Peak Cultivation Xianxia / Xuanhuan

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Peak Cultivation Xianxia / Xuanhuan

A compilation of some of my favourite cultivation novels and some comments about why I enjoyed them.

The list is still unfinished and I have a lot more I need to add, so if you'd like, you can leave comments of novels you think deserve to be on this list.

Thanks >.>

*** Spoiler Warning for contents listed below ***

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36 Followers

SurnameBai

Created: Aug 22nd, 2023, Updated: Sep 2nd, 2023

Created Aug 22nd, 2023

Updated Sep 2nd, 2023

CN (4.3)

#1Reverend Insanity

6 Chapters Every 1594.5 Day(s) 14002 Readers 346 Reviews 02-25-2017

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Mature Mystery Psychological Seinen Tragedy Xianxia

This is a series that doesn't need much explaining as to how it ended up on this list.... more>>

Wherever you go, as long as you are looking for Cultivation Novel recommendations, or Novel Recommendations in general, you will see Reverend Insanity recommended everywhere you go, and it is not without reason.

The story of Fang Yuan heavily differs from the standard Xianxia format. In your standard Xianxia, Village Bumpkin A will join the Sect, undergo various experiences for hundreds of years, and eventually cultivate their own ruthlessness.

Reverend Insanity breaks away from this completely however, from Chapter 1, Fang Yuan has already accumulated some 500 years of experience and can be considered an Old Monster from the get-go. He hasn't just cultivated ruthlessness either, but something more instinctive and evil, he has cultivated the way of the Devil. Seeing Fang Yuan in the early stages of the novel is the most interesting as its somewhat reminiscent of normal Xianxia but the massive change in protagonist leads to an incredibly different and enjoyable story.

Fang Yuan isn't the only good thing about the story though, just one of the many. First of all, the supporting characters are really good. Incredibly distinct, each character that is introduced is memorable, with their own tragedies after getting involved with Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan is incredibly intelligent, but the other characters aren't made dumb to make Fang Yuan look more impressive, no, they are also incredibly intelligent, and even outwit Fang Yuan now and again, making for an incredibly, incredibly intriguing story.

The villains aren't throwaway cardboard cut-outs. They are memorable, intelligent, and definitely enjoyable to read. The world of Reverend Insanity is rather distinct also with different locations having different customs and such. It doesn't feel like the whole world just moulds into one City A and City B which makes exploring incredibly fun.

My favourite part however, not including Fang Yuan, is the power system. The idea of Gu Worms definitely isn't a traditional Xianxia power system. Gu Worms themselves are most definitely a part of Xianxia but the idea of forming an entire system around them is unique and executed perfectly in this case, and I definitely don't think that's an easy thing to do, but a testament to the author's strengths as a writer. The idea of gaining power from these parasitic insects definitely suits the vibe of the story.

All in all, its a great, must read story.

SSS+ <<less

CN (4.1)

#2Renegade Immortal

226 Chapters Every 386.7 Day(s) 12824 Readers 175 Reviews 10-18-2015

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Harem Mature Mystery Psychological Seinen Supernatural Tragedy Xianxia

The novel that started the entire Er Gen collection and one of the greatest cultivation experiences. There is just something so memorable and enjoyable about Renegade Immortal. ... more>>

CN (4.5)

#3Cultivation Chat Group

53 Chapters Every 344 Day(s) 13986 Readers 164 Reviews 10-22-2017

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Xuanhuan

An extremely refreshing and enjoyable read probably best read after you have a few standard Xianxia under your belt.... more>>

Cultivation Chat Group is a modern Xianxia / Xuanhuan / Urban Fantasy taking place in a modern China where Cultivators have grown and adapted, learning to blend into Modern Society.

Right off the bat, I believe the strongest thing about the story is the comedy. This is an absolutely hilarious story that had me laughing many, many times. I must have read around 2,000 chapters without getting bored which is rare for me. I don't need to go into examples as there are just too many but as you have probably already heard, in terms of comedy, it is one of the best.

And yet, comedy alone isn't enough to earn this series such a high place on the list. This story has so much more to offer than just comedy.

Let's talk about the Cultivation Aspect. After all, this is Cultivation Group Chat. CCG is a parody on the cultivation genre, yet unironically delves far deeper into cultivation itself than 99% of standard Xianxia. If you look on the wiki, each single stage of cultivation has an in-depth description, and like in LoTM, brings with it its own set of unique abilities.

And speaking of LoTM, something I didn't realise until I started writing this is they are somewhat alike, the very bare minimum. Both main characters are related to a 'Fool' but what I love about this series that I also loved about LoTM was finding out the lore. Though it is a lot more comedic than in LoTM, finding out the lore about the heavenly court, the Immortals, the Heavenly Way and such was an incredibly enjoyable experience.

But I am nowhere near done talking about the great aspects of this series. Let's talk about the characters for a moment. Strong, incredibly strong. The most common review I see on the modern-day Xianxia is the fact that the characters are just cardboard cut outs that follow the main character. It is the completely opposite here, every single character introduced feels like their own person, no matter how small their role is in the story. They have their own history, rivalries, relationships, goals, motivations and such. Normally in a Xianxia, the only person romantically involved is the main character, but I can think of at least two separate romances off the top of my head and its been literal years since I have read the series and there is far more. The point is the characters are incredibly authentic, characters like Soft Feather and Senior White I still think about and crack a smile when I think of their antics, Thrice Reckless too of course.

Speaking of characters, let's talk about the villains. One of the greatest gripes I hear concerning Xianxia and Cultivation these days is how the villains are just arrogant young master chain villains whose sole reason for being antagonistic towards the MC is their love towards the MC's jade beauty. However, CCG manages to have engaging villains with good motivations and personalities whilst simultaneously being comedic. Though they are villains, I find myself getting hyped every time they appear in the story.

There is also a large number of factions. The author somehow manages to juggle all these different schools of thought, Sects and even different cultivation systems in one amazing novel without losing his tough. Truly an author on a similar level to Lord Cuttlefish that Loves Diving.

With that being said, I would be remiss if I didn't say that this story did have its issues. There are a few issues with this story that I would like to highlight that detract from that SSS+ rating.

The first is the issue I had with pacing. There was a banquet mentioned at the beginning of the story during the first few hundred chapters that took place a few months later in universe, I was incredibly excited for a Banquet as a Xianxia Fan, but ended up having to wait some 1,000 chapters even though It was just a few months in universe. This is somewhat bad for two reasons. Firstly, the world moves at an incredibly slow pace, and some of the Arcs really start to drag, and two, from an in-universe perspective, most cultivators take hundreds, or maybe even thousands of years to reach the peak, but for Song Shuhang, its a matter of months and years. Perhaps this plays into the comedy, but as a traditional Xianxia Fan, I have to be a little critical. There might also be some in-universe explanation for his cultivation speed but I haven't continued the story since I caught up with the translation at chapter 2,000 or so.

The second thing I would like to mention is the slight lack of grandness and adventure. I think one of my favourite parts of Xianxia is discovering a new realm, or opening the door to an entire new world that truly feels brand new and alien. This is no fault of the author, but since the setting takes place on Earth, its hard to inspire these feelings of grandness and epic from the story. The author managed to include secret realms which is great, but for whatever reason, they just completely lacked excitement for me. I was more interested in getting to the next arc and maybe some titbits of lore than the exploration itself.

With that being said, those two points hardly detract from what an absolutely sensational story this is. If you are getting bored of reading the standard cultivation novel, please give this a shot.

SSS <<less

CN (4.3)

#4I Shall Seal the Heavens

48 Chapters Every 693.5 Day(s) 20020 Readers 343 Reviews 08-05-2015

Completed Action Adventure Drama Xianxia

The first two novels of the Er Gen tetralogy massively differ from the latter two novels, with ISSTH being the Third Instalment of the Franchise.... more>>

There is generally a divide between the Er Gen fanbase with half preferring the more severe manner of the first two instalments and others enjoying the comedy in the latter two. I however, find myself in the middle, enjoying both the goods and bads of each.

I Shall Seal the Heavens was my first Er Gen book and one of my first Cultivation Novels, yes, I know, I read the series in the complete wrong order which probably somewhat ruined the reading experience for me...

And yet, I can say with clarity that ISSTH is my second favourite Er Gen Novel. I truly think this novel is absolutely phenomenal, and not just as a Cultivation Novel.

As a Cultivation Novel, it is rather great. It shows the struggles of Cultivators, expands the Universe, it has great Sect Interactions, exploration of Secret Realms, Tons of Cultivation Ranks, and incredibly badass scenes such as when Slaughter was summoned from the painting.

However, and this is a big however, in terms of a 'Xianxia' novel, it pales in comparison to Renegade Immortal. ISSTH is definitely a great cultivation novel without a doubt, but for Renegade Immortal, which had great Dao Comprehension, Mortal Arcs, Struggles... ISSTH just feels lacking in this comparison. For example, the idea of Meng Hao being a prodigal son of an Immortal Family and the Echelon, a bunch of youngers who would just b*tch-slap the Immortals previously introduced, the idea of his parents becoming Paragons... its definitely a change and one that I personally don't like, though that may differ for others.

With all that being said, I still prefer ISSTH to Renegade Immortal. And that is solely due to the comedy. I understand that Er Gen' comedy is a little hit or miss, but boy oh boy did this novel have me in stitches. I still remember the physical pain in my stomach just from laughing so, so hard. Meng Hao is an absolutely brilliant character, his shameless nature is truly outstanding, there are so many scenes in this story that had me crying with laughter, for example, when he sold off those silver spears and made himself the enemy of the Violet Alchemy Sect, or when he raided the secret realms stealing all the walls and rooftiles... people may hate Lord Fifth but I absolutely loved that character and the way he worked with Meng Hao was phenomenal.

The story also wasn't without its emotional moments such as the 'Father Arc' with some of the best writing about the love between a Father and Son I have ever read that still makes me tear up to this day. Though it wasn't quite the Ancient Order, the League of Demon Sealers was absolutely great, and I loved the idea of Paragons. I especially loved the arc towards the End where Meng Hao was teaching and took Chu Yuyan as a disciple.

However, once again, this series isn't without its bad points. Speaking of Chu Yuyan, the romance in this story is somewhat horrendous. I didn't dislike Wan'er in Renegade Immortal but I really did not like Xu Qing whatsoever. I don't think Xu Qing is bad per say, but for me, Chu Yuyan was just such a better girl that it made Xu Qing feel especially bad. So yeah, I didn't like the romance.

However, the Comedy is really what makes this series great for me. The cameo Meng Hao makes at the end of AWE is just perfect and sums up his character in a nutshell.

SSS <<less

CN (4.4)

#5A Will Eternal

32 Chapters Every 210.3 Day(s) 16992 Readers 242 Reviews 01-21-2017

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Harem Xianxia

I feel like AWE is the most controversial of the first Four Er Gen Books. The reason being, its incredibly heavy on the comedy, and the comedy itself is incredibly hit or miss. I have always felt that AWE was like marmite, you either hate it or you love it. Or perhaps Bai Xiaochun himself is like marmite, you either love him or you hate him.... more>>

However, as you can see by my username, I fall into the former category, I love Bai Xiaochun, my favourite CN novel character of all time. When reading the reviews for AWWP, it seems that most people dislike that novel because Wang Baole is similar to Bai Xiaochun, which gives me the impression that Bai Xiaochun is hated amongst Xianxia Fans...

Then I am an outlier because I absolutely love this shameless rascal. Bai Xiaochun completely ruins the precedent set by Wang Lin and Su Ming that one has to suffer to achieve strength. In comparison to those two, and even Meng Hao, Bai Xiaochun might as well be playing with cheat codes. For example, the first person Wang Lin ever killed was his Master who wanted to kill him, but Bai Xiaochun's Master is literally like his dad, looking after on him. For at least 70% of the story, Bai Xiaochun had it really easy.

I can see why fans of the traditional novels would hate this kind of thing as it somewhat makes you feel cheated but I really don't mind as I absolutely love BXC. I think this novel might have had me laughing even more than ISSTH, there is no scene that sticks out to me as especially funny because the entire novel is just funny. Once again, its more or less a comedy novel which makes it understandable why fans of PoT and RI wouldn't enjoy it as much. But I just love it. The antics of BXC will never not make me laugh.

I can talk about the comedy all day, but you have probably heard enough of that. Lets talk about the badass scenes. Renegade Immortal has a bucket load of awesome and memorable scenes, and ISSTH also has a lot. For me, there isn't as many with AWE, because the comedy takes away from that somewhat. Not that they don't exist, I am just struggling to think of really awesome serious scenes other than Bai Xiaochun's comprehension in the closing chapters.

I think the romance is unironically a lot better in this story. I usually hate harems, but this is a breath of fresh air in comparison to Renegade Immortal and ISSTH where the MCs were trying to revive their dao companions for the entire story. It doesn't take itself seriously, and I like that.

The villains honestly seem a lot less impressive. I can remember All-Heaven and the All-Seer vividly it was just that impactful, but I often find myself forgetting who the main villain of AWE even was. The universe of AWE also feels a lot smaller. Though there is technically a good amount of exploration, the world just feels incredibly small to me until the end of the story.

Writing out my thoughts, I can see why this series is a miss for those who dislike BXC. However, for me, BXC is just the best, and I have a bias love for the series.

SSS <<less

CN (4.2)

#6The Desolate Era

18 Chapters Every 253.9 Day(s) 19225 Readers 199 Reviews 03-08-2015

Completed Action Adventure Drama Fantasy Shounen Xianxia

The Desolate Era focuses on Ji Ning, a good guy who died an untimely death and was due to be reincarnated in heavenly realm thanks to his good deeds and acts of charity.... more>>

CN (4.3)

#7Grasping Evil

39 Chapters Every 453.3 Day(s) 7103 Readers 70 Reviews 08-13-2020

Action Adventure Ecchi Fantasy Harem Mature Xianxia

It's been a while since I have read grasping evil. I probably only read 500 chapters or so before I caught up with the translations and forgot to continue reading. Either way, it clearly left a distinct impression on me as I still remember my enjoyment when reading the series.... more>>

CN (3.9)

#8Top Tier Providence, Secretly Cultivate for a Thousand Years

40 Chapters Every 107.1 Day(s) 2370 Readers 98 Reviews 07-13-2021

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Harem Romance Xianxia

Perhaps this is a guilty pleasure of sorts, but I really, unabashedly enjoyed this novel, for what I read anyway. Like with Grasping Evil, I followed the translations up to chapter 500 or so then forgot about it when I caught up.... more>>

What I did read, however, I enjoyed, a lot. I suppose the idea of Top Tier Providence is essentially a parody on the hot-headed type of Xianxia Protagonist who seems to cause trouble wherever he goes. The MC of this story, I believe his name is Han Jue, couldn't be any more different. He is the opposite extremity, cautious to an extreme. Not unlike Seiya from 'The Hero is incredibly cautious'.

When this novel was in its early stages, it was really highly rated and quite well-liked, but I see that the rating has decreased considerably since then. I am not sure if it got worse in later chapters or whether the oversaturation of similar novels made it less unique. This kind of idea was incredibly fresh when I was first reading it, but since then, I have read who knows how many 'hiding in my cave' cultivation novels.

That doesn't detract from how much I enjoyed what I read however. I know a lot of people dislike the MC, treating him as a coward for hiding away in his cave, but maybe its just me, but I really, really loved it. The idea of scheming and killing people from a trillion miles away. Especially when he starts using his literal death note to curse people to death from across the Universe, earning some sort of reputation as the Dark Hand behind the curtains. For me, this was absolutely brilliant and I really enjoyed it, though I understand it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

The novel definitely has more beyond that. The Cultivation System here is heavily inspired by Chinese Mythology, not unlike The Desolate Era in this respect. Though others hate it, I am a sucker for lots of cultivation realms so I enjoyed this aspect.

I wouldn't say the villains were memorable per say, but admittedly, the scheming battles and essentially the MC trolling them were incredibly enjoyable to watch. Naturally, there was some mystery going on with characters like Samsara whats his face which made the read even more enjoyable.

I wouldn't say the side characters were especially unique and I am not sure I like the idea of the MC attempting to build the largest harem in the world but the first girl introduced in the opening chapters I really quite liked and was probably one of the better heroines in Xianxia for me, though they probably butchered her character in later chapters.

The idea of the MC taking disciples is great too, I don't think their interactions were especially great but they did add depth to the MC, seeing him risk death by bailing them out every time they got in trouble made the MC more likeable, for me at least.

The MC is also incredibly handsome so that's a bonus.

S+ <<less

CN (4)

#9My Senior Brother is Too Steady

150 Chapters Every 6.2 Day(s) 2275 Readers 51 Reviews 05-10-2025

Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Xianxia

This is an unfortunate novel really. I read this up until chapter 200 or so until the translation became unreadable and I didn't want to MTL my brain.... more>>

CN (4.6)

#10Unsheathed

72 Chapters Every 53.2 Day(s) 1489 Readers 26 Reviews 07-04-2024

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Martial Arts Romance Seinen Tragedy Xianxia

I haven't actually had the chance to read this novel yet but it has a 4.8 rating and looks pretty good so it probably deserves... more>>

CN (4.3)

#11Legend of the Great Sage

1849 Chapters Every 64.9 Day(s) 7730 Readers 155 Reviews 12-17-2022

Action Adventure Harem Mature Xianxia

Unfortunately another popular Xianxia I have yet to read. I need to pick up the slack.

CN (4.2)

#12Stellar Transformation

287 Chapters Every 223.7 Day(s) 12637 Readers 111 Reviews 06-08-2016

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Romance Seinen Xianxia

I need to read more IET novels. I still haven't read this either.

CN (4.1)

#13Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

44 Chapters Every 464 Day(s) 8379 Readers 123 Reviews 01-29-2017

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Mecha School Life Sci-fi Xuanhuan

CN (4.5)

#14My Daoist Life

55 Chapters Every 202.4 Day(s) 3782 Readers 25 Reviews 11-19-2024

Fantasy Harem Martial Arts Romance Shounen Slice of Life Supernatural Xianxia

CN (4.3)

#15World of Cultivation

916 Chapters Every 180.7 Day(s) 13974 Readers 243 Reviews 03-16-2018

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Seinen Xuanhuan

CN (4.1)

#16Lord Xue Ying

7 Chapters Every 517.6 Day(s) 9496 Readers 76 Reviews 09-06-2015

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Xuanhuan

CN (4)

#17Beyond the Timescape

73 Chapters Every 52.4 Day(s) 1100 Readers 43 Reviews 06-15-2023

Action Adventure Fantasy Xuanhuan

CN (3.9)

#18Pursuit of the Truth

113 Chapters Every 259.1 Day(s) 6111 Readers 71 Reviews 05-15-2017

Completed Action Adventure Harem Mature Mystery Tragedy Xuanhuan

CN (3.5)

#19A World Worth Protecting

39 Chapters Every 278.2 Day(s) 1356 Readers 41 Reviews 05-08-2019

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Mystery Psychological Sci-fi Seinen Supernatural Tragedy Xianxia Xuanhuan

CN (4.2)

#20Pivot of the Sky

234 Chapters Every 96.9 Day(s) 7037 Readers 40 Reviews 11-16-2021

Action Adventure Drama Fantasy Mystery

CN (4.2)

#21Tales of Herding Gods

571 Chapters Every 43.3 Day(s) 4782 Readers 68 Reviews 10-30-2023

Completed Action Adventure Comedy Harem Mystery Xuanhuan

CN (4.1)

#22Transcending the Nine Heavens

318 Chapters Every 57.6 Day(s) 14178 Readers 152 Reviews 04-25-2023

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Harem Seinen Xuanhuan

CN (4.1)

#23Everlasting Immortal Firmament

1275 Chapters Every 25.1 Day(s) 4499 Readers 44 Reviews 08-23-2024

Action Drama Harem Mature Tragedy Xianxia

CN (4.1)

#24History’s Strongest Senior Brother

0 Chapters Every 2788 Day(s) 14029 Readers 149 Reviews 12-15-2017

Completed Action Adventure Fantasy Xuanhuan

CN (4)

#25Ascending the Heavens as an Evil God

605 Chapters Every 29.4 Day(s) 2257 Readers 34 Reviews 05-28-2024

Completed Action Adventure Mature Xuanhuan

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Comments (5)

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busterbrad07· Oct 23, 2023 03:14 AM
I haven’t read many Novels like this or manwha but recent I’ve read a few I’ve just finished dragon kings son in law and so far that one is my favourite. Would recommend.
Reply · 1 Like · ·
Drunk Moon Resident Scholar· Sep 1, 2023 11:26 PM
Awesome list so far. I recommend Coiling Dragon, Carefree Path of Dreams and Swallowed Star. Maybe. Have read them but ages ago so might not be as good as I recall lol.
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- SurnameBai· Author · Sep 2, 2023 07:00 AM
  Added. Thank you for the kind comment.
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user_name349· Mar 7, 2025 11:11 AM

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Daresan· Oct 19, 2023 01:40 PM
I don't know if you read RI completely but Renegade immortal is completely below average compare to Reverend insanity.

The amazing world building, Unique Power system, Intelligent characters, Living and breathing world, overarching plot, great foreshadowing, Great end of Arc payoff, Insight into cultivator economy and finally the wisdom battles and schemes. How can you even put renegade immortal on top if you have read Reverend insanity, This is completely beyond me.
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