Michelle Topham 
Qi Refining for 3000 Years (also known as Lian Qi Lianle 3000 Nian or I Have Refined Qi For 3000 Years!) follows the story of Bai Qiuran, a cultivator who, regardless of how hard he works, has still not been able to get past the Qi Refining stage.
Even though he has been trying for over three thousand years.
What is the Qi Refining for 3000 Years plot and should you watch it?
Yes, you should watch it, as the donghua mixes a strong and fun story, with interesting characters, a beautiful art style, decent animation, and humor that is actually funny.
The Qi Refining for 3000 Years donghua is based on a Chinese web novel that follows protagonist Bai Qiuran. A man who was once a war orphan, but who was taken in by the Qing-Ming Sword Sect and, because of that, becomes a cultivator.
But, despite Bai Qiuran’s immense potential, he has been unable to progress beyond the Qi Refining stage due to his extremely rare physique, the “God Envied Body,” which prevents him from advancing.
Meanwhile, his master has ascended, his senior brothers have perished, and even his junior sister’s descendants have advanced far beyond him in cultivation.
Although he is still stuck at the entry level, Bai Qiuran has accumulated an extraordinary amount of Qi, making him one of the most powerful beings in his world despite his cultivation rank.
The story revolves around his journey to finally make a breakthrough.
Something that he may now finally earn when a chance encounter with a mysterious ancient stone tablet leads him to leave the mountain he has lived on for 3000 years, and embark on his quest.
Themes and plot development in Qi Refining for 3000 Years
Qi Refining for 3000 Years is fast-paced, quirky and funny, with unusual characters, all of whom have strong personalities, and with Bai Qiuran being a goofy protagonist, which also adds to the donghua’s appeal.
As it tells the quite unusual story, the donghua’s narrative nicely combines elements of comedy and action, and with Bai Qiuran’s frustration over his cultivation level becoming a recurring theme.
Along his journey, he also attracts a substantial number of women without even trying.
Women who are strong and powerful themselves and who, for various reasons, hang around him.
So, yep, if you are into harem donghua, this one hits the spot.
Perseverance, despite sometimes overwhelming obstacles, is also a recurring theme.
Bai Qiuran’s character development
While other similar donghua don’t always show the character development they should, Qi Refining for 3000 Years does a beautiful job at this.
That’s because, on his journey to breakthrough to the next level, Bai Qiuran encounters various adventures and challenges throughout the donghua, all of which showcase his strength and wisdom despite his technically low cultivation status.
His journey also includes interactions with other cultivators, dealing with demonic sects, who are either fearful of him or want to destroy him, and exploring his own abilities and the world around him.
All of these give him situations where he has to make choices and, when choosing the right path, his chances at breaking through to the next level increase.
All of it, of course, still done in a very funny way.
Bai Qiuran’s personality is very appealing
Bai Qiuran is depicted throughout the donghua as a righteous individual with limited social skills due to his long seclusion. Yet he is still highly respected and feared among both righteous and demonic sects.
He is also well-liked as, while he might seem completely clueless when trapped in certain situations, he is not only far more intelligent than he initially seems, but has a quirky sense of humor that ends up endearing people to him.
Because of that, even in the worst situation, the people around him trust him to get them out of it.
This donghua adaptation of the popular novel series is currently streaming on Netflix, and provides a humorous look at the cultivation genre, as it focuses on perseverance, and the journey of an extremely long-lived cultivator.
If you are looking for a donghua with relatively short episodes (15 minutes per episode on average), but one that will grab your attention and so keep you invested in the protagonist’s journey, Qi Refining for 3000 Years is something you will probably enjoy.
I enjoyed it so much, partially due to Bai Qiuran’s awesome personality, but also because of the lovely art style and excellent animation, I recently finished my third watch-through.
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