妖神记
Tales of Demons and Gods
A second life to rewrite the fall of his city
Synopsis
At the height of his power, the Demon Spiritist Nie Li falls to the Sage Emperor and god-ranked beasts. Instead of death, he wakes in his classroom at thirteen, years before his home city is destroyed.
Armed with everything he learned in his first life, he sets out to grow stronger faster, to train the friends who fell in the old timeline, and to thwart the betrayal that handed Glory City to the demon beasts.
Adapted from Mad Snail's novel, Ruo Hong Culture's donghua has aired on Tencent Video since 2017. With ten seasons — the tenth launched in July 2026 — it is one of the longest-running series in our catalogue.
World
The story centres on Glory City, a human stronghold surrounded by lands overrun with demon beasts. Great families, Spiritist schools and political intrigue unknowingly set the stage for the catastrophe Nie Li has already lived through.
Power system
Demon Spiritists capture and fuse with beast spirits to multiply their abilities. Each person's potential shows in the colour of their soul, and Nie Li starts with the weakest — which makes his knowledge of the future all the more decisive.
Reception & popularity
Launched in 2017, the series has settled in for the long haul on Tencent Video, releasing roughly one season a year. Its longevity makes it a reference for fans of second-chance stories.
My take
Tales of Demons and Gods has an unbeatable premise: a hero who returns to the past knowing everything that will happen. Each of Nie Li's decisions becomes a small game of chess, and it is great fun to follow.
The 3D of the early seasons has aged, and the pace of the short episodes can feel choppy. But you quickly grow attached to the group of friends Nie Li gathers to save his city.
Who is it for?Watch it if you like second-chance stories and short episodes to binge.
Main characters
More character profiles are coming.
Adaptations
This franchise also exists in other formats — each with its own pacing and audience.
Trivia
- The story hinges on a central object, the Space-Time Demon Spirit Book, which sends Nie Li back in time.
- Jiang Ruotai's manhua began in 2015, two years before the donghua, and brought the story to a wide international audience.
- Recent seasons each run 52 short episodes, released at a brisk weekly pace.
If you liked…
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