Synopsis and Information
Love of the Divine Tree (Chinese title: 仙台有树) is an adaptation of the novel Xian Tai You Shu (仙台有树) by popular Jinjiang author Kuang Shang Jia Kuang (狂上加狂), who also wrote the original story for the 2024 Chinese drama Are You the One. The drama is directed by Yin Tao, known for hit series such as Under the Power (2019), Love and Redemption (2020), The Blood of Youth (2022), and Who Rules the World (2022).
Synopsis: Su Yishui, a talented young cultivator, had his destiny changed by his master Mu Qingge eighteen years ago. Mu Qingge, known as the “female demon,” was also branded with a bad reputation and presumed dead. Eighteen years later, Mu Qingge transforms into Xue Ranran, and Su Yishui, now the head of the West Mountain Sect, takes the critically ill Ranran as his disciple, vowing to protect her for life. Thus, the roles of master and disciple are swapped, and various amusing and unusual stories unfold between them. (Source: iQiyi)
Character Breakdown
 |  |
| Deng Wei 邓为 as Su Yi Shui | Xiang Han Zhi 向涵之 as Mu Qing Ge / Mu Ran Ran |
| The son of Prince Ping, Su Yi Shui, was raised as a tool to seize the kingdom, having been born as the so-called “demon child.” Despite following orders from Prince Ping and the Masked Man since childhood, he has secretly been trying to rid himself of the Spirit Spring within his heart, which amplifies his emotions. Because of this, he vows to join Immortal Kai Yuan’s sect after being captured—only to discover that “Immortal Kai Yuan” is actually Mu Qing Ge. Instead, he becomes her disciple at Mount Wester Sect. | Mu Qing Ge, infamous for taking in only good-looking disciples, becomes determined to help Su Yi Shui cultivate his rare five spirit roots and tricks him into becoming her disciple. Over time, her care and attention cause Su Yi Shui to fall in love with her. When she unlocks the Heavenly Book and glimpses a future where he succumbs to the demon inside him, she desperately tries to change his fate. To protect him, Mu Qing Ge declares herself the true “demon child,” drawing the sects’ wrath upon herself in an effort to seal Su Yi Shui’s Spirit Spring—ultimately forcing them apart. |
| Actor | Character Role | Relationship |
| Chen Xin Hai 陈鑫海 | Su Yu | Crown Prince and is in love with Mu Qing Ge. Initially starts out as a good person but through the years of political struggle, turns to dark means to achieve immortality. |
| Zhang Wei Na 张维娜 | Mu Ran Wu | Mu Qing Ge’s sister who loves the Crown Prince. Always feeling inferior to Mu Qing Ge, she tricks Su Yi Shui to harm his master and puts the soul lock on Mu Qing Ge to steal her powers. |
| Deng Kai 邓凯 | Wei Jiu | Master of the Scarlet Sect and because he was turned down by Mu Qing Ge to join Mount Wester Sect as a disciple has held a grudge on her since. |
| Cheng Zi 程梓 | Tu Jiu Yuan | Elder of the Scarlet Sect and secretly in love with Wei Jiu. |
| Cao Yu Chen 曹煜辰 | Zeng Yi | Mu Qing Ge’s discple |
| Ai Mi 艾米 | Qiu Xi Er | Su Yi Shui’s discple |
| Min Xing Han 闵星翰 | Gao Cang | Su Yi Shui’s disciple and in love with Qiu Xi Er |
| Hu Wei 扈帷 | Bo Shan | Su Yi Shui’s disciple |
| Zhao Huan Ran 赵奂然 | Wang Sui Zhi | Mu Qing Ge’s disciple and in love with Mu Ran Wu |
| Wang Rui Zi 王瑞子 | Zhou Fei Hua | Mu Qing Ge’s friend |
Drama Review
★☆☆☆ Rating: 1.5/5
Plot Overview
Love of the Divine Tree adapts a web novel and follows a master-disciple relationship that shifts when Mu Qing Ge tries to alter Su Yi Shui’s fate by taking his identity as the demon child. As multiple forces work against her, she falls, scattering her soul. To save her, Su Yi Shui sacrifices half of his golden core, allowing her to reincarnate.
After waiting eighteen years, Mu Qing Ge awakens with no memory of her past and a new identity as Mu Ran Ran. To help strengthen her frail body, Su Yi Shui tricks her into becoming his disciple, keeping her close. Their journey begins again—this time, facing new dangers and dark forces.
Underwhelming Characters & Storytelling
I’ve watched Xiang Han Zhi in Forever Love (2020), Our Times (2021), and Love in Time (2022). She does well in youthful roles, particularly when portraying bright and lively characters. As an innocent and optimistic eighteen-year-old still learning how to cultivate and form relationships, Mu Ran Ran felt more believable than her other role in this drama.
As Mu Qing Ge, I struggled to see Xiang Han Zhi as an intelligent, wise, yet carefree teacher. Her presence never fully conveyed the aura of a powerful master, making it difficult to connect with this character.
I first saw Deng Wei in his supporting roles in Miss the Dragon (2021) and I Am the Years and You Are the Stars (2022), but I haven’t watched any of his other works since. Since this marks his first major lead role and I haven’t seen enough of his performances to form a strong opinion, I would have liked to see more depth in Su Yi Shui.
Throughout the story, he maintains a mostly stoic expression. While he shows glimpses of jealousy and flustered moments, his character lacks emotional growth compared to Mu Qing Ge. Because of this, Deng Wei’s performance feels just okay—it isn’t particularly moving or impressive. Additionally, I didn’t sense much chemistry between the two leads.
Story-wise, I can overlook that this isn’t groundbreaking material in the xianxia world. The real issue lies in how the story is told. Since the story placed little focus on cultivation and adventure arcs, I wish it had emphasized Mu Ran Ran and Su Yi Shui’s personal growth instead. This could have made their characters more engaging and their journey more immersive. Instead, everything felt surface-level—like a rushed summary of events rather than a compelling story.
For example, many of Mu Ran Ran’s emotional moments felt too convenient. Whenever she expresses her feelings, it just happens to be in Su Yi Shui’s subconscious, where he could hear them. I would have enjoyed more natural interactions, like the scene where they searched for green onions on the farm—small moments that allowed them to explore their feelings together.
Forgettable Villains with Weak Motivations
One of the biggest problems in the drama is the villains. Much of the plot relies on convenient developments rather than meaningful, character-driven conflicts. The backstories of Dun Tian, Su Yu, and Mu Ran Wu don’t provide enough motivation for their descent into villainy, making their roles feel underdeveloped and their actions unconvincing.
I just couldn’t see why Mu Ran Wu would harm her sister for a man, continue to do so out of jealousy, and never repent—especially when they were the only family left and Mu Qing Ge never treated her unjustly. Could I have believed that the just and honorable Su Yu sought immortality after all these years? Probably, if the writer had shown his internal struggle and his desire to protect his kingdom. If we had seen the political struggles, family rivalries, and betrayals that shaped his ambitions, his character arc would have been more compelling. Instead, we were simply told this information and expected to accept Su Yu as someone willing to harm innocent people for his own goals.
Then we have Dun Tian, who hid his identity for so long yet played no significant role until the very end. The so-called “hidden” villain remained in the shadows for so long that his reveal lacked impact—there was no suspense leading up to it. He felt like an afterthought, a character whose presence barely mattered until the story needed a final obstacle for the heroes to overcome. Even after he was revealed, the threat he posed never felt significant.
Self-Sacrificing Love Done Wrong
Personally, I’m not a fan of self-sacrificing love where one person hides the truth, and the other finds out later and simply forgives them. I don’t see relationships built on self-sacrifice as inherently beautiful. I could have accepted it, and maybe even shed some tears over it, if it had been executed well. However, this drama didn’t handle it convincingly.
Like many self-sacrificing love stories, neither character made an effort to communicate or discuss their choices. They never explored what they could have done together, which made the sacrifice feel unnecessary. The story rushed Mu Qing Ge into doing everything she could to prevent Su Yi Shui from falling into darkness. But as someone intelligent and strong, it would have made more sense for her to be calm and strategic rather than impulsive. When it came to Su Yi Shui, Mu Ran Ran was able to prevent him from sacrificing more for her by standing by his side to make sure he didn’t fight alone. I’m particularly glad this happened, or I would have given up on the drama altogether.
I also think that Mu Ran Ran never fully remembering herself as Mu Qing Ge left too many loose ends. It felt like everything they had shared in the past was left in the dark. This didn’t make sense to me because, while Mu Ran Ran still had the same personality traits as Mu Qing Ge, Su Yi Shui originally fell in love with Mu Qing Ge, not Mu Ran Ran.
Without her memories, he never received the closure he needed. The story didn’t address whether Mu Qing Ge truly saw him as more than a disciple. This was never explored, making their romance feel incomplete.
Conclusion
I really wanted to enjoy this drama, but it lacked depth in its story, romance, and even its side characters, making it hard to stay invested. While I saw a little hope in Wei Jiu and Tu Jiu Yuan’s story, I didn’t like how he treated her with his indecisive feelings. If I hadn’t skimmed through the latter half, I probably would have dropped it altogether.
Despite the weak characters and storytelling, there were some cute moments that made their love story worth watching. I’m glad those romantic scenes in the latter half kept me holding on, but overall, finishing the drama felt more like a chore than something I eagerly looked forward to.
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