In 2016, William starred in the tomb-raiding drama "The Mystic Nine", which serves as a prequel to the popular web drama "The Lost Tomb" by Nanpai Sanshu. "The Mystic Nine" achieved success, placing first in television ratings and setting a record for the most online views garnered in a day, and has accumulated over 10 billion views. William gained a surge in popularity for his role as Fo Ye, and was named the "Person of the Year" at the iQiyi All-Star Carnival. The same year, he starred alongside Jessica Jung in the romantic comedy film "I Love That Crazy Little Thing" and featured in Guo Jingming's fantasy blockbuster "".