How Does 'Against The Gods Ascension' Differ From The Original?

Question

Now that Yun Che's story continues in the Ascension arc, I'm caught up but not sure about the key plot divergences or power level changes compared to the original Against the Gods novel.

Georgina Demmery · Answer

For me, the biggest difference is scope and consequences of actions in ‘Ascension’ where the protagonist Yun Che is operating in a higher power realm with different systems of power and far greater dangers to himself and others than in the lower power level of his previous world. It has opened up the previously described cosmology enormously. Compared with a shift in series, in ‘Hidden By The Gods’ the first book ended with the protagonist barely having escaped divine persecution. Now, in order to conceal her true nature she has to hide in a royal court where she has to live out her life surrounded by clever, cunning and backstabbing people. That is a complete reversal of the fight to survive in the first book.

Will · Answer

'Against the Gods Ascension' feels much like a remixed version of ‘Against the Gods’ (my favorite novel in the series to date). In place of simple revenge we now have political intrigue on a universal scale. The world building increased ten fold with the inclusion of celestial and ancient factions and bloodlines, the combat is far more visceral, with the cultivator’s progress through the various cultivation stages broken down and detailed to a sub level which really brings home the feeling of power that they are attaining.

There is much more development of side characters in this novel, which each have their own back stories tied into the main plot of the story. Relationships that might have otherwise been lackluster or simple are deepened to include greater emotional stakes in the romance plots, with the consequences feeling far reaching. The added mechanics of soulbound artifacts (which have their own personalities), tribulations that test morality as well as physical strength, and an active pantheon of gods all lending to a completely new novel that uses the original ‘Against the Gods’ as a template of sorts to create a completely unique take on new mythology.

Owen · Answer

While maintaining the content of original storylines and making them even more addictive, the remake has also fixed many of the original’s problems and shortcomings. To begin with, Yun Che’s cunning and scheming is now amplified many folds. No longer are his manipulations confined to just a single person or event. Now he can easily and arbitrarily alter the course of an entire entire cultivation era through the simple act of a butterfly effect.

The increase in power feels like it was earned by Yun Che through the new training arcs rather than purely by luck. Each of the antagonists gets to share some screen time with Yun Che in order to show whether or not they manage to get some sort of redemption. The lore of the novel has been the greatest upgrade to the novel. What used to be a few vague references to old myth and legend have been woven into a complex tapestry of interconnected backstories that stretch back thousands of years. It’s like the difference between a sketch and an oil painting: the same subject, but so much more detailed and realistic.

Eva · Answer

What fascinates me the most is that ‘Ascension’ totally recontextualizes the original’s themes while developing them in full force. The ‘against heaven’ is no longer just a metaphor. Yun Che’s defiance is far more devastating and the heaven that he defies has far greater means to make him suffer for his transgressions. In this new world of cultivation, taboo arts are by far the most powerful means to gain ascendancy but at the same time, they severely damage the body of the user while reducing their lifespan.

When newly created settings are introduced to the story, you can expect to see a floating continent being held up by chains of tormented souls, a gigantic, sacred library which rewrities itself based on the reader’s karma. As for the comic relief, most of the time when Yun Che gets pranksterd, it hides some seriously wicked psychological warfare below the surface. Now, as for the relationships between the main character and the female leads, they have gotten so much more bitter-sweet. Many of the female leads are even turned into temporary antagonists through memory seals and bodily possession. Yet it is still recognizably ‘Against the Gods’. But with the gloves off and the stakes raised to a cosmic level, of course.

David · Answer

'Against the Gods Ascension' expands on the original premise by taking Yun Che’s unique cheat abilities to new heights as he deals with betrayal from celestial beings and grapples with inherited cosmic curses. The story introduces faction wars early on which showcases the contrast between different ideologies in the vast world at his disposal. Instead of having everything fall into his hands, Yun Che now must contend with a more balanced power structure where enemies adapt to his tactic in a bid to topple him.

There are a lot of major story points that have huge consequences in this version. The infamous auction is now a war that spans multiple regions. The medicinal bath has huge consequences for the sects, leading to massive reformations. Even supporting characters, like Xia Qingyue, get a lot more development and their relationships with Yun Che are completely reshaped. The biggest change, however, is the tone. Instead of very cathartic face-slapping moments, ‘Ascension’ is much more serious and weighs the pros and cons of each victory.

Kyle · Answer

It’s been years since the Against the Gods novel by Yellowexercise first rolled out along a straight revenge line, but there’s been a huge shift in the series Ascension. Now it’s no longer just Yun Che fighting his way up the cultivation ranks, he’s rather trying to uncover the truth behind his own series of reincarnations. To be sure, Yun Che is still slugging it out with many, many foes, but a lot more is given to each confrontation and the story as a whole has been greatly polished.

Almost everything related to the world in “Ascension” has undergone a complete overhaul. For one, alchemy is no longer simply making medicinal potions. It involves communicating and bargaining with spirits of the various elements. As for beast taming, the protagonist has to get into a blood contract that raises moral questions. Even the means by which one cultivates energy involves events in the celestial realm, like the timing of an eclipse that can affect a cultivator’s cultivation speed. In terms of writing, the descriptions of various skills have undergone marked improvement. Instead of listing off names, you can now actually imagine how the energy flows. Overall, it’s a complete rehashing of the original story through the lens of modern xianxia.

John Reihana · Answer

The “system” or “cheat” in this story has evolved. The Sky Poison Pearl in the original work was an incredibly powerful “OP” item with very defined functions, such as immunity to poison, storage, and analysis. In ‘Ascension’ the nature of the Sky Poison Pearl has been further explored. The item is no longer simply a powerful tool for Yun Che to use in order to fight, it has become his partner, a key, and a mystery. Its many capabilities have also become much softer and more plot-convenient. Sometimes it will even come up with new ways for Yun Che to solve cosmic level problems. Some people feel that Yun Che’s successes were unearned due to the infinite power scale of the Sky Poison Pearl. Others believe that this is how the Sky Poison Pearl was always supposed to be used, in order to fulfill its true and world shaking purpose. The relationship between Yun Che and the system/cheat has evolved from that of a user and a powerful item to that of symbiosis and fate.

Monica Mansilla Asencio · Answer

One of the major story points of difference for 'Ascension' is the handling of callbacks and nostalgia. While constantly referring back to the original story and its characters and items, Ascension renders them relatively insignificant in the face of the new events that are unfolding. The epic battle that defined the original story of the earth’s saving is but a minor skirmish against an unstoppable force brought about by a god’s sneeze. The legendary artifact that defined the hero’s journey is but a broken shard of a long-forgotten tool used by a primitive God to shape the universe. For some, this would be a disheartening read as it would undermine the emotional investment that readers placed in the struggles of the past only to find out that they were relatively meaningless. For others, however, it is a rich exploration of lore that reveals that the original story was but a thin veneer to a much deeper and richer narrative that readers can now experience. It is a risky technique that recontextualizes the entire reader’s experience of the original story.

Ninhd · Answer

Another area of difference with how time is treated is within the cultivation aspect of the two works. In the original work, a great deal of time is allowed to pass within the stories. The lengthy process of cultivations span years for the main characters and months for the travel between locations. All of the characters are also shown to age throughout the story. In ‘Ascension’, however, time is manipulated in order to allow for secluded realms where eons have passed outside and gods with lifespans measure in the hundreds of thousands to millions live among mortals. Because of this, a characters training could span a million years or more, but in actuality they could be away for minutes. As such, the normal sense of pacing and urgency is destroyed in ‘Ascension’ and the story feels to be unmoored from a human understanding of time. This fits well with the cosmic scope of the story, but makes it very difficult to become emotionally invested in any of the plot points as they feel to be temporally weightless.

Miriam Gasco · Answer

What cultivation is intended to achieve is totally redefined. As before, people cultivate in order to lengthen their life-span, to get powerful, to get respect, to exact revenge. However, “Ascension” to the so-called higher “realms” of cultivation represents a totally different goal. The purpose here is to acquire knowledge and gain an understanding of everything in existence. Here one tries to become a master of existence itself. The climactic objective of cultivating is no longer one’s own ascension to heights of power in order to defeat one’s enemies, rather it is to be able to withstand the heavy burden of fulfilling one’s responsibilities in creating and sustaining all of existence. The new, higher views of cultivating here presented for consideration can raise one’s estimation of a story in many ways. But the views presented here are also in many ways distant from the all-too-human motivators which dispose people to attempt to become strong in order to protect their loved ones.

Mi Chell · Answer

How do the cover arts of the manhua/webnovel and the promo art of 'Ascension' differ? The original covers of the manhua/webnovel have a certain style, whereas the new promo art that I have seen for 'Ascension' is way more cosmic and abstract. Most of the new art does not really focus on the main character’s face, but instead has lots of galaxies swirling about and very epic landscapes. The art really conveys the change.

Shannon Roberts · Answer

World-building in the original book was that of a vast, open world, begging to be explored in every single corner. In Ascension, we have a single village within an endless, metropolitan world. Every answer simply raises more questions, every realm is a mere waiting room for even greater ones. I get the feeling of limitless potential, and it is both wonderful and worrying. That there is no final map that would completely explain the world, is, as always, possible in many different ways. But most convincingly in the form of an endless series of onions, each one layered on top of the other. This view on the world drastically affects the way a reader perceives the setting of a book. Originally, one could try to understand, even map out the vast expanse of the world. Now, there is but one thread to follow, through an endless expanse of tapestry, and this changes the perspective of a journey from one of exploration, to that of a pilgrimage. The journey matters more than the destination, because the destination itself is constantly in motion.

Tim Brown · Answer

The supporting cast changes too. Originally Yun Che had many allies that he helped in some way and hence Yun Che could rely on them. In ‘Ascension’ Yun Che accumulates many disciples and also many inheritors. The role of Yun Che changes from that of an ally to that of a mentor. Less a member of a team and more the founder of a dynasty and a lineage, Yun Che imparts his knowledge and power to a new generation of successors. Some are the children of his original wives while others are from higher realms and have great talent. The story now centers around ensuring the legacy of Yun Che and the sharing of his philosophy with future generations. It is a natural evolution of a long cultivation-based story but the dynamics have shifted from that of Yun Che and his friends to that of The Yun Che Dynasty and its many scions. The core of the story has shifted from friendship to that of a paternalistic responsibility.

How Does 'Against The Gods Ascension' Differ From The Original?

13 Answers

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