If I had to pick a danmei to introduce cultivation themes to a friend, it would be Liu Yao. Even though I've read many novels, sometimes I feel like I lack full comprehension on what goes into cultivation and daoist beliefs and having characters that also don't know bullshit makes this story more acessible, since you learn alongside them.
Seeing the characters slowly grow together and become a community makes everything even more special, and it's impossible to not get attached to their personalities. They're all unique in their own ways and Priest never tries to make any of them "perfect", having as many flaws as a human being would. I adore all of them.
The main couple was beautifully handled. Yan Zhengming only realizes his feelings after they're both grown adults, which eased my heart because of the age gap between them in their childhood. All the mental steps he had to take to come into terms with this love - which he considered wrong, thinking he was taking advantage of his shidi - were really realistic, and I'm glad they were addressed. Cheng Qiao's behavior is so consistent throughout the plot that at some point I feared he wouldn't fall in love with Yan Zhengming back, but the way he realizes his own feelings is so cute and innocent (and fitting to his character!!) that makes you warm.
I'd say this is, from what I've read, Priest's couple that starts the relationship with the least amount of communication, since Yan Zhengming is always trying to shoulder everything by himself. Yet the beauty is how he starts to grow and rely on the other little by little.
I personally love how not all the main characters are god-tier cultivators. Even though Yan Zhengming and Cheng Qiao are way above the average, Li Yun being their tag-along nerd guy makes everything more fun. Han Tan being childish, with the potential to be a goddess but still in her early stages brings a fun dynamic between them.
Han Yuan's redemption is also well written, and I like how Priest made their generation also have a demonic cultivator - but not Cheng Qiao. Yan Zhengming and Munchun constantly worried about CQ's temperament, yet he showed to be strong willed and dedicated to his path. I worried that he would, as a protagonist, fall into the trap (since it's reocurring one of the protagonists in the couple to be into) but being a secondary character was really refreshing.
I love Liu Yao and hope many people read it too! It's a great story, much like all Priest's works