Beyond the Timescape

Where do I even start? Er gen have been one of the few writers whom I admire. His works, though not perfect, have a great storytelling and world building. But not this one... ... more>> I will skip all the unnecessary rant and will directly put forward the things I believe drag down the novel. If this novel were to be released from another person, it would be a mediocre novel at best. The first thing that made me roll my eyes countless times is the constant description of how MC is so good looking and bewitching. I get it... he is handsome. There is no need to remind us readers every ten or so chapters. The second problem with this novel is how it just follows another shitty cliche format instead of reinventing. Remember Pursuit of truth and Renegade Immortal? The two novels were the peak of what Xianxia are. Full of uncertainties, world building and exploration. How MC's of those two novels took years upon years to comprehend their own moves and skills. How the MC's there were completely independent and were mostly lone wolf. Here it is completely opposite. Usually, Er gen's sect arc would be over in a few hundred or so chapters and then MC would move on. BUT here.... Here it is all about MC joining one sect, then other faction, and then other and then other... He is basically being appointed to positions without any freewill of his own. It's like he is just a robot whose sole function is to follow arrangements that others made for him. Him joining the sword faction was the last nail in the coffin for me. Basically he joins the faction not because he truly wants to, but just because someone said they are recruiting. He had no thoughts of his own. Basically his whole mindset is that if you offends me then I will kill you. Basically, like every other chinese novel in existence. I don't know man, but I am deeply disappointed in it. On one hand, author talks about how the MC usually liked to hide himself and on the other hand, he is openly showing off in front of every other person. Now let's come to the one unforgiving sin that I absolutely can not tolerate in Er gen novel... and that is the power structure. Before this dogsh*t novel (not considering the three ass novels including issth, awe, awwp), his first two novels had an awesome power structure. It took decades or even centuries for MC to step into the next realm. There weren't any young masters or geniuses that would pop out at every turn. But here... Here you will find 20 year olds who have stepped into golden core realm. And not in a good way. The MC will level up once, and then we will find out that there are already 20 years old more talented than him who have already stepped further. WTF are you smoking Er gen? I can expect this from a third grade fast-food tr*sh novel, not from you... Also... the people around the MC are already at the peak of their world. So, any progress that MC makes seems insgnificant. One can not just write about beings ten levels above MC who are actively partaking in the story and then expect readers to get excited about MC's breakthrough. It is just not happening. It feels more like a chore as we want to see him strong. In the earlier novels, MC at least used to be alone after breaking through, raoming the world. At least for some chapters, we truly felt the majesty of the realm and how MC is so strong and truly matters in the story. But here...? MC will step into foundation realm and there will be golden core all around him. He will step into golden core, there will be nascent soul all around him. He never once truly felt like "THE MC". Instead he always felt like an underdog. Also, fuk the sword techniques and sword skills. Every goddamn tr*sh novel has MC carrying a sword and comprehending a heaven defying sword skill. The earlier MC's at least were all rounded and used their skills, bodies to fight instead of this f*cking sword. Sigh... In the end, if you are a newcomer, do read this novel, it is good. But if you are a long term Er gen fan and have been expecting something good... Just give it up. His glory days are long gone. It is just another glorified piece of mediocrity with no redeeming qualities. <<less

I am severely disappointed by the amount of drop dead s*upid reviews from lobotomy patients who read the MTL instead of the actual translation. I have read a lot of cultivation novels and this by far the best. It's actually crazy how easily it mogs every other Er Gen novel. Story 6/5 Supporting characters 6/5 Main character 3/5 (hes a fine vessel to move the story forward but not much else) Action 5/5 This novel is very underrated.

I am very surprised at the low scores, this is shaping up to be one of the best Er Gen novels along with ISSTH and AWE. What really sets this apart is the character development of the non MC characters. The supporting characters actually do stuff and accomplish things without the MC. I would like to see more of that.

My favourite cultivation novel so far. The story has amazing pacing, there is no boring power ups, and to be fair, for quite a few chapters now, the cultivation part hasn't been as important as the story. It's kind of there, but not in your face. The story has many epic moments, most of them have nothing to do with powering up. The epic moments give the novel a surprisingly realistic feel. Whether they are heartwarming or devastating. The characters all have a unique identity and seem almost as important as the MC. ... more>> At this point in the story I think a lot of readers would agree that the novel wouldn't be the same without the elder brother, who is almost the MC himself. There are few throwaway characters, similar to ISSTH but better. I find the MC to be very well written, you can tell the author is a decent bloke. The MC does not need the approval of others at all so he is very likeable. Author never talks in a roundabout way of how special or lucky MC is, everyone in this novel matters (MC matter's just a tiny bit more). He does highlight MCs peerless looks often, which some people don't like (as a 1%er, I like). Tldr: MC is not Cringe. I like that the author has worked on himself a lot and it shows in this novel better than ever. No attention seeking, no possessiveness, no pointless ambition, self-compassion. Very evident with his numerous "quotations" of the Tao. 10/10 <<less

I don't need to post a review since there are countless positive ones already, but I will anyway. I'll try to share a slightly different perspective that isn't just blanket praise. Er Gen is one of the best cultivation novel authors, but some of his recent novels had not been as good as RI and ISSTH, so and I was skeptical Beyond The Timescape (known here on NU as Outside of Time) would be qualitatively different at the core, despite how rock-solid writing quality, storytelling, and pacing is in the early ... more>> chapters. Are you someone who's also cautious toward praise for BTT because you think like this, too? Well, then here's what I want to tell you: 1. The first time BTT blew my mind was around chapter 260. The fight was just SO GOOD. It was then I realized... Er Gen has refined his writing style for battles. The technique-related tactics have been simplified compared to the likes of, say, ISSTH, focusing on blowing up enemies with his superior might (like AWE body cultivation)... but there are a lot more situational and environment tactics, and tactics that involve fighting multiple opponents effectively and using deception. One of the MC's traits is his insistent on layered secrecy. However, Er Gen DID NOT abandon tactical cultivation battles, he just saved them for later! After this fight, there were at least 2 more mind-blowingly good multi-chapter fights in later chapters (I've read up to 540 at present). BTT's boss battles actually outdo ever other Er Gen novel I've read (which, for the record, is all of his previous ones besides Against Heaven, and I finished 3/5 of them), including the final fight against the 10th Wang Clan Patriarch in ISSTH. 2. The side characters are also handled better than in every other Er Gen novel I've read. For one, none of them are forgotten. They are all distinct. They all have a distinct role, are almost all brought forward through the story and kept relevant. They almost all have their own clear backgrounds and goals, and none of them are bland sycophants. There is one particular side character who receives a vast amount of character development, to the point I'd almost call him the second protagonist; I'm reminded of the MC's 2 friends in the novel Stellar Transformations. 3. Er Gen does present humor, but he does not let it take over the narrative! The serious battles are serious, there are no gag-like twists used to resolve major conflicts. The MC has to work hard to achieve his goals, he doesn't constantly have some old grandpas suddenly take a liking to him and make it easy, as you'd see in other novels. 4. I'm sure you've heard this already if you read another detailed review: the worldbuilding, foreshadowing, and recollection of plot points is meticulous and top-tier. The translator also puts incredible effort into pointing out references and helping immerse readers in the plot's complexity. There were times in previous Er Gen novels where I felt like he forgot his plans or changed them mid-way through and pretend he had been planning it all along, but I haven't felt that way yet in BTT. Everything actually matters... paying attentions to details actually matters. It's a joy to read a story like this. This is by far the best-written Er Gen novel and the best-translated Er Gen novel, so I wouldn't be surprised if it even ropes in people who couldn't enjoy ISSTH. I will never able to forget some of the most incredible parts of RI and ISSTH. Especially in RI, the incredible weight and karma of "Ancestor Lin", and his line in a certain arc: "I'm not willing!" It was less than a decade ago I read it, but feels like ages ago since I've read so many cultivation novels that don't measure up since. However, BTT actually presents a story that can, in many ways, do so, particularly in the boss fights and worldbuilding (points 1 and 4 above). Don't sleep on it. On a side note, I took a look at a couple of rare "negative" reviews of BTT here, and unlike what's often the case with other novels where I say "okay, that's a fair criticism"... minor rant. Spoiler I can't wrap my head around them, and they don't seem to provide any concrete details on why they think the novel is "poorly written" or "full of young masters" (I can only think of a single one who isn't immediately deconstructed into comic relief or irrelevance... and he's quite capable and doesn't rely on dao protectors to fight). When I review a novel, I like to talk about what flaws people are most likely to identify, to be fair, but these other reviews aren't even worth reference. (Some of these people seem to even dislike Er Gen novels overall; to be blunt, the first Er Gen novels you read should ideally be ISSTH and probably RI which are masterpieces. That's why I composed this review in a way that referenced those other novels. But yeah, if you disliked them, you will probably dislike BTT.) A better potential example of a flaw of BTT would simply be that the MC is largely a Gary Stu, or that the reader simply can't relate to him because he's too stoic, or that the reader can't enjoy feel-good massacres, though those are more personal biases or part of the nature of cultivation novels as a whole. Reminder, folks: talking about what you wish a novel was about isn't a valid criticism! Only saying that it does its job poorly or doesn't have the components required to entertain its target demographic would be a valid criticism. If you want a romance, don't read an Er Gen novel. Too bad we can't comment on other reviews. [collapse] <<less

I regret to say that I can't offer praise for the novel. The concept is intriguing, set in a dystopian cultivation world with a clever and low-key main character. However, the issue lies in its repetitive nature – each storyline feels the same, and there's a lack of character development. While it's a common challenge for xianxia novels, many successfully captivate readers by offering entertainment. Regrettably, Beyond The Timescape falls short in this aspect. In his earlier works, such as A Will Eternal and ISSTH, the author, ErGen, entertained through comedy ... more>> or a cold yet likable protagonist like Wang Lin in Renegade Immortal. Unfortunately, this novel doesn't share the same success. It's poorly written, and the author seems to believe he's creating a masterpiece. Furthermore, the author frustratingly tends to ruin the endings by providing abrupt conclusions and leaving crucial plot points about the main villain or world unexplained. This tactic appears to coerce readers into picking up his next book. What's even more disappointing is that, despite being over 10 years in the making, we still haven't received answers for his previous works like ISSTH and A Will Eternal. I would recommend skipping this one to avoid unnecessary frustration. <<less

THE ONLY REASON THAT THIS NOVEL IS A 4.1 AND NOT A 4.9 is THAT ALL THESE READERS ARE READING THE MTLED tr*sh WEBNOVEL IS PRODUCING. If you want to read the best Xianxia Er Gen has ever written, go read Beyond the Timescape - Translated by Deathblade. I’ll write my actual review later but if you want more explanations on this, basically Webnovel is using a loophole that by NOT just recycling and selling what deathblade translated, they are not stealing from Er Gen therefore they use MTL to basically get ... more>> more viewers by getting more chapters out and fooling the market that thisis the only product. Er Gen could technically SUE them but Webnovel is owned by qidian which basically controls the market so it would be more pointless. The review : So basically Er Gen looked at the comments on his past novels, took what the audience loved, and shed what they hated and made it into this masterpiece. The MC is my favorite one yet. They all share the same traits but this MC somehow shines through. Not only did he learn from his own novels, this also shows some inspiration from the best xianxias such as Reverend Insanity. I can boldly say that this is the best Xianxia of this decade, maybe even EVER placing this second to Reverend Insanity in the hundreds of Lightnovels, Xianxia’s and Novels I’ve read. Each main side character has a great personality and Er Gen patience in writing all of them. He makes the audience feel as if they are going to be key characters for the thousands of chapters Xianxia will have and they are! Unlike some xianxia’s who just go up and up and leave characters everytime. The humor is maintained without repetitiveness nor using brash things such as rap* like the other novels. For a serious reader, the humor might as well pass through their eyes but for a reader like me, I appreciate it. What I meant for Er Gen having been inspired by Reverend Insanity is that every single Arc has that one reverend insanity explosion. Er Gen looked Gu Zhen Ren straight in the eye and said I can do it too. And yes he did, so don’t read the MTL one cause all the foreshadowing and specks of information is completely misinterpreted by the sh*t ai translating it. <<less

It was very interesting at the beginning but it becomes worse and worse ever since MC joined the sh*tty sect... It is literally cutthroat competition... It is beyond ridiculous seeing 'jade beauties' blindly throwing themselves upon him despite MC being so cold... Those annoying arrogant 'young masters/young elitists' picking up fights with MC for no sensible reason are also started showing up and becoming plot devices... MC's himself is also not that likable... Just because someone is 'cold, ' it doesn't mean that he is also 'cool'... ... more>> Spoiler If I were MC's shadow, I would rather die than serving such an *sshole tyrannical master... I would rather seeing the patriarch die than becoming MC's s*ave... It's really sickening seeing an enemy using his brains reduced to something like that... I keep wondering whether the captain is the real MC here... The captain is ruthless but also cool and easy-going compared to MC who is being ruthless but so cold to the extent of being cutthroat paranoid... [collapse] <<less