Ding Lingtao was working for a company in Xuzhou when he began publishing Fanren Xiuxian Zhuan (凡人修仙传) on Qidian. Given the novel's success, he quit his job to write full time.

He went on to publish Mo Tian Ji (魔天记), Xuan Jie Zhi Men (玄界之门), then Fanren Xiuxian Zhi Xianjie Pian (凡人修仙之仙界篇), the sequel to his big hit, from November 2017.

Vice-chair of the Jiangsu Online Writers Association since 2016, he was ranked among the "five Supremes" at the 2018 Chenggua awards. In 2017, Fanren Xiuxian Zhuan came third in the Hurun ranking of literary IP value.

Wang Yu is one of the most discreet authors of his generation. He began writing while still employed in Xuzhou and only left his job once success was confirmed: a cautious choice that resembles his hero Han Li, an ordinary boy who progresses through patience.

Wang Yu invented the "mortal stream" (凡人流): a hero with no special talent, cautious to the point of distrust, who survives through intelligence and patience rather than flashy feats. His world is harsh and realistic, and cultivation is a matter of resources and calculation.