Tomb of Fallen Gods
![]() Cover of the Tomb of Fallen Gods web novel | |
| Author | Chen Dong |
|---|---|
| Original title | 神墓 |
| Language | Chinese |
| Genre | Xuanhuan[1] |
| Published | 2006–2008 |
| Publication place | China |
| Media type | Web novel |
| Tomb of Fallen Gods | |
|---|---|
| Based on | Tomb of Fallen Gods by Chen Dong[2] |
| Directed by | Liu Kuo (刘阔); Zhou Feilong (周飞龙); Ren Weijie (任伟杰); Zhang Xiang (张翔)[2] |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Mandarin Chinese |
| Production | |
| Animators | Wonder Cat Animation (万维猫动画); Ruosen Animation (若森动画)[2] |
| Production company | Youku Animation (优酷动漫)[2] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Youku |
| Release | 21 July 2022[2] – present |
Tomb of Fallen Gods (Chinese: 神墓; pinyin: Shén Mù), also known as Tomb of Gods and Divine Grave, is a Chinese xuanhuan web novel by Chen Dong. It was serialized on Qidian from May 25, 2006, to November 24, 2008, and is the sequel to Chen Dong's earlier novel Undying and Imperishable (不死不灭).[3][4][5]
The novel follows Chen Nan, a young man who awakens after ten thousand years in the Gods' and Demons' Cemetery. Searching for his lost lover Yu Xin and the truth behind his resurrection, he becomes involved in the history of the gods and demons and an ancient conflict extending across the world's realms.[6]
An animated television adaptation, Tomb of Fallen Gods, premiered on Youku in July 2022. The series was produced by Youku Animation and Wonder Cat Animation and animated by Wonder Cat Animation and Beijing Rocen Digital.
The novel became one of Chen Dong's best-known works and an influential xuanhuan title. In 2018, it was selected as one of the "20 Works of Chinese Online Literature's 20 Years", a list produced through expert nomination, online reader recommendation, and expert review.[7]
Plot
Ten thousand years after his death, Chen Nan awakens from a grave in the Gods' and Demons' Cemetery, apparently with no knowledge of why he has returned to life. The cemetery, located in the central region of the Tianyuan continent, contains the remains of powerful humans, cultivators, and ancient gods and demons.
Chen Nan begins searching for Yu Xin, the woman he loved ten thousand years earlier, while attempting to discover the reason for his resurrection. His search takes him across the Eastern and Western lands and draws him into conflicts involving cultivators, martial artists, magicians, gods, demons, and other ancient powers.
As Chen Nan investigates the disappearance of the ancient gods and demons, personal mysteries involving Yu Xin and his family become connected to a much larger history involving ancient wars, powerful figures, and the fate of the world. The story eventually expands into a conflict concerning the Six Realms and the forces governing the world.
Creation
Chen Dong's development of Shen Mu included direct interaction with its readers during the novel's serialization. In an author note titled Tomb of Fallen Gods, he addressed a list of mysteries compiled by a reader, saying that some entries were incorrect and that he had corrected them. He also stated that the list was incomplete and invited readers to add further questions, particularly concerning the Heavenly Realm.[8]
The reader-compiled list covered questions about Chen Nan's resurrection, Yu Xin, Chen Zhan and his family, the Gods' and Demons' Cemetery, the relationship between the Eastern and Western cemeteries, ancient battlefields, mysterious weapons, and the origins of various figures and locations.[8]
This mystery-driven structure is closely connected to the novel's large-scale worldbuilding. A 2020 retrospective published by China Writers Network described Shen Mu as a work with a "grand narrative structure" that brings together ancient mythology, Eastern cultivation, Western magic, family history, and personal relationships in a broad fictional universe.[6]
The same assessment argued that the novel established new approaches to an "ancient-war" mode and a "fantasy-suspense" mode of xuanhuan storytelling, and that later xuanhuan works were influenced by it.[6] The critic also described Chen Nan's journey as one in which his understanding of the world is continually expanded as mysteries surrounding the gods and demons are revealed.[6]
Chen Dong published supplementary material alongside the novel, including Beyond the Time, which further developed elements of its mythology and setting.[9]
At the end of the online serialization, Chen Dong thanked readers for accompanying him for more than two years and described the experience as an important period in his career. He noted that the online version had ended while the print editions were still being completed.[10]
Publication
Shen Mu began serialization on Qidian on May 25, 2006.[4] Chen Dong later described it as the follow-up to Undying and Imperishable, explaining that the earlier novel had ended earlier than he had intended and that some elements left unresolved there were carried into Shen Mu.[3]
Contemporary reports described the novel as approximately 2.7 million Chinese characters long. By March 2009, 17173 reported around 37 million online clicks and more than 500,000 printed copies sold across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.[11] A June 2009 report put the number of clicks above 40 million and again reported sales of more than 500,000 copies.[12]
The online serialization ended on November 24, 2008. A bibliographic record gives the same date for the work's publication completion and lists a length of approximately 2.8 million Chinese characters.[5]
The simplified-Chinese print edition was published by Jiuzhou Publishing House in 2007. In his closing note, Chen Dong stated that the simplified edition would consist of 14 volumes and the traditional-Chinese edition of 47 volumes.[13]
In 2021, Writers Publishing House issued a revised eight-volume edition as part of its Network Literature Masterpieces Collection.[14]
Reception
Critical response
Critical commentary on Shen Mu has generally praised its expansive imagination, intricate plotting, and large-scale worldbuilding. A 2013 profile of Chen Dong published by The Beijing News and reproduced by China Writers Network described Shen Mu as combining suspense with an "ancient-war" narrative mode and credited Chen Dong with helping establish this approach within xuanhuan fiction.[15] A contemporary People's Daily profile similarly highlighted Chen Dong's expansive imagination and the combination of suspense and ancient-war storytelling associated with Shen Mu.[16]
A 2017 review published by Guangming Daily praised the novel's layered mysteries, foreshadowing, reversals, and long-range plotting, arguing that events and conspiracies spanning thousands of years eventually form a large-scale narrative involving ancient gods and heroes. It also praised the combination of Eastern cultivation and Western fantasy, as well as several memorable characters, and regarded the use of humor and lighter episodes as an effective contrast to the novel's extended battle sequences.[17]
The same review was critical of Chen Dong's prose and characterization. It described his writing in Shen Mu as relatively immature compared with his later work and argued that some supporting characters were flat or stereotyped, particularly where characterization was subordinated to combat. It nevertheless considered several major characters distinctive and memorable. The review also interpreted the novel's conflict with Heaven as a broader reflection on humanity, society, resistance, and fate, rather than solely as a conventional fantasy struggle.[17][18]
A 2020 retrospective published by China Writers Network described Shen Mu as having a "grand narrative structure" that combines ancient mythology, Eastern cultivation, Western magic, family history, and personal relationships within a broad fictional universe.[19] The critic credited the novel with developing new approaches to both an "ancient-war" mode and a "fantasy-suspense" mode of xuanhuan fiction and argued that subsequent works in the genre were influenced by these approaches.[19]
The 2020 assessment also emphasized the relationship between the novel's mysteries and its worldbuilding, describing Chen Nan's expanding understanding of the world as he investigates his resurrection, Yu Xin, the history of the gods and demons, and the ancient conflicts underlying the story. It praised the scale of the climactic conflict and the alternation between intense action and lighter passages, but identified weaknesses in the later sections, including escalating power levels, repetitive battles, uneven pacing, and comparatively limited emotional development.[19]
The same assessment acknowledged criticism of the ending while maintaining that the final conflict remained one of the work's strongest and most ambitious sections. It also associated some of the novel's structural weaknesses with the conventions of long-form web fiction, in which extended serialization can produce prolonged battles and uneven pacing.[19]
The novel was also assessed in the context of the relationship between Chinese online fiction and earlier literary traditions. A 2015 People's Daily discussion of online literature's inheritance of classical Chinese literary culture included Shen Mu among works whose aesthetics drew on elements of the classical literary tradition.[20]
Its subsequent revision for print publication also provides evidence of editorial criticism. In discussing the 2021 Network Literature Masterpieces Collection edition, Writers Publishing House said that critics, editors, and authors worked on Shen Mu to remove cumbersome and repetitive passages and polish the prose, with the aim of improving its artistic quality.[21]
In the 2018 selection of the "20 Works of Chinese Online Literature's 20 Years", Shen Mu was associated with the keyword "imagination". The evaluators emphasized the breadth of its fictional world and its ability to construct an expansive imaginary space, while also treating the novel as representative of an important stage in the development of Chinese online literature.[22][23]
Commercial performance
Qidian's retrospective on Chen Dong lists Shen Mu as his breakthrough work of 2006 and records more than 52.9 million clicks, 5.72 million recommendations, and more than 500,000 collections on the platform.[24]
Contemporary 17173 and Sina reports likewise documented the novel's popularity. A December 2008 Sina report said that the novel had been serialized for about two years, reached more than 34 million clicks, and sold more than 500,000 physical copies in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.[25]
In 2017, Shen Mu ranked seventh in the Cat Film–Hurun Original Literature IP Value List, with a score of 171,908.[26]
Cultural impact
In 2018, Shen Mu was selected as one of the "20 Works of Chinese Online Literature's 20 Years". The selection was organized by the China Writers Association's Online Literature Committee, the Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau, the Shanghai Writers Association, and Yuewen Group, and combined expert nomination, online reader recommendation, and expert review.[7][27]
The selection placed Shen Mu alongside works representing major developments and genres in Chinese web fiction and was presented by the organizers as a means of identifying representative works from the first two decades of the medium.[7]
Adaptations
Video games
The novel was adapted into the massively multiplayer online game Shen Mu Online (神墓OL). In 2008, Chen Dong and Beijing Biancheng Youxia Network Technology announced the project's development; Chen Dong later served as its supervising producer.[28]
Chen Dong said that the novel's content and structure had substantial potential for adaptation and that he became involved in the game in order to help reproduce its fictional world. The game's planned systems incorporated concepts from the novel, including the "Inner World" (内天地) and the "Mystic Realm" (玄界).[29]
The game began closed beta testing on January 22, 2010, after nearly three years of development.[30]
A later version of Shen Mu OL entered another technical closed test in March 2013.[31]
A separate 3D mobile game adaptation was announced in 2015 as another adaptation of Chen Dong's novel.[32]
Animated series
A donghua television adaptation of the novel, titled Tomb of Fallen Gods, premiered on Youku on July 21, 2022. The series is based on Chen Dong's novel and is produced by Youku Animation and Wanwei Cat Animation (万维猫动画), with Wanwei Cat Animation and Ian Animation (伊恩动漫) involved in the animation production.[33]
The second season premiered on August 10, 2024, and concluded on February 1, 2025. The official animation account promoted the season's conclusion and described it as the continuation of Chen Nan's search for the mysteries surrounding his past and Yu Xin.[33][34]
A further season, officially titled Shen Mu Nianfan (神墓·年番), premiered on Youku on August 8, 2025. The official animation account described the series as an adaptation of Chen Dong's novel and confirmed that it was jointly produced by Youku Animation and Wanwei Cat Animation, with Wanwei Cat Animation and Ian Animation handling the animation production.[35]
The Nianfan season consists of 52 episodes. Youku's official program page lists all 52 episodes of the season.[36]
The official animation account described the 2025 season as a substantially renewed production and promoted its effort to recreate notable scenes from the original novel. Before its premiere, the program had surpassed two million reservations on Youku.[37]
Reception
Critical response
Critical commentary on Shen Mu has generally praised its expansive imagination, intricate plotting, and large-scale worldbuilding. A 2013 profile of Chen Dong published by The Beijing News and reproduced by China Writers Network described Shen Mu as combining suspense with an "ancient-war" narrative mode and credited Chen Dong with helping establish this approach within xuanhuan fiction.[38] A contemporary People's Daily profile similarly highlighted Chen Dong's expansive imagination and the combination of suspense and ancient-war storytelling associated with Shen Mu.[39]
A 2017 review published by Guangming Daily praised the novel's layered mysteries, foreshadowing, reversals, and long-range plotting, arguing that events and conspiracies spanning thousands of years eventually form a large-scale narrative involving ancient gods and heroes. It also praised the combination of Eastern cultivation and Western fantasy, as well as several memorable characters, and regarded the use of humor and lighter episodes as an effective contrast to the novel's extended battle sequences.[40]
The same review was critical of Chen Dong's prose and characterization. It described his writing in Shen Mu as relatively immature compared with his later work and argued that some supporting characters were flat or stereotyped, particularly where characterization was subordinated to combat. It nevertheless considered several major characters distinctive and memorable. The review also interpreted the novel's conflict with Heaven as a broader reflection on humanity, society, resistance, and fate, rather than solely as a conventional fantasy struggle.[40][41]
A 2020 retrospective published by China Writers Network described Shen Mu as having a "grand narrative structure" that combines ancient mythology, Eastern cultivation, Western magic, family history, and personal relationships within a broad fictional universe. The critic credited the novel with developing new approaches to both an "ancient-war" mode and a "fantasy-suspense" mode of xuanhuan fiction and argued that subsequent works in the genre were influenced by these approaches.[42]
The 2020 assessment also emphasized the relationship between the novel's mysteries and its worldbuilding, describing Chen Nan's expanding understanding of the world as he investigates his resurrection, Yu Xin, the history of the gods and demons, and the ancient conflicts underlying the story. It praised the scale of the climactic conflict and the alternation between intense action and lighter passages, but identified weaknesses in the later sections, including escalating power levels, repetitive battles, uneven pacing, and comparatively limited emotional development. It also acknowledged criticism of the ending while maintaining that the final conflict remained one of the work's strongest and most ambitious sections.[42]
The novel was also discussed in the context of the relationship between Chinese online fiction and earlier literary traditions. A 2015 People's Daily discussion of online literature's inheritance of classical Chinese literary culture included Shen Mu among works whose aesthetics drew on elements of the classical literary tradition.[43]
Its subsequent revision for print publication also provides evidence of editorial criticism. In discussing the 2021 Network Literature Masterpieces Collection edition, Writers Publishing House said that critics, editors, and authors worked on Shen Mu to remove cumbersome and repetitive passages and polish the prose, with the aim of improving its artistic quality.[44]
In the 2018 selection of the "20 Works of Chinese Online Literature's 20 Years", Shen Mu was associated with the keyword "imagination". The evaluators emphasized the breadth of its fictional world and its ability to construct an expansive imaginary space.[45][46]
Audience reception
The first season of the animated adaptation attracted substantial attention on Youku. Contemporary industry reporting said that the series reached a peak in-platform popularity score of 6,563, repeatedly topped Youku's animation-related popularity and new-release rankings, and at times ranked first on the platform's animation charts. Data attributed to Guduo Animation and Dengta also placed it as high as third in overall online popularity rankings during its run.[47]
The first season also generated considerable viewer engagement. Contemporary coverage at the end of its run reported that viewers left farewell messages in the final episode's danmu, recalling the original novel and their experiences of reading it years earlier while expressing anticipation for a second season.[47]
The second season, which premiered on August 10, 2024, continued to attract audience attention. Coverage following its conclusion reported positive responses to its upgraded character models and action sequences and highlighted attention surrounding several returning and newly introduced characters.[48]
Audience anticipation was particularly strong for the later Nianfan season. In July 2025, the official animation account reported that its newly launched program page had received more than 110,000 reservations within 11 days. By August 4, the number of reservations on Youku had exceeded two million.[49][50]
The official campaign for Nianfan emphasized its renewed production and closer recreation of notable scenes from the novel. Chen Dong also publicly expressed enthusiasm for the season before its premiere, saying that he had viewed part of the new production and found it exciting.[51][52]
Commercial performance
The original web novel became one of the most commercially successful works associated with Chen Dong's early career. Qidian's retrospective lists Shen Mu as his breakthrough work of 2006 and records more than 52.9 million clicks, 5.72 million recommendations, and more than 500,000 collections on the platform.[53]
Contemporary reporting also recorded more than 37 million online clicks and more than 500,000 printed copies sold across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan by March 2009. A June 2009 report put the number of clicks above 40 million while again reporting print sales of more than 500,000 copies.[54][55]
In 2017, Shen Mu ranked seventh in the Cat Film–Hurun Original Literature IP Value List, with a score of 171,908.[56]
The animated adaptation also generated significant platform attention. Contemporary industry reporting in 2022 said that the first season reached a peak Youku popularity score of 6,563 and repeatedly ranked among the platform's leading animation titles.[47]
The later Nianfan season likewise attracted substantial pre-release demand, with the official animation account reporting more than two million reservations on Youku before its August 2025 premiere.[50]
References
- ↑ "《神墓》:宏大叙事结构的玄幻经典". 中国作家网. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "神墓". Youku (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "笔耕十年不缀·辰东". 起点中文网. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "网文浮沉史|2006-2009年,挑战者17K与霸主起点". 澎湃新闻. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "神墓". 得到. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "《神墓》:宏大叙事结构的玄幻经典". 中国作家网. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 ""中国网络文学20年20部作品"在沪发布". 中国作家网. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "神墓之谜". WebNovel. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓". WebNovel. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "结束语及重要消息公布". WebNovel. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "辰东开博操刀《神墓OL》 爆料研发进展". 17173. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "人气小说改编网游《神墓OL》7月开启首测". 17173. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "结束语及重要消息公布". WebNovel. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "中国作家出版集团举办"网络文学名作典藏"丛书出版座谈会". 文艺报. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "李敬泽:没必要讨论网络文学是否主流". 中国作家网. 18 March 2013.
- ↑ "网络作家辰东:玄幻小说要写出不一样的世界". 人民网. 4 December 2013.
- 1 2 "〖中国网络小说好看榜〗经典神魔玄幻小说《神墓》". 光明网. 20 June 2017.
- ↑ "〖中国网络小说好看榜〗经典神魔玄幻小说《神墓》(二)". 光明网. 20 June 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "《神墓》:宏大叙事结构的玄幻经典". 中国作家网. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "网络文学接续古典"文脉" 形式与内容上借鉴和创新". 人民网. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "出版视角下的类型文学". 文艺报. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "中国网络文学20年,哪20部作品被推选". 中国作家网. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "网络文学20年20部作品出炉". 人民网. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "36位阅文白金作家封神作(一)". 起点中文网. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓同名网游出世 作者转型游戏监制". 新浪游戏. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "2017猫片·胡润原创文学IP价值榜". 胡润百富. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "自觉责任担当 守正开拓创新——2018年上海网络文学综述". 文艺报. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓同名网游出世 作者转型游戏监制". 新浪游戏. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓专访总监". 17173. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "小说改编 《神墓OL》苏醒封测正式开启". 17173. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "同名小说改编!2D玄幻新游《神墓》试玩". 17173. 1 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "起点白金小说改编 同名手游《神墓OL》大起底". 17173. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "神墓动画官方微博" [Tomb of Fallen Gods official animation account]. Weibo (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "#神墓动画# 第二季收官pv震撼发布!!" [Tomb of Fallen Gods season 2 finale]. Weibo (in Chinese). 1 February 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "#神墓年番定档0808# 神墓年番8月8日开播" [Shen Mu Nianfan scheduled to premiere on August 8]. 神墓动画官方微博 (in Chinese). 30 July 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓 年番" [Shen Mu Nianfan]. Youku (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "#神墓年番定档0808# 神墓年番8月8日开播" [Shen Mu Nianfan scheduled to premiere on August 8]. 神墓动画官方微博 (in Chinese). 4 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "李敬泽:没必要讨论网络文学是否主流". 中国作家网 (in Chinese). 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "网络作家辰东:玄幻小说要写出不一样的世界". 人民网 (in Chinese). 4 December 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "〖中国网络小说好看榜〗经典神魔玄幻小说《神墓》". 光明网 (in Chinese). 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "〖中国网络小说好看榜〗经典神魔玄幻小说《神墓》(二)". 光明网 (in Chinese). 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "《神墓》:宏大叙事结构的玄幻经典". 中国作家网 (in Chinese). 13 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "网络文学接续古典"文脉" 形式与内容上借鉴和创新". 人民网 (in Chinese). 23 June 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "出版视角下的类型文学". 文艺报 (in Chinese). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "中国网络文学20年,哪20部作品被推选". 中国作家网 (in Chinese). 29 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "网络文学20年20部作品出炉". 人民网 (in Chinese). 31 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "《神墓》凭什么成为国漫暑期档的黑马?" [Why did Tomb of Fallen Gods become a breakout hit of the 2022 summer animation season?]. 新浪财经 (in Chinese). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "优酷动漫《神墓》第二季收官,结尾悬念高亮燃动第三季" [Youku Animation's Tomb of Fallen Gods season 2 concludes, with cliffhangers leading into the third season]. 新浪新闻 (in Chinese). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "#神墓动画# 神墓年番重制归来". 神墓动画官方微博 (in Chinese). 8 July 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 "#神墓年番定档0808# 神墓年番8月8日开播". 神墓动画官方微博 (in Chinese). 4 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "神墓年番新PV重磅来袭". 神墓动画官方微博 (in Chinese). 17 July 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "各位书友好,神墓动画年番开启了,8月8..." 辰东 (in Chinese). 30 July 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "36位阅文白金作家封神作(一)". 起点中文网 (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "辰东开博操刀《神墓OL》 爆料研发进展". 17173 (in Chinese). 12 March 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "人气小说改编网游《神墓OL》7月开启首测". 17173 (in Chinese). 23 June 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "2017猫片·胡润原创文学IP价值榜". 胡润百富 (in Chinese). 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
