As someone who read the novel back when it started, I honestly don't understand why so many people like this adaptation.
I've more or less only zapped through the last 20 or so episodes, I simply couldn't stand it anymore.

Even looking at it from a pure watcher's point of view, it is a pretty bad series.

1. It's horribly cheap.
Be it the costumes, wigs, props, or CGI, I've seen web mini-series from unknown studios with a higher value, even projects from students tend to be of a higher quality.
Every high jump is basically in slow-motion, accompanied by wind sounds while their robes and hair are more or less still, fights are the same but with added wooshing and awkward choreography that looks like children imitating the martial arts movie they just watched.

2. Bad acting.
Most of the actors wobble between passable and downright horrendous, exaggerated facial expressions, no emotions convoyed via eyes, they pretty much look like what they are – actors instead of the characters they should be.

3. Characterisation is way off.
I'm genuinely sad that the adaptation was made in China, the novel has some of the most interesting characters I've come across but thanks to censorship laws, they turned all of them into uninspired stereotypes.
The bad acting does the rest, at some points it reminded me of the hilariously bad Kung-Fu movies from the 60s and 70s, with their caricature characterisation that makes you wonder if everyone is somewhat mentally handicapped.

4. No balance, no nuances.
The bad guys are overpowered beyond what's believable, and they are evil for evilness sake, just like the good guys can do no wrong and are good from the bottom of their heart.
It's a favourite trope in China, winning against the ultimate evil, far more powerful than everyone else, but the good guys still manage to defeat it after many hardships, doesn't matter if it's reasonable or not.

5. Filler.
So many unnecessary filler. “The Untamed Special Edition” already proved that 30 whole episodes could have been cut out without any losses – and it shows.

I've seen both variants, the special edition at least held my interest somewhat while the series was so boring that I played games while watching some of it, otherwise I would have fallen asleep.

They failed to adequately show high-tension moments, partially because of the low-quality props, partially because of bad direction and acting, I laughed several times due to how silly it looked but not even once have I felt on edge.

All of this is from a viewer's perspective, if I factor in the source material, I would have to give it negative points.
It's an insult to call this “adaptation” when nothing from the novel was preserved, be it the story or characterisation, if you give them different names and show it to me I would have never believed that it's supposed to be MDZS.

At least for me, it's one of the least enjoyable series I watched in my 30 years of consuming Asian movies/series, and as an “adaptation”, it makes me feel sorry for Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - she deserved much better.