The Legend of Ling Tian

The Legend of Ling Tian is a long fantasy web novel by Feng Ling Tianxia, serialized on Qidian and completed in 2010; it runs about 2.46 million characters and is divided into volumes including "The Youth of Tianxing," "Young Master Ling Tian," "Storms from All Directions," "Heroes of the World," "Testing the Sword at Tianxing," "Frenzied War Across the World," and "Who Can Compete." At the story's opening, Ling Tian, heir of a martial arts family on Earth, is framed and crushed by his own family, his martial arts destroyed; he perishes together with his enemy at his wedding and is then reborn in the Chengtian Kingdom of the Tianxing Continent as a member of the Ling family, one of six great clans. New to the other world, he appears to outsiders merely as a good-for-nothing playboy, but in secret he accumulates power: he founds the assassin organization the First Tower and the intelligence network the Crystal Tower, and gradually builds his own retinue and network of influence. With outstanding martial talent and exceptional strategy, he maneuvers among the great clans of the Yu, Xiao, and Nangong families and among the Hidden Sect, the empire, and other forces, winning against greater odds, moving from one man and one city toward domination of the entire continent, and finally establishing the Shenzhou Empire and unifying the continent. The book is known for its passionate, satisfying pacing, its portrayal of brotherhood, and its schemes and power struggles; it is the author's breakthrough work and is also regarded as one of his more delicately written works in terms of romance and ensemble characterization.