The series is based on the novel Qing Yunian by Mao Ni and was planned to be filmed across three seasons.

Principal photography for the first season began in January 2018 and wrapped in August 2018.

Season 1 was shot at several locations including Hengdian World Studios, Duyun Qin and Han Studio City, the Stone Forest in Yunnan, and other scenic spots in Yunnan province, while Season 2 was partly filmed in Xiangyang.

Actor Wu Gang, who plays Chen Ping Ping, initially thought he was being asked to play a cross-dressing role when offered the part, and joked he most feared being called 'Ping Ping' in the street.

Wu Gang stated he would not take a salary after learning that seasoned actors like Chen Daoming had joined the cast.

For Season 2, most of the original cast returned, but key roles such as Yan Bingyun and Ye Ling'er were recast; the original actress for Ye Ling'er is set to return for Season 3.

Although the TV adaptation removed the original novel's time-travel premise (replacing protagonist Fan Shen's modern-day counterpart with a university student named Zhang Qing discussing alternate history with a professor), the cast list in the version broadcast on Jade channel still credited the character as 'Fan Shen' rather than 'Zhang Qing'.

A character named Liu Sisi, originally played by Yu Xinlei, was filmed but ultimately cut from the final show.

In December 2019, Tencent Video's launch of a paid early-access VIP viewing option for the show sparked widespread controversy, was criticized by People's Daily, and led to a Beijing court ruling that part of iQiyi's VIP membership agreement was invalid.

A pirated full-season leak of Joy of Life appeared online in December 2019, prompting Tencent Video and iQiyi to file a police report, with nearly 40,000 infringing links reportedly found.

Season 2 drew criticism for excessive product placement, with 26 partner brands divided into five tiers announced before release, and one 2024 survey finding nearly 40% of viewers had a negative reaction to the ads.

The show combined for over 13 billion views on Tencent Video and iQiyi, scored 8/10 on Douban, and received a 9.5/10 rating from Viki users with more than 5,000 reviews in 2021.

When Season 2 premiered in May 2024, it set several viewership records on Tencent Video, including the platform's highest-ever popularity score, and became the most-watched mainland Chinese drama on Disney+.

Singer Li Jian composed the show's theme song after first reading the entire original novel.

For the planned third season, the production budget was increased to build an original set for the Temple featuring mirrored surfaces, and certain scenes are planned to be shot using VR long takes.

Ahead of Season 3, lead actor Zhang Ruoyun undertook special martial arts training to learn a new double sword fighting style.