It Was So Cruel That I Was Used As A Negative Example By The Sect.

In the saturated world of Tiên Hiệp, where protagonists usually claw their way to the top through endless bloodshed and ambition, Xiao Ben Yue’s It Was So Cruel That I Was Used As A Negative Example By The Sect offers a refreshing, hilarious departure from the norm. This novel flips the traditional "rising to immortality" trope on its head, delivering a story that is as much a comedy of errors as it is a masterclass in subverting expectations.

The story follows Song Yizhi, a protagonist who has endured countless rebirths only to realize that every path leads to an inevitable, tragic demise. Tired of the struggle, he chooses a path of radical apathy. While his peers toil over cultivation manuals and internal sect politics, Song Yizhi is busy weeding, roasting birds, and perfecting the art of the "salty fish." He is the ultimate slacker in an environment obsessed with excellence, and his refusal to engage with the frantic pace of the cultivation world makes him a deeply relatable, albeit chaotic, lead.

What makes this novel truly compelling is the dynamic between Song Yizhi’s indifference and the high-stakes world around him. By positioning himself as a "negative example" for the sect, he unwittingly creates a ripple effect of absurdity. The narrative tension—usually built on power levels—is replaced by the tension of how much mischief one man can cause simply by refusing to be serious.

When he is finally "sanctioned" and falls into the hands of a powerful cultivator, the story shifts into an unexpectedly wholesome gear. Watching a master of the cultivation world indulge Song Yizhi’s ridiculous requests to farm and raise geese is both heartwarming and side-splitting. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a unique, witty, and laid-back take on the genre.