Fantasy world knows no bounds

"They said that compared to the images of the creatures they saw before, my interpretations presented a wilder atmosphere, which encouraged me to continue the series," he says.

In 2018, Li and Liang published the first edition of Guan Shan Hai, at a time when few books of its kind were available. Many parents bought the book for their children to teach them about the fantastical creatures from ancient Chinese legends and myths.

Two years ago, the book's contract expired. Rather than immediately releasing the second edition, Li spent two years designing patterns for each creature and improving the original illustrations.

"I tried to refine some illustrations that I felt weren't aesthetically pleasing. Some designs were not accurate," Li says.

For instance, the Shui Ma, a horselike aquatic creature, is described in The Classic of Mountains and Seas as having an oxtail, a detail the first version missed.

"For this edition, I changed inaccuracies and re-created some images," Li says.

To ensure accuracy and avoid mistakes, Li extensively studied various annotated editions of the classic.