manhwa · 2021 · Ongoing
Return of the Blossoming Blade
Shared: Reincarnation · Cultivation
Reincarnation
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
A notorious cultivator returns in a new body and takes up an investigation with someone from his former life.
Also known as: Mo Dao Zu Shi · 魔道祖师
Why read it?
The investigation and relationships are as important as the forbidden techniques. This is the comic adaptation.
Where to read
- Seven Seas ↗English collected manhua
Reading dossier / Research notes
Story, powers & world
Wei Wuxian returns in another body through a forbidden ritual. An old acquaintance and a supernatural investigation draw him back into the history of the clans that feared his power.
Seven Seas English manhua · Publisher synopsis
- necromancy
- reincarnation
- rule subversion
Read the plot, characters and power rulesManhua spoilers · opening setup and one rule from volume 9
Plot and turning points
- 1. The clans turn on Wei Wuxian
Several powerful clans unite against a cultivator they fear for his forbidden abilities. He dies and remains absent for thirteen years before an aggrieved young man calls him back.
- 2. The new life carries an obligation
The ritual sacrifices its caster’s soul and makes Wei Wuxian responsible for avenging him. When a dangerous entity appears, Lan Wangji becomes part of the investigation. A visit to the Lan Clan of Gusu brings memories of their youth into the story.
Seven Seas English manhua · Publisher synopsisSeven Seas manhua vol. 2 · Publisher volume
Characters and factions
- Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji
Wei Wuxian’s past reputation follows the investigation even while he inhabits a different body. Lan Wangji is a powerful cultivator who knows him from before, so their past matters alongside their current work.
Seven Seas English manhua · Publisher synopsisSeven Seas manhua vol. 2 · Publisher volume
- The Gusu Lan, Jiang and Wen clans
The Lan Clan provides a place to return to. A later flashback shows Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng in conflict with the Wen Clan and also shows some Wen members sheltering them. Clan labels do not determine every individual’s choice.
Seven Seas manhua vol. 2 · Publisher volumeSeven Seas manhua vol. 9 · Publisher volume
World and lore
- Cultivation, spiritual threats and clan authority
The comic places supernatural investigations beside old conflicts over which powers can be used. A later volume identifies Lotus Pier, clan raids and a cultivation master as concrete parts of that history.
Seven Seas English manhua · Publisher synopsisSeven Seas manhua vol. 9 · Publisher volume
Powers, rules and limits
- A return with a binding cost
The summoner trades his soul to bring Wei Wuxian back. Wei Wuxian risks destruction of his own soul if he fails to fulfill the vengeance obligation. This is a return in another body and a later period.
- A golden core matters to ordinary cultivation
The licensed volume 9 synopsis identifies the golden core as the source of much of Jiang Cheng’s power. Its loss changes what he can do. This evidence does not define every demonic technique.
From page to screen
Previews, pictures & recaps
Animated version
The Master of Diabolism · Chinese animation (2018)
Episode stills may reveal early scenes.
Images and episode data via TVmaze · CC BY-SA API terms. Artwork belongs to the respective rights holders.
Find video recaps on YouTube ↗
Rank & reviews
A MangaUpdates rating hasn’t been matched for this title.
- MangaBaka popularity
- #433 overall
- Popularity in manhua
- #7
- MangaBaka rating
- 84.8 / 100
MangaBaka record ↗ · Captured
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Source signals
Audience & ratings
- MangaDex Bayesian rating
- 9.30 / 10
- MangaDex follows
- 23,152
MangaDex record ↗ · Captured
Read next
manga · 2020 · Ongoing
The Executed Sage Who Was Reincarnated as a Lich Started an All-Out War
Shared: Reincarnation · Necromancy
Necromancy
Occult investigation tactics
Original game concept
Core loop
Investigate a disturbance, recover testimony, and decide whether to use a forbidden technique in sight of a hostile clan.
- What the player decides
- Fulfill the pact before it costs you another ability, or protect an informant who can reveal a better route later.
- First playable test
- Three linked scenes with one vow, two witnesses and a spirit encounter. Make the technique powerful and the consequences visible.