I don't like yuri either, but what do you want me to do? Give the novel one star just because I don't like yuri? That aspect is only a small part of the story, that's not why I'm going to give the novel a star, ignoring all the good points it has, which are many. Regardless of whether you like harem or yuri or not, in your comment you said that the story is a great read apart from the "poorly constructed" harem, that means that your rating is completely wrong because you only rate this novel on based on a single point that you didn't like, ignoring all the others.

Fly high, little Xiao...

Generic Japanese MC detected

Why should you focus only on getting stronger? He is not a robot, the MC is a human with desires and thoughts beyond 'getting stronger'. There is always room for other things.

This is art, gentlemen!

I understand the other points, but to criticize the character of the MC is wrong. Some readers think that all protagonists must be humble, kindhearted, or simply have zero character. That would make sense in a book like Harry Potter, but in a fantasy novel that involves powers beyond the universe, an MC who shows weakness and little character will not get very far; he will be used by others in every way, because, as you might well imagine, human beings are selfish by nature, and the more power they have, the more such feelings they will have.

Na Xinyi's personal desire would be respectable were it not for the fact that she has never complained about using Wei Wuyin's resources, influence, and support. Or what is she getting at? When it suits her, she feels she is Wei Wuyin's wife, but when she has nothing to lose, she is a single woman. It's one thing to be hypocritical and quite another not to realize how hypocritical you are.

My rating for this novel is 4.6 for reasons I will explain, I will start with the good points: There are many Dao and Alchemy skills, techniques, talents, and abilities that the MC learns. And most of them are things that become really useful later on; besides perfecting them, the MC keeps acquiring new skills and uses them wonderfully to complete his goals. "Villains" (except for the blessed) are not your clichés. They have their own thoughts; they are not locked in a box, and, in fact, most of the time, they just fight for what they think is right and are not much different from other characters. The company of young masters is literally non-existent, and any friction the characters have with MC is logical and most of the time sensibly resolved. This author really knows what it means to say that only a small number of people move from one realm or cultivation stage to another. Unlike other novels, here many people can be stuck in their own realms without any chance of advancement, for many reasons that you will discover throughout the story. For that reason, it is so logical that the MC can have such a good reputation as an alchemist.