Finished all four seasons of The Daily Life of the Immortal King and wondering where to pick up the story in the web novel? You’ve noticed the timeline feels a bit confusing, and you want to dive straight into new content without missing crucial details.
Because the anime adaptation of The Daily Life of the Immortal King heavily diverges from the source material, the consensus recommendation is to start reading from Chapter 1 of the web novel. The donghua [Chinese animation] alters character arcs, plot points, and timelines to such an extent that skipping ahead will lead to significant confusion about the story and characters.
Based on detailed analysis of the source material and community consensus, this guide provides the definitive answer. It will break down exactly why a fresh start is necessary, map the anime’s major arcs to their novel counterparts, and direct you to the official source to continue Wang Ling’s story.
Key Facts
- Start from Chapter 1: Community consensus and expert analysis strongly recommend all anime viewers start the web novel from the very beginning to understand the original story.
- Significant Plot Divergence: The anime adaptation is best viewed as a “reimagining” rather than a faithful retelling, with seasons 2, 3, and 4 being almost entirely anime-original content.
- Misleading Season 1 Endpoint: While Season 1 loosely adapts events up to around Chapter 77, its finale is an anime-original plotline, making even that chapter a poor starting point.
- Character Power Levels Differ: The protagonist, Wang Ling, is significantly more powerful and in control in the web novel compared to the anime, where he is often nerfed for dramatic effect.
- Official Source Material: The original web novel is written by author Kuxuan, and the official English translation is exclusively available on the Webnovel platform.
Where Does The Daily Life of the Immortal King Anime Leave Off in the Web Novel?
The short answer is that there is no clean place to start reading the web novel after finishing any season of the anime. Due to significant plot deviations, altered character arcs, and anime-original content, it is highly recommended that viewers who finish any season of The Daily Life of the Immortal King start the web novel from Chapter 1. The anime adaptation significantly changes, condenses, and reorders story arcs, making a direct continuation from a later chapter a confusing and frustrating experience.
Many viewers search for a direct chapter-to-episode conversion, but this is a case where one doesn’t truly exist. Forum discussions among longtime fans consistently highlight that treating the DLotIK anime (donghua) and the web novel as two separate universes is the best approach. The anime streamlines many plots for a faster-paced comedic experience, while the web novel offers deeper world-building and a more detailed look into Wang Ling’s internal thoughts.
Think of it this way: the anime is a fun, action-comedy spin-off. The web novel is the detailed, canonical encyclopedia of Wang Ling’s world. Trying to jump into the encyclopedia halfway through using the spin-off as your guide will only lead to you missing key definitions and foundational concepts. Starting from the beginning ensures you get the full, intended story as written by the author, Kuxuan.
Why Is Starting the Web Novel from Chapter 1 the Best Choice?
You should start the web novel from Chapter 1 because the anime is not a faithful adaptation; it’s a reimagining. The donghua changes major plot points, alters character personalities and relationships, and has a completely different pacing and tone. Attempting to find a mid-story entry point after watching the anime is like trying to find a specific page in a history book using a historical fiction movie as your only reference—the core events might be vaguely similar, but the details, character motivations, and outcomes are completely different.
From our analysis of both mediums, the deviations are not minor tweaks but fundamental changes to the narrative structure. Here are the core reasons why a fresh start is essential to avoid a confusing timeline and appreciate the source material:
- Plot & Pacing: The anime condenses hundreds of chapters into short seasons. This results in rushed story arcs and the complete removal of crucial world-building subplots related to cultivation realms and the series’ dimensional cosmology.
- Character Changes: Key characters have different personalities, backstories, and relationships in the novel. The anime often simplifies these complex dynamics for comedic effect, which means you’d have an incorrect understanding of character motivations if you skipped ahead.
- Anime-Original Content: A significant portion of the anime, especially the season finales and nearly all of Seasons 2, 3, and 4, is original content created specifically for the show. These events do not happen in the novel, making a seamless transition impossible.
Ultimately, reading from the beginning is an investment in a better, more coherent reading experience. You will gain a much deeper appreciation for the intricate world and the true, overpowered nature of Wang Ling that the anime only scratches the surface of.
What Are the Major Anime vs. Web Novel Differences?
To truly understand the gap between the two versions, it’s helpful to see concrete examples of the divergences. These differences are why simply finding a chapter number is not a viable solution for continuing the story.
- Pacing and Plot Structure: The anime aggressively condenses story arcs. For instance, the events of the spirit sword tournament arc are streamlined significantly. The novel dedicates much more time to the build-up, the strategies involved, and the internal thoughts of the participants. More importantly, the anime creates its own endings for each season, which do not align with the novel’s ongoing plot.
- Character Portrayal: The most significant change is to the protagonist, Wang Ling. In the novel, he is portrayed as vastly more powerful and almost omnipotent, with his main struggle being the suppression of his immense power to live a normal life. The anime frequently “nerfs” him, or reduces his power, to create more dramatic tension in fight scenes. Side characters like Sun Rong also have different depths and story arcs in the novel.
- Tone and Focus: While both are comedies, the anime leans more heavily into slapstick and fast-paced visual gags. The web novel, by contrast, contains a great deal more of Wang Ling’s internal monologue. This provides a more satirical and deadpan style of humor and offers deeper insight into his desire for a peaceful, ordinary existence.
- World-Building: The novel goes into extensive detail about the cultivation system, the different realms, and the politics between various sects and factions. Much of this detailed world-building about cultivation realms is simplified or entirely omitted in the anime for the sake of pacing.
Which Web Novel Chapter Corresponds to the End of Each Anime Season?
Even with the strong recommendation to start from the beginning, many fans still want a rough guide to where the anime seasons align with the source material. As of 2026, the following table breaks down the approximate mapping, but please pay close attention to the disclaimers.
| Anime Season | Approximate Corresponding Web Novel Chapter | Important Notes & Disclaimers |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Chapter 77 | The season finale is anime-original. The events of the tournament arc leading up to it are loosely adapted from the early chapters, but plot points and character interactions are heavily modified. |
| Season 2 | N/A (Anime-Original) | Season 2 diverges almost completely from the web novel’s storyline. It is considered entirely anime-original content, and there is no corresponding chapter to start from. |
| Season 3 | N/A (Anime-Original) | Like Season 2, the plot of Season 3 is original to the anime and does not follow the web novel. Attempting to find a continuation point is not possible. |
| Season 4 | N/A (Anime-Original) | Season 4 continues the anime’s unique storyline. Community consensus confirms it does not adapt specific web novel chapters and readers must start from the beginning. |
This table clearly illustrates the core issue: after the initial arcs of Season 1, the anime becomes its own entity. There is no chapter to jump to after seasons 2, 3, or 4 because those stories simply don’t exist in the novel.
Where Can You Officially Read The Daily Life of the Immortal King Web Novel?
You can read the official English translation of The Daily Life of the Immortal King on the Webnovel website and mobile app. This is the licensed platform for the novel written by Kuxuan. Reading from the official source is the best way to support the author and the translation teams who work to bring the story to a global audience.
Reading from trusted, official platforms ensures you are getting the most accurate and up-to-date translation. The original Chinese version of the novel is published by Qidian, which is part of the same parent company as Webnovel. This direct link ensures the English version remains as true as possible to the author’s original work. Avoid unofficial aggregator sites, which often have poor-quality translations and do not support the creator.
FAQs About where does the daily life of the immortal king anime leave off in the web novel
How many seasons of The Daily Life of the Immortal King are there?
As of early 2026, there are four full seasons of the anime. The series has been consistently renewed, with Season 1 airing in 2020, Season 2 in 2021, Season 3 in 2022, and Season 4 in late 2023. Always check official sources like Bilibili for announcements about future seasons.
What is the watch order for the anime?
The watch order is straightforward: Season 1, followed by Season 2, Season 3, and then Season 4. There are no movies or special OVAs that need to be watched in between the seasons. Following the release order provides the intended viewing experience for the anime’s original storyline.
Is Wang Ling stronger in the novel or the anime?
Wang Ling is significantly more powerful in the web novel. Community discussions and analysis of the source material confirm that the anime “nerfed” or weakened him for dramatic effect in fight scenes. In the novel, his control is more absolute, and the power gap between him and other characters is even more immense.
What genre is The Daily Life of the Immortal King?
The series is a Chinese “Xianxia” story that blends slice-of-life, comedy, fantasy, and action. It is set in a modern world but uses the tropes of cultivation (improving one’s power through spiritual practice). A key element is its satirical take on common “overpowered main character” (OP MC) stories.
Does the anime have a different ending than the novel?
Yes, the anime seasons have their own unique, self-contained endings. Season 1’s finale, in particular, is a well-known anime-original plotline involving Wang Ling restarting the world to save Sun Rong. These endings do not align with the ongoing web novel, which has thousands of chapters.
Who is the author of The Daily Life of the Immortal King?
The original web novel was written by the Chinese author Kuxuan (枯玄). The novel was first published in 2017 on the Chinese platform Qidian and has since been officially translated into English.
Is there a romance between Wang Ling and Sun Rong?
The relationship is handled very differently in the anime versus the novel. The anime gives their potential romance significantly more focus and screen time as a central plot driver. In the web novel, while there are interactions, the story focuses much more on Wang Ling’s desire for a quiet life and the broader cultivation world, with romance being a far less central element for a large portion of the story.
What is the “tournament arc” and where is it in the novel?
The tournament arc refers to the spirit sword competition between No. 60 High and No. 59 High in Season 1. This arc is loosely based on events from the early chapters of the web novel. The conclusion of this arc in the anime, leading into the finale, deviates significantly from the source material, but the core events are found approximately before chapter 77.
Is there a manga or manhua for The Daily Life of the Immortal King?
Yes, a manhua (Chinese comic) adaptation exists, but it also differs from both the anime and the web novel. It is generally considered to be its own version of the story. For viewers wanting the original, canonical story, the web novel is the definitive source material to read.
Why do some people say the anime starts at Chapter 1 and others at Chapter 77?
This confusion arises from the anime’s adaptation style. The “Chapter 77” figure refers to the end of a major plot arc (the tournament) that was loosely adapted in Season 1. However, because the anime changed so much from the very beginning and has an original ending, most fans agree that starting from Chapter 1 is the only way to get the true, unaltered story.
Final Thoughts
While it might be tempting to find a shortcut, the journey of switching from The Daily Life of the Immortal King anime to the web novel is one that truly benefits from starting at the very beginning. By doing so, you’re not just re-reading a story you’ve seen, but discovering a richer, more detailed, and often funnier version of the world and characters you already enjoy.
- Start From Chapter 1: The most critical takeaway is that the anime and web novel are best treated as separate stories. To understand the original plot and characters, you must start reading from Chapter 1.
- Significant Plot Divergence: The anime, especially after the first few episodes of Season 1, follows its own original plot. Season finales are entirely anime-original and do not correspond to the novel’s timeline.
- Character Differences Are Major: Wang Ling is portrayed as significantly more powerful and in control in the novel. Furthermore, many side characters from the novel are either missing from the anime or have their roles and personalities changed.
- Season 1’s “End Point” is Misleading: While some events in Season 1 are loosely based on content up to Chapter 77 (like the tournament arc), the ending is completely original, making even this a poor starting point.
- Official Source is Webnovel: The official, licensed English translation of the source material by author Kuxuan is available on the Webnovel platform.
