You open up a Cultivation story, what do you expect?

[KuromiMago]

This all started when my roommate went chickenshit insane and started to read Xianxia/Wuxia and Cultivation like a complete madman. After some time I started to question him about it and it all felt so...alien. But after digging more and more we came to agree that most of the things I've written fall here onto some kind of cultivation, albeit none of them are certainly Xianxia.

As we are preparing material we've discussed a bunch of ideas around Demonic Cultivation, how the tropes works, and mostly...Me questioning how progression inside a cultivation story is done and dealt with (and for that I focused onto the more classic tropes of xianxia like meditation, pills and whatnots).

Then we came to the cross of our argument as I asked: "If I put [Cultivation] in the title of my novel what would you be expecting?"

His wise answer was: "Dunno dude, cool shit."

So, what would you expect? What are the expectations, the general concept idea you think of that pulls your interest when you search a Cultivation story. As a bonus...what makes you enjoy one, and what is a turn off when it comes to Cultivation?

I must say that I am rather new to cultivation by a Xianxia perspective, and I'm still learning the ropes, so I'm kinda of a dumb idiot on this.

 

[prognastat]

I mean outside of expecting cultivation itself?

Face-slapping(like 90% of the novel probably). Young masters. Jade beauties. Sects. Master-Disciple relationships. Martial Arts/Inter-sect competitions. Overdramatic auction house scenes. Overdramatic stone gambling scenes.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I expect that Wuxia, Xianxia, and Xuanhuan are three different genres.

 

[HungrySheep]

Dunno dude, cool shit.

On the real though, cultivation stages and a busted MC that goes into tournaments just to stomp everyone while the P-Zombies on the sidelines exist only to go "NANI THE FUCK HOW IS HE SO GOOD!?!?!?!??!!?!?" is the standard fare.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I expect that I will be closing it soon.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Usually a harem of some sort, where the girls like the main character but he may not care for it.

I’d prefer a Cultivation novel where the main character is short, dwarf like and ugly.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I’d prefer a Cultivation novel where the main character is short, dwarf like and ugly.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

In Chinese cultivation novels, beauty makes right.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

In Chinese cultivation novels, beauty makes right.

 

[KuromiMago]

I expect that Wuxia, Xianxia, and Xuanhuan are three different genres.

I lived at least good 6 months without knowing the damn distinction and had to research it only to found out that differences are basically minute and not mutually excludent. Xuanhuan not exactly minute but...manageable to simply slap alongside others.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

In your novels, NTR makes right.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I lived at least good 6 months without knowing the damn distinction and had to research it only to found out that differences are basically minute and not mutually excludent. Xuanhuan not exactly minute but...manageable to simply slap alongside others.

Wuxia is low fantasy in Chinese setting, Xianxia is high fantasy in Chinese setting, Xuanhuan is high fantasy in Chinese setting+ elements from other settings. I don't consider difference between low and high fantasy minute, but that's my subjective opinion. Also, on average, Xianxia and Xuanhuan are basically LitRPGs, while Wuxia is not.

 

[ISwearImTrying]

recommended drug abuse, if you aint doping you aint dope.
there is a reason that all cultivators are crazy psychos looking to plunder all 'heavenly treasures' to advance their cultivation. They all drugged out of their minds looking for the next high i tell ya, no powerhouse is pure

 

[georgelee5786]

Cringe is what I expect

 

[RepresentingPride]

Depending of the story, I expect struggle, vengeance, adventure, and mostly what other already said there.

The three genre of the cultivation stories are often misunderstand and most don't know which is what, so most author use wuxia or the three tag.

Xianxia is chinese fantasy with a setting related to their myth and legends, the cultivation path are often related toward budhism, taoism or confucianism.
Wuxia is chinese fantasy with a "Hero" fighting against evil, the cultivation path differ depending on each stories.
Xuanhuan is using chinese fantasy setting with another, often a western setting, the cultivation path can be a lot of different thing in this genre.


You can try to read some big cultivation story to get an idea, like "Martial World" for exemple who are acclaimed like the best cultivation story out there by most reader of the genre.

 

[Rezcore]

Harem, overpowered under intelligence Mc, repeating examples of being underestimated, constantly getting wealth handed to them, pro-China nationalism and overt racism (can sort of understand their hate for Japan, but considering what their own government has done.... Tiananmen Square), men who are sexual monsters, women basically being 2d objects with personalities. The list is infinite.

Not all Chinese literature is garbage, just most of it, which is a shame because Chinese culture is beautiful, when you remove the CCP influences.

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

A cultivation system I've never seen before. Granted, I don't actually read much Cultivation, so not tooooooo high a benchmark. Also, Dungeon Cores help.

 

[RepresentingPride]

Harem, overpowered under intelligence Mc, repeating examples of being underestimated, constantly getting wealth handed to them, pro-China nationalism and overt racism (can sort of understand their hate for Japan, but considering what their own government has done.... Tiananmen Square), men who are sexual monsters, women basically being 2d objects with personalities. The list is infinite.

Not all Chinese literature is garbage, just most of it, which is a shame because Chinese culture is beautiful, when you remove the CCP influences.

You know that most/all authors in china are forced to write nationalism in their story and they can't talk shit about it?

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

You know that most/all authors in china are forced to write nationalism in their story and they can't talk shit about it?

This is even sadder.

 

[Rezcore]

You know that most/all authors in china are forced to write nationalism in their story and they can't talk shit about it?

Nationalism is fine, I'm a fervent fan of the idea of my nation, it doesn't appear in my writing as ham fisted. That however was the least of my issues with Chinese literature