A Mortal's Journey to Immortality – Underdog Rising, Outwitting to Win

A hit right upon premiere! A Mortal's Journey to Immortality has surpassed 5.28 million pre-orders on Youku, hitting a premiere day popularity score of 8,326—a new annual record for the platform and the highest premiere-day popularity since 2024. Its main hashtag on Douyin has racked up 550 million views. With these impressive figures, the drama announces the birth of the first authentic xianxia series in Chinese entertainment this hot summer.

As the pioneering work of the “mortal-ascension” xianxia novel genre, A Mortal's Journey to Immortality has built a massive loyal fanbase since its serialization in 2008. The hit animated adaptation on Bilibili further expanded the IP’s influence. As a classic beloved by countless readers, the live-action adaptation immediately sparked huge anticipation among book fans and audiences.

Currently streaming, the live-action A Mortal's Journey to Immortality is directed by Yang Yang, with the script co-written by Wang Yuren (director of the animated version) and Jia Dongyan (screenwriter of Wind Blows in Longxi). While preserving the core themes of an underdog’s rise and strategic battles from the original novel, it enhances the narrative tension for screen adaptation. The drama boasts a powerful cast combining veteran actors, established performers, and rising stars: Yang Yang, Jin Chen, Wang Duo, Zhao Xiaotang, Zhao Qing, Liu Yan, Li Naiwen, Jin Shijie, Wu Yue, Cao Jun, and more, together portraying this magnificent xianxia legend.

Crafted Scenery Real landscapes nurture the soul of xianxia To faithfully recreate the novel’s plots and xianxia setting, the crew filmed on location across five provinces including Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Xinjiang over 158 days. More than 60% of scenes were shot on real sites, creating distinctive and immersive xianxia environments that bring the immortal world to life.

The blend of natural landscapes and ethereal charm infuses the visuals with the distant, ethereal beauty of Oriental aesthetics, becoming a major highlight of the series.

Casting That Captures the Soul ---- Immersive Sword Flight with Yang Yang.

Perfect Casting Yang Yang delivers immersive sword flight The crew captured the core of the characters and cast acclaimed actor Yang Yang as Han Li. Meticulous costume, makeup, and prop design vividly portray Han Li’s humility and perseverance as he first enters the immortal realm.

A standout sword flight sequence became a highlight of the drama. Drawing on his dance training at the PLA Art Academy, Yang Yang performed the skyward sword moves with seamless grace, perfectly balancing power and the elegant ethereal quality of xianxia.

Behind the scenes, the “sword flight” scenes were shot using EXCO VISION film-grade LED display walls combined with a mechanical camera rig to simulate perspective shifts and airflow turbulence during high-speed movement. This allowed the actor to perform immersive flight right in front of the screen.

This innovative filming method not only realized the director’s vision of “unity of human and sword” but also broke through the limitations of traditional green-screen performance. Actors could intuitively experience the sensation of flight, resulting in more authentic eye and body reactions.

Real-time ambient light rendering from the LED display system also provided precise references for post-production VFX compositing, opening new possibilities for action design in xianxia dramas.

With real landscapes as its foundation, craftsmanship as its soul, and stellar performances as its finishing touch, A Mortal's Journey to Immortality pays heartfelt tribute to a top-tier IP with sincerity and quality.

As the series continues its hit run, this story of pursuing immortality through wit and challenging the immortal path with a mortal body holds many more surprises ahead.