Emperor of the Earth

Emperor of the Earth is a long xianxia fantasy novel by the web author Ershui Huashi, serialized on Qidian and completed at 978 chapters and roughly 3.2 million Chinese characters. The story is set in a cultivation world where people and stars resonate with one another: legend holds that every person on earth has a natal star in the heavens, and whoever finds their own natal star can awaken the imperial power within and reign as sovereign over a stretch of land. Yet the stars are dim and heaven's workings hard to fathom, and most ordinary people never reach that gate of starlight in their entire lives. The protagonist, Chang Shan, is a "darling of the earth" with a peculiar identity—according to descriptions circulating online, he is a zombie, and his fortunes are far from as ordinary as his name suggests, which has led some to call the book a "xianxia version of My Date with a Vampire." The story begins with Chang Shan's early hardships and grudges: disheartened and at odds with others, he nonetheless stumbles onto the proper path of cultivation thanks to his special fate as a darling of the earth, forming his golden core and seeking the Way, gradually encountering such cultivation avenues as star-pattern stones, star arrays, dharma lineages, and divine powers. He thereafter moves among the Giant Sword Sect, Chongtian City, Wucheng, and other powers, weathering heavenly tribulations, venturing into secret realms, collecting soul soldiers, and obtaining ancient treasures, pushing his cultivation ever higher through repeated conflicts and fortuitous encounters, and gradually touching the ancient secrets hidden behind the natal stars. The book follows the typical male-oriented progression formula: realms advance layer by layer, the map keeps expanding, battles are dense, and satisfying beats come frequently, with Chang Shan's rise from a lowly cultivator to the "Emperor of the Earth" who commands mountains and rivers as its main thread.