of them named. All in all, there are fifteen named weapons in the story.
* NeckSnap: A-Tong, the Mo family's servant, dies via snapping his own neck when possessed by the demonic left arm.
* NeverSayDie: When Lan Wangji was still young, Lan Qiren never told him outright that his mother was dead and that she was just "gone", which his nephew didn't understand.
* NeverMyFault: A recurring conflict throughout the story and one of the principal reasons why [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian got the shortest end of the stick in his past life]]. When a conflict rises or tragedy strikes, most of the characters tend to shift the blame onto someone who isn't clearly guilty, because either they're unable to admit that either they're at fault or nobody was really at fault, they need someone to vent out their anger on, or they're finding an opportunity to castigate or justify their hatred for someone they're ready to point the finger at.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Because of the plot's setup, it can seem like Wei Wuxian has new abilities out of nowhere. However, from a purely chronological point of view, Wei Wuxian actually [[spoiler: lost his abilities along with his golden core]], and then spent three months [[spoiler: without a weapon in [[HellOnEarth the Burial Mounds]]]], so what we see as new powers is actually a lot of improvisation done on the spot based on half-remembered theory.
* 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.
* 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.
* NumerologicalMotif: Combined with RuleOfThree; the number three is featured a few times in the story. For example:
** Thirteen (1'''3''') years of Wei Wuxian being dead.
** Thirty-three ('''33''') whip marks.
** When Wei Wuxian was [[spoiler: thrown into the Burial Mounds]], he was stuck there for '''three''' months.
** The Venerated '''Tri'''ad.
** '''Three''' characters of the Yi City arc lost their sight, with [[spoiler: Xue Yang]] playing a role in it.
** Part of Jiang Cheng's title (Sandu Shengshou), which is also the name of his sword (Sandu), translates to "'''three''' poisons".
** Yu Ziyuan is also known as "'''Third''' Lady Yu" due to being the third-born child of the Meishan Yu Clan.
** If you want to get meta, the novel itself has, as stated above, 11'''3''' chapters with 1'''3''' additional chapters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:O-Z]]
* OneGenderSchool: Although the Lan Clan also houses female disciples, they're separated from the male disciples in every step of the way, from lectures and lodging, even including night-hunts.
* 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.]]
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: It's noted InUniverse that most cultivators only take the night-hunts where they would receive either a hefty sum or a reputation boost. Only a few would go on any night-hunt, even if it netted no reward, as long as it involved helping the people (i.e. Lan Wangji and Xiao Xingchen).
* 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.
* PaperTalisman: Among the juniors Lan Sizhui uses paper talismans the most, either to suppress spirits or [[MundaneUtility light fires for illumination]].
* 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:
** 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 a.k.a. 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.]]
* PietaPlagiarism: One of the covers for the audio drama features [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian]] cradling a dying [[spoiler: Jiang Yanli]].
* PleaseDontLeaveMe:
** In the ''donghua'', Wang Lingjiao begged Wen Chao not to leave her alone at their base before he went off to capture Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, mainly because she's afraid that something or someone is out to get her.
** 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.
* 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]].
* 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.
* PoorCommunicationKills: What causes some of the conflicts in the story is the characters' tendency to keep to themselves or their inability to express their true thoughts, hear the other party out, or even have a proper and civil discussion about ''anything''.
* ThePowerOfTrust: The story shows a few times that there are severely negative ramifications if someone either trusts the wrong person or doesn't put enough trust in the right person. However, if one is steadfast in their loyalty to a person who has proven to be worthy of their trust, both are eventually able to overcome their difficulties and face against any odds together.
* PowerSource: A golden core (''jindan'') serves as this 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.
* 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''.
* ProductPlacement:
** 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 ''Mo Dao Zu Shi 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.
* ThePromise:
** 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.]]
** The reason Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan got engaged was because their mothers made a promise in the past. If their children were both boys, they would be sworn brothers; if both were girls, they would be sworn sisters; and if one was a boy and the other was a girl, they would be in an ArrangedMarriage.
* QualityOverQuantity: Lan Wangji taught Lan Sizhui to always prioritise quality in learning the ''qin'' language. Wei Wuxian also notices this trait when Sizhui lists his observations of A-Qing (in her corpse form), which are less than Jin Ling's but more informative.
* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:Jin Guangshan]] took advantage of [[spoiler:Madam Qin]] when he was drunk, and she couldn't tell her husband partly out of shame and partly because [[CassandraTruth she feared that her husband would never believe her if she told him what happened]]. This was the source of many unfortunate events, as [[spoiler:Qin Su unknowingly married and conceived a child with her half-brother Jin Guangyao]].
* RazorFloss: The Chord Assassination technique uses ''qin'' strings (usually made of silk) to slice whatever is necessary.
* 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.
* {{Realpolitik}}: The novel shows how the politics of the cultivation world works, and how dirty and ugly it can be. Most of the people who have seats in it listen only to the people with either the loudest voice and/or the deepest pockets, quickly scheme to eliminate anyone or anything they disagree with, and they discuss solely about anything related to their feuds or other corrupt matters.
* RecycledAnimation: The ''donghua'' tends to reuse some key frames or shots once or twice.
* TheReveal:
** Early in the story, Wei Wuxian sees whip scars and a brand mark on Lan Wangji's body. He doesn't recall seeing this before, so he wonders how Lan Wangji got them. Lan Xichen explains that [[spoiler: he received the whip scars as punishment for defending Wei Wuxian and fighting against his own clansmen to do so]]. A few chapters later, a flashback reveals that the brand scar [[spoiler: was self-inflicted by Lan Wangji when he grieved Wei Wuxian's death]].
** There's how Jiang Cheng [[spoiler: regained his cultivation]] despite [[spoiler: his golden core being melted off]]: Wei Wuxian [[spoiler: gave him his own golden core via a painful transplant with Wen Qing and Wen Ning's assistance]].
* 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]].
* RomanticRain: A variation. It rains while [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are being held hostage in a temple, which is also where they properly confess their love to each other]].
* SacrificialRevivalSpell: The IncitingIncident of plot is Mo Xuanyu summoning Wei Wuxian's soul to use Mo Xuanyu's body as a vessel to get revenge on his behalf which kills the mentally-troubled and abused summoner. [[spoiler: It's implied that Nie Huaisang indirectly manipulated Mo Xuanyu into finding said ritual.]]
* SceneryPorn:
** The novel goes into great deal about the stunning visuals of the Cloud Recesses, [[MoodWhiplash right before the story turns to Wei Wuxian throwing a loud tantrum right outside of it]].
** The ''donghua'' doesn't hold back with this, showing just how well-drawn and detailed every place is, even in the bleaker and more lifeless areas like the Burial Mounds.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Mianmian's [[spoiler:defense of Wei Wuxian]] showed that she wouldn't side with an unconscionable crowd even if it meant saving her own skin and retaining her privileges.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
** When Wang Lingjiao noticed that Wen Chao was losing interest in her, she attempted to hightail it before he finally decided to get rid of her. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for her, Wei Wuxian didn't let her escape.]]
** 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]].
** 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.
* SeparateSceneStorytelling: Most of the story is told through {{Flashback}}s and possession/[[WillingChanneler Empathy]].
* 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.]]
*** 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 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.
** '''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]].
* SexyDiscretionShot: In the audio drama, any time [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are about to have sex]], the scene segues to a music track.
* SiblingYinYang: Most of the sibling pairs serve as {{Foil}}s to each other.
** Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli take after their [[IronLady mother]] and [[NiceGuy father]], respectively.
** Lan Wangji is stoic and aloof while Lan Xichen is a genuinely open and nice person.
** Wen Qing is direct and fierce, in contrast to Wen Ning who is quiet and nervous.
** 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]].
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: The novel contrasts the lofty goals of cultivators with the mundane and dirty realities of politics and war. Cultivators try to strive to be beyond base and material concerns but they ignore that at their own peril and the most honorable and powerful cultivators often end up crushed by reality. The novel lands somewhere in the middle. While it is good to strive to be virtuous, one must keep in mind that not everyone is and that no matter how powerful you are, cultivation power and justice cannot solve everything. So one must always keep an eye on the mundane world and understand and recognize evil at least enough to avoid its traps.
* SocietyIsToBlame: [[DiscOneFinalBoss Wen Ruohan]] and [[spoiler: [[GreaterScopeVillain Jin Guangshan]]]] aside, ''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' is blunt about how another villainous force that drives most of the plot is society itself. Cultivators and non-cultivators alike treat others differently depending on their social status, do anything solely for their own personal profit even if it comes at the detriment of the well-being of others, easily look the other way at any injustice as long as it doesn't involve them, and are quick to paint anyone as a public and/or political target because of either envy, pride, spite, or sheer sadism.
* SquishyWizard: Downplayed. A cultivator can gain more durability, strength, speed, and once they have achieved mastery of their powers, even agelessness. But in the end, they're still mortal and thus are just as susceptible to death, injury, or illness as any non-cultivator.
* StatusQuoIsGod: While there are some changes to the cultivation world in the ending (such as [[spoiler: who's running the Jin Clan now and who will possibly be the next Chief Cultivator]]), overall nothing much has changed and most clans haven't improved their mindsets or the way they run things. [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are wise enough to stay out of the big clans' business and stick to either helping the little people or assisting the juniors in their night-hunts.]]
* SpiritCultivationGenre: Wei Wuxian, the greatest cultivator to ever live died thirteen years ago. Mo Xuanyu, a much weaker cultivator, summons Wei Wuxian into his body to seek revenge on his abusive family.
* SupernaturalRepellent: The ''Iron Hook'' extra shows that salt is also effective in holding off ghosts or beings of resentful energy in general.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: ''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' reflects reality all too well in its portrayal of society and relationships between people who have their fair share of trauma and personal issues.
** Not everyone will learn their lesson from a humbling and humiliating experience; sometimes they will choose to not learn it at all so as to not admit that they are in the wrong and have faults they need to work on. [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian saved the lives of all the cultivators that conspired to murder him again, his name is cleared of the many crimes he's falsely accused of with the Jin Clan being revealed to be the ones who are actually responsible for them]]. Even then, [[spoiler: the cultivation clans simply continue their penchant for cruel gossip and mob mentality and start badmouthing other people]].
** Even when two people bare out everything to each other and exchange apologies or other genuine sentiments, sometimes it's far from enough to repair a relationship that's already long broken. At best, all it will do is just wash off any lingering resentment and provide closure. Such is what happens [[spoiler: between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, since after their final confrontation in the Guanyin Temple they go their separate ways]], this time for good.
** Lan Xichen [[spoiler:and his course of action in regards to Jin Guangyao]] is a prime example of how while it is normally wise to take time and weigh your options, in some situations, it's not automatically the ''correct'' course of action because some outcomes will not wait for your judgment.
** Physically, mentally, and emotionally durable Wei Wuxian may be, at the end of the day he's still a mortal man, and there's only so much stress he can take before he suffers the consequences from shouldering it all on his own. Lan Wangji solemnly lampshades this during an exchange with the juniors.
---> '''Ouyang Zizhen''': Hanguang-Jun, why did Senior Wei collapse?\\
'''Lan Wangji''': Fatigue.\\
'''Lan Jingyi''': I thought that Senior Wei would never get tired!\\
'''Lan Wangji''': We are all human.
** 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.
* SwordBeam: Cultivators can create these by sending spiritual energy through their swords.
* TakeThisJobAndShoveIt: When Mianmian saw just how unreasonable and sexist the other cultivators were, she [[spoiler:chose to leave her clan]], even when no one took her claim seriously.
* TamerAndChaster: The animated adaptation tones down a lot of the overt eroticism and {{gorn}} from the novel, due to Chinese censorship regulations. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's relationship is also 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, ''Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'' is a lot less subtle about the ShipTease.
* ThatOldTimePrescription: According to Wei Wuxian, glutinous rice is one of the most effective cures for corpse poisoning. It can be applied directly on bites or scratches from fierce corpses, or ingested as congee if the victim breathed in corpse poisoning powder.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Granted, therapy wasn't existent back in ancient China. If it was, one can only think of all the tragedies that could have been avoided and the misunderstandings that could have been cleared up quickly, or at least more efficiently.
* ThereIsOnlyOneBed: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are faced with the issue of sharing a room with just the one bed when they stop by an inn in Yunping City. While it's something they've been doing for a while during their travels, Wei Wuxian feels more self-conscious about the situation this time since [[spoiler:he denied Jiang Cheng's accusations earlier about his and Lan Wangji's relationship]].
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Many characters, including the protagonists, struggle with choosing to either do the right thing or uphold the peace and stability. Part of the problem is that as heirs and sons of the major clans, anything they do reflects on their clan which at best damages their reputation and at worst brings disaster as the clans bear the consequences of their actions. The fact that the characters are so young means that they lack to experience and wisdom to successfully balance these concerns.
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: In this story, any character who is kind and selfless is guaranteed to die in a horrible way, as was the case with the likes of [[spoiler: Xiao Xingchen and Jiang Yanli]].
* TragicBromance:
** Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan's friendship is the epitome of this trope. Long story short, everything went downhill for them after [[spoiler: they apprehended Xue Yang, who would soon get back at them both]]. It ultimately ends with [[spoiler: the former's suicide and the latter's resurrection into a fierce corpse. Eventually, Xue Yang gets killed, leaving Song Lan free to roam the earth with his friend's soul and weapon]], and only time will tell whether they'll reunite once again.
** There's the Venerated Triad (Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao). Before they became BloodBrothers, they deeply trusted and respected each other, although things started to go south after [[spoiler: Nie Mingjue caught a glimpse of Jin Guangyao's true nature]]. And that's only scratching the surface, but it all ends [[spoiler: in betrayal and bloody deaths, with the last surviving brother falling into despair]].
* UndyingLoyalty: It's featured a few times in the novel.
** A cultivator's sword is loyal to its master and its master only. Such is the case with Wei Wuxian's sword Suibian, which sealed itself after Wei Wuxian's death; and even when he reincarnated in the body of a weaker cultivator, Suibian still responds to his command and his command only. [[spoiler: Jiang Cheng is the only other cultivator who can unsheathe Suibian, but that's because he has Wei Wuxian's golden core.]]
** The [[spoiler: Wen survivors that Wei Wuxian saved from the Jin Clan's concentration camp]] are loyal to their rescuer to the very end. [[spoiler: Case in point, when Wei Wuxian returns to the Burial Mounds in the present time and is nearly overwhelmed by an army of zombies, the Wen survivors briefly come BackFromTheDead to fend them off before disintegrating into ashes.]]
** A-Qing is determined to help Xiao Xingchen and hinder the man who killed him even after her death.
** It quickly becomes apparent that no matter what Wei Wuxian does after coming back to life, Lan Wangji will support and protect him. [[spoiler: Even if it means going against his own clan and risking becoming the cultivation world's enemy.]]
* 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]].
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: As embodied by the younger generation, the four clans struggle to get along. When they lack a powerful common enemy (like the Wen Clan or the Yiling Patriarch), the clans either go their separate ways or descend into petty politics and infighting. Even nominally close alliances ([[spoiler: like the Venerated Triad]]) are fragile at best.
* WhamLine:
** Chapter 25: "Wei Ying." While there were already a few hints beforehand, this line confirms that Lan Wangji knew who "Mo Xuanyu" was early on and was merely playing along with his act.
** Chapter 88: This exchange between Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning, which turns part of the plot in the flashbacks over its head.
---> '''Jiang Cheng''': What do you mean [[spoiler: the sword took me as Wei Wuxian]]? How?! Why would it be me?!\\
'''Wen Ning''': Because [[spoiler: the golden core that is revolving inside you right now is his]]!
** In Chapter 108, a particular line hints that there might someone else besides the BigBad who's been pulling the strings all this time.
---> '''[[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!
* 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.
* 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.
* WorkingOutTheirEmotions: In the past, Lan Wangji [[spoiler: kissed a blindfolded Wei Wuxian. He backed away before the blindfold could be removed]] and when it was, all Wei Wuxian noticed was Lan Wangji punching trees. This is extremely abnormal as the latter doesn't outwardly express his emotions and Wei Wuxian's [[FailedASpotCheck inability to connect the dots]] made the situation all the more awkward.
* 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.
* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: If anyone knows anything about the First Siege second-hand from what the cultivators of the senior generation would tell them, they would think that what happened was a glorious battle that culminated in the defeat of the evil Yiling Patriarch. What they would ''not'' know, in turn, is that [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian died by no one's hands but his own when he attempted to completely destroy the Yin Tiger Tally, and a group of innocents (namely, the remnants of the Wen Clan) were brutally slaughtered and their corpses dumped into a pool of blood as a means of both DesecratingTheDead and hiding any evidence of what they did]]. The junior cultivators' reactions upon seeing [[spoiler: the Wen refugees' corpses coming to life]] clearly indicate that their parents had completely neglected to tell them about the latter action.
* 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)]].
* {{Wuxia}}: Technically classified as ''xianxia'', or a cultivation novel involving people who are practicing magical skills to work towards immortality. However, ''Mo Dao Zu Shi'' is remarkably toned down on the degree of fantasy involved here -- for example, most fantastic creatures still adhere to some idea of biology as commonly understood by the ancient Chinese, and walking corpses can be differentiated from living corpses because the latter still breathe.
* YouAreFat: PlayedForLaughs. Lan Jingyi mockingly calls Jin Ling's dog fat after Jin Ling mocks the name of Wei Wuxian's donkey, to Jin Ling's irritation. It's unknown if Lan Jingyi is just joking or Fairy ''is'' being overfed, but Jin Ling staunchly claims that his dog is in good shape.
* YouExclamation: As it's on par the course for any work from China, characters angrily muttering "You!" to refer to other characters is often occurs in ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''.
* YouOweMe: Comes in tandem with IOweYouMyLife. A recurring theme in the novel is debts, and both the positive and negative aspects of these tropes are explored. Anyone who is helped by someone naturally wants to help their benefactor/savior in return. Sometimes, this helps either side in the long run when they need it most or when they least expect it. Other times, this can damage a relationship when said relationship can easily be summed up with the questions "How much do you owe me?", "How much/little have you done for me?", and/or "How much have you wronged me?".
* YourMom: Madam Mo does a subtle one in the novel when she calls "Mo Xuanyu" a "son of a bitch", but she plays this straight in the ''donghua'' when she tells him that his mother is a whore. Keep in mind that Mo Xuanyu's mother is her own sister.
[[/folder]]
----

** By the finale, the whereabouts of the Yin Tiger Seal 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: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji return to where the Yin Tiger Seal is and destroy it once and for all to ensure that no one can ever use it]].

* AmplifierArtifact: The Yin Tiger Seal drastically increases its user's ability to use demonic cultivation. For example, Wei Wuxian's use of the Yin Tiger Seal allows him to control thousands instead of hundreds of fierce corpses.

* ArtifactOfDoom: Simply put, several things went downhill in the past because of [[spoiler: Jin Guangshan]]'s desire to obtain the Yin Tiger Seal and use it to rule over the cultivation world.

** 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 Seal 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]].

* EffectiveKnockoff: When Wei Wuxian destroyed half of the Yin Tiger Seal, the Lanling Jin Clan 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.]]

*** When [[spoiler:the deceased Wen refugees come back to life]] to protect Wei Wuxian from [[spoiler:the corpses controlled by the Yin Tiger Seal]] at the Burial Mounds, [[spoiler:one of them]] starts walking towards Lan Sizhui and attempts to touch him in a non-hostile manner. [[spoiler:Wen Yuan is said to often hang out with his grandmother a few chapters prior, and the corpse that attempted to touch him is described to look small and hunched-over, a description that would perfectly describe an old woman.]]

* HappyFunBall: At first glance, the Yin Tiger Seal looks somewhat mystical but otherwise there is nothing otherworldly about its appearance. However, it holds so much power that it's desired by many, most notably the Lanling Jin Clan.

* MadeOfEvil: Wei Wuxian created the Yin Tiger Seal from reforging an ancient sword that had absorbed the resentful energy of ''hundreds'' of men.

* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: If anyone knows anything about the First Siege second-hand from what the cultivators of the senior generation would tell them, they would think that what happened was a glorious battle that culminated in the defeat of the evil Yiling Patriarch. What they would ''not'' know, in turn, is that [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian died by no one's hands but his own when he attempted to completely destroy the Yin Tiger Seal, and a group of innocents (namely, the remnants of the Wen Clan) were brutally slaughtered and their corpses dumped into a pool of blood as a means of both DesecratingTheDead and hiding any evidence of what they did]]. The junior cultivators' reactions upon seeing [[spoiler: the Wen refugees' corpses coming to life]] clearly indicate that their parents had completely neglected to tell them about the latter action.

** The AnimatedAdaptation adapts most of the novel's bittersweet ending, but with some things 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 Seal 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 what 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]].

** The AnimatedAdaptation also ends on a similar note, but with some things changed or switched up. 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 reestablishes 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 Seal 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 what 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 -- ''doesn't'' go into seclusion this time]]. 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, [[spoiler:how he deals with the grudge and grief that he's held for the past few years]] are left up in the air.

* ChekhovsGun: The forehead ribbon. [[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''.

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

* StealthPun: In one of the flashbacks, after Lan Wangji [[spoiler:steals Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], Wei Wuxian (who was blindfolded, and thus didn't see who it was) comes across Lan Wangji, who is literally punching trees out of romantic/sexual frustration - or, in other words, he's [[ADateWithRosiePalms beating wood]].

* 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. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's romance also goes from being a major plot element to a subtle hint that could be dismissed as simply friendship. On the other hand, ''Mo Dao Zu Shi Q'' is not as subtle as it shows plenty of ShipTease between the two.

* YouExclamation: As it's on par the course for any work from China, characters angrily muttering "You!" often occurs in ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Because of the plot's setup, it can seem like Wei Wuxian has new abilities out of nowhere. However, from a purely chronological point of view, Wei Wuxian actually [[spoiler: lost his abilities along with [[spoiler: his golden core]], and then spent three months [[spoiler: without a weapon in [[HellOnEarth the Burial Mounds]]]], so what we see as new powers is actually a lot of improvisation done on the spot based on half-remembered theory.

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: The novel contrasts the lofty goals of cultivators with the [[RealityEnsues mundane and dirty realities of politics and war]]. Cultivators try to strive to be beyond base and material concerns but they ignore that at their own peril and the most honorable and powerful cultivators often end up crushed by reality. The novel lands somewhere in the middle. While it is good to strive to be virtuous, one must keep in mind that not everyone is and that no matter how powerful you are, cultivation power and justice cannot solve everything. So one must always keep an eye on the mundane world and understand and recognize evil at least enough to avoid its traps.

* StealthPun: In one of the flashbacks, after Lan Wangji [[spoiler:steals Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], Wei Wuxian (who was blindfolded, and thus didn't see who it was) comes across Lan Wangji, who is lie rally punching trees out of romantic/sexual frustration - or, in other words, he's [[ADateWithRosiePalms beating wood]].

** The AnimatedAdaptation also ends on a similar note, but with some things changed or switched up. 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 reestablishes 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 Seal 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 what 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 -- ''doesn't'' go into seclusion this time]]. 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, how he deals with the grudge and grief that he's held for the past few years and whether he's ultimately able to move past them]] are left up in the air.

* 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]].

** The resolution to the Yi City arc is bittersweet in nature, at best. [[spoiler:Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing are dead but Song Lan is free and is WalkingTheEarth with the remnants of their souls. There is a slim hope that maybe one day, their souls can be repaired and they return to the living world; and with Xue Yang dead maybe they can have a happier life.]]
** 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 there's still a lot left unsaid and unresolved and 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.]]

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

* StealthPun: In one of the flashbacks, after Lan Wangji [[spoiler:steals Wei Wuxian's FirstKiss]], Wei Wuxian (who was blindfolded, and thus didn't see who it was) comes across Lan Wangji, who is lierally punching trees out of romantic/sexual frustration - or, in other words, he's [[ADateWithRosiePalms beating wood]].

* 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 boasts 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 side of cultivation on the side.

* WorkingOutTheirEmotions: In one scene of the past, Lan Wangji [[spoiler: kissed a blindfolded Wei Wuxian. He backed away before the blindfold could be removed]] and when it was, all Wei Wuxian noticed was Lan Wangji punching trees. This is extremely abnormal as the latter doesn't outwardly express his emotions and Wei Wuxian's [[FailedASpotCheck inability to connect the dots]] made the situation all the more awkward.
* 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, or plainly for the kicks.
* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: If anyone knows anything about the First Siege second-hand from what the cultivators of the senior generation would tell them, they would think that what happened was a glorious battle that culminated in the defeat of the purely evil Yiling Patriarch. What they would ''not'' know, in turn, is that [[spoiler: Wei Wuxian died by no one's hands but his own when he attempted to completely destroy the Yin Tiger Seal, and a group of innocents (who were also the remnants of the Wen Clan) were brutally slaughtered and their corpses dumped into a pool of blood as a means of both DesecratingTheDead and hiding any evidence of what they did]]. The junior cultivators reactions upon seeing [[spoiler: the Wen refugees' corpses coming to life]] clearly indicate that their parents had completely neglected to tell them about the latter action.
* WrittenByTheWinners: The reader realizes that this trope comes into play when they learn of [[spoiler: the complete story of the Yiing 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)]].

* YouExclamation: As it's on par the course for any work from China, characters angrily referring to one another as just "You!" often occurs in ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''.

* AffectionateNickname: China has quite the detailed naming system, and one of them involves addressing either family or someone they're really close to by a shortened version of their birth or courtesy name, which is prefixed with "A-". For example, there's "A-Xian" (Wei Wu'''xian'''), "A-Cheng" (Jiang '''Cheng'''), and "A-Li" (Jiang Yan'''li'''). Whenever a character uses this, it's usually good indication of how fond they are towards the other.

** 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 Koi 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]].

* AnalogyBackfire: When Su She accuses Wei Wuxian of being afraid of death, Wei Wuxian counters that fearing death is not the same as not wanting to die, much like how there's a difference with him not wanting to [[spoiler: leave Lan Wangji's embrace]] and being afraid of doing such... before he retracts his statement by realizing that they're actually the same thing. Although this trope is invoked on purpose, as he was trying to piss Su She off.

* ArrangedMarriage: Cultivation clans often do arranged marriages in order to forge more political connections, increase one's standing, and so that the clan leaders would have an heir. Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's engagement was originally of this nature, before the fathers decided to break it off (spurred by Wei Wuxian's fight with Jin Zixuan) for the sake of their happiness; the couple however eventually reached mutual feelings on their own terms and would marry several years later anyways.

* BackFromTheDead: What kicks off the story in the present timeline is Wei Wuxian getting ressurected by being summoned in another body. Fierce corpses are basically zombies, so Wen Ning, [[spoiler: Nie Mingjue and Song Lan]] are "alive" again in a way.

* LowFantasy: By ''xianxia'' standards. While cultivation still plays an important role in the story, the novel focuses less on cultivation lore and more about human conflict.

* YouExclamation: As it's on par the course for any work from China, characters angrily referring to one another as just You!" often occurs in ''Mo Dao Zu Shi'',