Cheng Yi Pulls Triple Duty in New Wuxia Epic The Journey of Legend

The much-anticipated drama The Journey of Legend may just be Cheng Yi’s most complex project yet. It blends wuxia tradition with sci-fi and meta fiction in a way that feels fresh without losing what makes martial arts stories compelling.

What is The Journey of Legend?

The show is based on the classic novel Shenzhou Qixia (神州奇侠) by Wen Rui’an. But it doesn’t stick only to the original. It adds a modern twist: time travel, a “book-writing” system, and a character pulled from the real world into the novel universe.

Release date: September 11, 2025. Platforms: Tencent Video and iQIYI.

Cheng Yi’s three roles

Cheng Yi plays three very different versions of a character:

• Xiao Mingming — a modern-day office worker, tired of daily routine, who is also a wuxia fan and writer. He gets sucked into the world of his novel via a system built by his company.
• Xiao Qiushui — Mingming’s identity inside the novel world. Youngest son of a martial clan, initially weak in martial arts, but with hardship grows into a capable hero.
• Li Chen Zhou — a frenemy / antagonist figure within the novel universe. Deep character, morally grey, tied into the power dynamics in the martial world.

Story highlights & why it stands out

Here are a few things people are excited about:

• The system + novel world setup gives room for unexpected twists. Mingming’s reactions to being inside a novel (and having his hands tied by its rules) add tension and humour.
• Cheng Yi’s triple role is a strong draw. Balancing modern and ancient identities, plus playing both protagonist and antagonist, shows range.
• Visuals and martial arts choreography have been praised. The show leans into action rather than lingering excessively on slow moments.
• Despite being rooted in classic wuxia, it’s trying to appeal to younger viewers with modern values: loyalty, justice, growth. And the meta elements let viewers reflect on what it means to live by those ideals.

Caveats & mixed opinions

Not everything is perfect so far. Some viewers say certain scenes show mistakes, or feel post-production could be tighter. Also, given it’s ambitious in scale and concept, it risks being uneven in pacing.

Still, it has a lot of momentum: strong viewership, lots of discussion online, many fans eager to see how all three versions of Cheng Yi’s characters will interconnect.

All told, The Journey of Legend is shaping up to be more than just another wuxia drama. It could be a benchmark for how traditional stories can blend with modern storytelling. If it pulls off its ideas well, it may surprise people.