How does this "cultivation" novels work?

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Ive seen lots of chinese and some american novels using this "sub genrer" these days and i would like to know what is the deal and what is all about and how farming correlates with marcial arts or magic like in those novels but they are all so big so i got lazy and i am asking here before reading one.
 
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Now that makes much more sense! Even if i think is a weird therminology, i was thinking would be like kingdom building novels but with farming! Like Harvest Moon meets DBZ... that could be fun tho.
 

Representing_Tromba

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This is the best way I can think of to describe cultivation stories. Consider playing RuneScape but writing down all of your progress from the perspective of your character. Instead of using capitalism for money though, you'll use it for powers. Depending on the world, money or dead monsters can be exchanged for abilities and services. You just have to find a way to make all those hours spent farming for abilities and power sound entertaining.
 

georgelee5786

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Achieving great power through...killing monsters and such, I think
 

RepresentingWrath

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there's a difference?
 

Lycoris

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Cultivation is where all the enemies that can kill you with their farts are busy for 1000 chapters. Where you take a weird pill and the proceed to sit on your ass for an extended period of time to level up from level 3 ching chong to level 2 ping pong.

Afterwards you will proceed to court death by slapping some young master of clan/sect bing bong which is bigger and stronger than whatever organisation you are currently in cause they slightly grazed your shoulders one day and looked at you funny or they are trying to get at your jade like beauty childhood friend. So in order to beat them up you will sit on your ass even more and explore around before finding some weird overpowered mcguffin that will power you up in some weird way.

You then proceed to beat their ass up and slaughter them all mercilessly (probably) before repeating the above stated again.
 

TheEldritchGod

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Cultivation novels, true novels about cultivation, are from China and have been corrupted by the CCP. The novels used to actually be about actual spiritual growth. In fact there is a whole lot of legend and myth and they were based around actual kick ass people.

Then tha CCP started turning everything into propaganda and turn the genre into total shit.

@Lycoris is spot on about what it has been reduced to. Where you find actual good shit? No idea. Not on line. My half brother had some good stories, but they are all hardcopy and I'm not in a position to give details.
 

BenJepheneT

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Cultivation is where all the enemies that can kill you with their farts are busy for 1000 chapters. Where you take a weird pill and the proceed to sit on your ass for an extended period of time to level up from level 3 ching chong to level 2 ping pong.

Afterwards you will proceed to court death by slapping some young master of clan/sect bing bong which is bigger and stronger than whatever organisation you are currently in cause they slightly grazed your shoulders one day and looked at you funny or they are trying to get at your jade like beauty childhood friend. So in order to beat them up you will sit on your ass even more and explore around before finding some weird overpowered mcguffin that will power you up in some weird way.

You then proceed to beat their ass up and slaughter them all mercilessly (probably) before repeating the above stated again.
 

Premier

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It's DBZ with some Chinese Myth thrown in haphazardly. It's got power levels, it's got ridiculous fights, and it's got huge numbers that mean nothing. Also, the moral that hard work is all that matters, but also not really because some people are just vastly better and get a huge payoff for their hard work nobody else does or a deep well of luck that never runs dry.

Just replace doing a million pushups in low gravity with eating a pill and meditating.
 

Love4NovelGuy

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The biggest difference between LitRPG and Cultivation stories is that the latter is usually in an Ancient China setting. Fantasy if Xianxia and more grounded if Wuxia.

But this also means it also has all the bad parts of ancient times.

Women have no rights, classism prevails, every place you go is teething with people who are way too into their politics, or are being manipulated by politics (basically where we’re at right now), and the only difference from reality is that there is no order holding things together.

Since 1 vs 100 is possible in this world, things that may seem childish become much easier to imagine. After all, not everyone who trains their body is mature enough to use it for others.

Therefore, heroes must save the damsels (who have no rights) from the greedy noblemen (who were never taught human decency).

Adventure the pugilistic world and gain honour or fame, depending on what the protagonist finds more appealing.

It’s a different kind of fantasy.
 

SsemouyOnan

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Let's ignore me reposting that 4chan copypasta...

Allow this scripture to enlighten you.

Meng Hao walked into the McDonald's. The cultivator taking his order gave a derisive snort, but Meng Hao did not really care, because he had repressed his aura down to the Single Patty Realm, and a fool would not be able to tell his true level of burger eating.

"Give me... a Happy Meal!"

The cultivator's face flickered before he finally regained his composure and laughed. "You couldn't afford a Happy Meal. Get lost! Don't you see that there are Double Quarter Pounder Realm eaters waiting behind you? Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding and threw 80 billion spirit McDonald's coupons onto the counter, causing an earthquake which demolished half of the restaurant. Everyone dropped their jaws. None could see how this was possible!

"I'll take that Happy Meal with a side order of fries, " Meng Hao said. He was as calm as the ocean in a painting of an insanely calm ocean. "And let me see your manager!"

The cashier cultivator coughed up a mouthful of ketchup. He simply could not handle Meng Hao's killing intent, because he was only at the Quarter Pounder with Cheese realm himself. Even though Meng Hao had suppressed his aura, because he had cultivated the Heavenly Burgin' Qi, this was enough to kill people a few levels higher if he truly wanted.

It was then that another man which a much more fierce aura stepped forward. "You dare make trouble here?"

"P... Patriarch Hamburglar!"

Patriarch Hamburglar was 99 cents of the way into the Big Mac Realm, plus tax! Meng Hao was pushed back two feet, knocking over a soda machine. Powerade Mountain Berry Blast geysered outward, killing several onlookers. Of course, Mayor McCheese saw all this happen through the window.

Meng Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood, snorted, constricted his pupils, and then his expression went calm. He unleashed the aura of 64 patties, condensed down to a 2 patty stack that could fit into his mouth! Mayor McCheese coughed up a mouthful of cheese. His pupils constricted.

"Is this... Seeking the McRib stage??"

Meng Hao had the gentle air of a scholar, but it wouldn't stop him from killing several people in a McDonald's. "Burger Devouring Scripture! I'm Lovin' It!"

With the first keyword of the Burger Devouring Scripture, everyone below the early Quarter Pounder With Cheese stage exploded into purple mist. The light of the immense heavenly burger shone down with the contours of a golden arch as 9 illusory burgers floated around Meng Hao's body, which is probably an important xianxia number that matches the number of lakes in some sacred Chinese province I've never heard of. But that was only a fraction of Meng Hao's power. He waved his arm, bringing forth thirty more cultivation techniques that hadn't appeared in over 400 chapters!

"Heavenly Tribulation Fries! Eastern Everburning Egg McMuffin! Fruit Smoothie Guillotine! Soul McCafe Mocha Incarnation!"

Meng Hao's expression was the same as ever as he slapped his bag of holding, and brought out his karmic ketchup packet, Fry Cook Lord medallion, seventeen different wooden time spatulas, a five-coloured resurrection coupon, the silk burger wrapper, various souls of lightning McNuggets that he may or may not still have, and his mask of the legacy of Ronald McDonald. Oh, and the image of a flying Chicken Snack Wrap dragon appeared. Remember that? It was basically his Main Thing at the start of the novel, but quietly faded into irrelevance. Until now! All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in the space of only a few breaths. "What! Impossible!"

Meng Hao wanted to summon the parrot as well, but it was too overcome with eroticism by the purple fur depicted on a nearby poster of Grimace, and was busy drilling out a glory hole straight through the poster, and the wall it was pinned to, with its strong parrot erection.

But it was more than enough. The Hamburglar's soul flew out and was absorbed into his mask! He screamed as his body was destroyed completely.

Meng Hao brushed off his robe and swept up his spirit coupons and everyone's bags of holding which probably didn't have any cool sh*t inside unless I write him into a corner later, and anyways, don't worry about it for now. He surveyed the rubble that was all that remained of the McDonald's.

"Guess I'll be taking that Happy Meal... to go!"
 

Lycoris

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Let's ignore me reposting that 4chan copypasta...

Allow this scripture to enlighten you.

Meng Hao walked into the McDonald's. The cultivator taking his order gave a derisive snort, but Meng Hao did not really care, because he had repressed his aura down to the Single Patty Realm, and a fool would not be able to tell his true level of burger eating.

"Give me... a Happy Meal!"

The cultivator's face flickered before he finally regained his composure and laughed. "You couldn't afford a Happy Meal. Get lost! Don't you see that there are Double Quarter Pounder Realm eaters waiting behind you? Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding and threw 80 billion spirit McDonald's coupons onto the counter, causing an earthquake which demolished half of the restaurant. Everyone dropped their jaws. None could see how this was possible!

"I'll take that Happy Meal with a side order of fries, " Meng Hao said. He was as calm as the ocean in a painting of an insanely calm ocean. "And let me see your manager!"

The cashier cultivator coughed up a mouthful of ketchup. He simply could not handle Meng Hao's killing intent, because he was only at the Quarter Pounder with Cheese realm himself. Even though Meng Hao had suppressed his aura, because he had cultivated the Heavenly Burgin' Qi, this was enough to kill people a few levels higher if he truly wanted.

It was then that another man which a much more fierce aura stepped forward. "You dare make trouble here?"

"P... Patriarch Hamburglar!"

Patriarch Hamburglar was 99 cents of the way into the Big Mac Realm, plus tax! Meng Hao was pushed back two feet, knocking over a soda machine. Powerade Mountain Berry Blast geysered outward, killing several onlookers. Of course, Mayor McCheese saw all this happen through the window.

Meng Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood, snorted, constricted his pupils, and then his expression went calm. He unleashed the aura of 64 patties, condensed down to a 2 patty stack that could fit into his mouth! Mayor McCheese coughed up a mouthful of cheese. His pupils constricted.

"Is this... Seeking the McRib stage??"

Meng Hao had the gentle air of a scholar, but it wouldn't stop him from killing several people in a McDonald's. "Burger Devouring Scripture! I'm Lovin' It!"

With the first keyword of the Burger Devouring Scripture, everyone below the early Quarter Pounder With Cheese stage exploded into purple mist. The light of the immense heavenly burger shone down with the contours of a golden arch as 9 illusory burgers floated around Meng Hao's body, which is probably an important xianxia number that matches the number of lakes in some sacred Chinese province I've never heard of. But that was only a fraction of Meng Hao's power. He waved his arm, bringing forth thirty more cultivation techniques that hadn't appeared in over 400 chapters!

"Heavenly Tribulation Fries! Eastern Everburning Egg McMuffin! Fruit Smoothie Guillotine! Soul McCafe Mocha Incarnation!"

Meng Hao's expression was the same as ever as he slapped his bag of holding, and brought out his karmic ketchup packet, Fry Cook Lord medallion, seventeen different wooden time spatulas, a five-coloured resurrection coupon, the silk burger wrapper, various souls of lightning McNuggets that he may or may not still have, and his mask of the legacy of Ronald McDonald. Oh, and the image of a flying Chicken Snack Wrap dragon appeared. Remember that? It was basically his Main Thing at the start of the novel, but quietly faded into irrelevance. Until now! All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in the space of only a few breaths. "What! Impossible!"

Meng Hao wanted to summon the parrot as well, but it was too overcome with eroticism by the purple fur depicted on a nearby poster of Grimace, and was busy drilling out a glory hole straight through the poster, and the wall it was pinned to, with its strong parrot erection.

But it was more than enough. The Hamburglar's soul flew out and was absorbed into his mask! He screamed as his body was destroyed completely.

Meng Hao brushed off his robe and swept up his spirit coupons and everyone's bags of holding which probably didn't have any cool sh*t inside unless I write him into a corner later, and anyways, don't worry about it for now. He surveyed the rubble that was all that remained of the McDonald's.

"Guess I'll be taking that Happy Meal... to go!"
Sounds about right for a fight in chapter 600+, the MC has so much bs they can pull out of their ass that the reader probably forgotten 90% of the shit they bring up.
A fast food theme cultivation novel sounds really interesting.
 
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