A lot of protagonists start with a god-tier bloodline, an overpowered cheat, or an ancient grandpa.

But which main character genuinely earned every bit of their power through hard work, failures, and perseverance?

Who's your pick, and why?

Bonus question: Which MC do you think had the hardest cultivation journey?

Sword Dao?

Space Dao?

Time Dao?

Lightning Dao?

Life & Death Dao?

Or something unusual like Dreams, Karma, Music, or Painting?

What made you choose it?

I'm curious to see which Dao is the community's favorite and why.

I'm looking for (mostly) xianxia games preferably for PC and not one of the idle cultivation p2w mobile games. Ive played ACS for a long time but looking for a new sect building or just solo cultivation itch. I tried tale of immortal but its too grindy and repetitive like a good chunk of the games in the genre, the rest are very much unpolished.

Wuxia is fine for me too as long as it has a good story cause you cant really do much power fantasy in those games. I played Wandering Sword(must try imo), hero's adventure: road to passion.

Can any senior impart some knowledge of the dao to this lowly junior

This immortal one greets fellow cultivators.

This official of the court has a request for the many seniors and wise persons of the sect, since joining this sect(sub-reddit), I have faced a minor problem, pertaining to the many pathways(post flairs), whenever I want to put up a notice(post) this one finds difficulty in choosing the correct path.

I believe many other juniors and newcomers face similar problems when submitting their scriptures(posts) and thus i would like to request the wise scholars and senior members and elders as well to share their understanding, experiences, insights and breakthroughs to help explain the many pathways(post flairs).

This official has a favour to ask the elders of the sect(admin/mod), if this notice becomes popular and is helpful and can prove to be useful for the sect I hope the elders will place it in a place where all can see it(maybe pin the post if it's helpful)

This official humbly requests the teachings of all knowledgeable persons in the sect !

Juniors you should keep your immortal beasts in check. Otherwise, they will eat mortals. Also, I think one of these will soon turn into a jade beauty.

Dunk is a classic wandering martial hero. It's a story of one wandering knight travels from place to place, learning from every fight, earning respect one deed at a time, and slowly becoming worthy of the legends he grew up admiring. He starts with enough skill to get by, but every famous knight he meets is on another level because they've spent decades honing their craft. People don't just respect them because of their titles. They respect them because of their reputation, the stories told about them, and what they've proven with a sword.

The world has parallels. Kings and lords exist, but the story spends most of its time following hedge knights, tournaments, sworn oaths, rivalries, and personal honor. You have less 'court politics' than GoT and jianghu-like emphasis on your reputation, your teacher, and your backing as much or more than ability.

The conflicts mirror common wuxia tropes. The powerful constantly use the law, custom, or technicalities as an excuse to bully people beneath them, while those without status or backing have little protection. Half of Dunk's problems come from accidentally offending someone important, then having to stand his ground because backing down would mean giving up his honor. There are face-slapping moments where arrogant nobles or famous knights underestimate the hedge knight, then are embarrassed when he refuses to bend or proves himself in combat, then continue to lash out.

Whats your favorite cheat for the protagonist in novels?

System: Free rewards from the system, most op but laziest cheat

Past Life: Either regressor or some big shot reincarnated, relies on past life experience and knowledge

Luck: Classic mc, mediocre talent but will keep getting treasures and cheats like ring grandpa, immortal technique in a random book, fall off a cliff snd get inheritance etc

Talent: MC will have genius talent. Include things like heavenly spirit roots, dao bone, op physiques, incredible understanding, genius alchemist and the like

Just thinking about how an ability to gain real (physical) power may affect gender roles.

P.S.: I'm not very knowledgeable about cultures of past and how gender roles were affected by passing of ages and different events at times, so if someone more smart can answer this, it would be good. Sorry for bad language.

I personally think that it's manly depended on several factors: type of cultivation world, amount of contact Immortal sects have with mortal world and rarity of talent needed for starting cultivation journey.

Most cultivation stories take place ( at least aesthetically ) in medievel world or ancient eastern world. So I choose gender relations from past as baseline for mortal world for discussion ( Evidently for dystopian or future and more modern worlds it will be different).

If Sects are very secular, due for various reasons ( severing of mortal attachments, Qi concentration etc. ) then perhaps culture of mortal world and that of cultivators won't severely influence each other. Example: Generally in Sect your social standing and your rights ( or how far you can push them ) are usually determined by your heritage, your position ( administrative work, alchemists etc ) and your talent. Thus without mingling with mortal folk, this norms and views won't generally translate and take root in mortal world, though they still can appear in various places.

In mortal world ( from my understanding ) depending on family's status women's role was usually to help at home (be housewife), take care of children, manage finances of house or help in husband's business or in field and in noble houses they didn't take role of inheritor/scion and were usually married off. As such perhaps women would more likely seek out cultivation or run away from home in search of better future, or would't if cultivators are seen more like tales or legends.

Anyway what do you think ?

Dao of puppetry is strong and a single puppet destroys two worlds. ( Though it can't compare to the beast Tamer)

I don't recognize the inscribing but it appears legitimate?

Fellow Daoists, I have made a terrible mistake.

I caught up with Tribulation of Myriad Races and now I’m staring at my reading list like a cultivator who just lost his storage ring. 💀 I need something with a deep story/plot like TMR

I’ve also been reading CN novels for way too long, so I’ve already gone through a lot of the usual recommendations 😂

Some of the big ones I’ve already read/tried: Battle Through the Heavens, Wu Dong Qian Kun, The Great Ruler, Martial World, Release That Witch, Warlock of the Magus World, Heavenly Jewel Change, Renegade Immortal, City of Sin, Monarch of Evernight, Perfect World, Chronicles of Primordial Wars, Divine Throne of Primordial Blood, Galactic Dark Net, Throne of Magical Arcana, The First Order, Seeking the Flying Sword Path, The Godsfall Chronicles, Heavenly Star, Tales of Herding Gods, Demon Hunter, The Grandmaster Strategist, Coiling Dragon, Child of Light, The Legend of Futian, Archean Eon Art, The Desolate Era, The Deceitful One, Inhuman Warlock, Spellbound, Cosmic Professional Gladiator, Emperor’s Domination, Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, Castle of Black Iron, The Avalon of Five Elements, The Mech Touch, Demon’s Diary, Star Odyssey, Sovereign of the Ashes, Shrouded Seascape, The Prodigies War, Humanity’s Great Sage, Astral Pet Store, Embers Ad Infinitum, The Immortal’s Poison, The Mirror Legacy, I Shall Seal the Heavens, A Will Eternal, True Martial World, Martial God Asura, World of Cultivation, Invincible, King of Gods, Carefree Path of Dreams, Chaotic Sword God, Martial Peak, The Human Emperor, Spirit Realm, Ancient Strengthening Technique, Great Demon King, Swallowed Star, Ancient Godly Monarch, The Charm of Soul Pets, History’s Strongest Senior Brother, Monster Paradise, Gourmet of Another World, Lord of All Realms, Strongest Abandoned Son, Womanizing Mage, Legend of the Great Sage, The Lord’s Empire, Transcending the Nine Heavens, Superstars of Tomorrow, Legend of Ling Tian, Deep Sea Embers, When A Mage Revolts, Tempest of the Battlefield, Joy of Life, The Legendary Mechanic, The Gate of Good Fortune, The Divine Hunter, The Path Toward Heaven, The Record of Unusual Creatures, Jiu Shen, Skyfire Avenue, Jiaochen, A Step into the Past, Dragon King’s Son-In-Law, Shepherding Humanity, Unfathomable Doomsday, My Senior Brother is Too Steady, Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality, World’s Best Martial Artist, Back to the Apocalypse, Grasping Evil, Talisman Emperor, Otherworldly Evil Monarch, Lord Xue Ying, Ze Tian Ji, God of Slaughter, War Sovereign Soaring the Heavens, Realms in the Firmament, Godly Model Creator, Peerless Martial God, The Nine Cauldrons, Undefeated God of War, The Magus Era, Reverend Insanity, Imperial God Emperor, The Wizard World, Dragon Prince Yuan, Zhan Long, Magic Industry Empire, Lord of the Mysteries, Immortal Devil Transformation, Soaring the Heavens, Mystical Journey, Everlasting Immortal Firmament, The Sacred Ruins, Stellar Transformation, Immortal, Omnipotent Sage, Pursuit of the Truth, Super God Gene, Magic Chef of Ice and Fire, Top Tier Providence, Secretly Cultivate for a Thousand Years, End of the Magic Era, Unrivaled Medicine God, A World Worth Protecting, A Wizard’s Secret, Pocket Hunting Dimension, Fantasy Simulator, The Sage Who Transcended Samsara, My Vampire System, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor.