The cultivation genre as it exists today was shaped almost entirely by web novels. Not published books, not literary magazines — web novels, posted chapter by chapter on platforms like Qidian (起点中文网) and Zongheng (纵横中文网), read on phones during commutes, and discussed in comment sections that sometimes generated more text than the novels themselves.
Between roughly 2003 and 2015, a handful of web novels established the tropes, power systems, and narrative structures that thousands of subsequent novels would follow. Some of these books are genuinely great. Some are deeply flawed but historically important. All of them changed the game.
Here are ten that mattered most, in roughly chronological order.
1. Zhu Xian (诛仙) by Xiao Ding (萧鼎) — 2003
Why it matters: Zhu Xian didn't invent cultivation fiction, but it was the first web novel to prove that the genre could sustain a massive, emotionally complex narrative online. Published on Huanjianshu.com starting in 2003, it told the story of Zhang Xiaofan (张小凡, Zhāng Xiǎofán), an orphan who joins a righteous sect but is drawn to forbidden cultivation methods.
What it changed: Before Zhu Xian, most online cultivation stories were short and episodic. Xiao Ding proved that readers would follow a single protagonist through hundreds of chapters of cultivation, romance, betrayal, and philosophical questioning. The novel's tragic love triangle — between Zhang Xiaofan, the righteous Biyao (碧瑶), and the demonic Lu Xueqi (陆雪琪) — set the template for cultivation romance that persists today.
Read it if: You want to understand where modern cultivation fiction started. The pacing is slow by current standards, but the emotional payoff is real.
2. A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality (凡人修仙传) by Wang Yu (忘语) — 2008
Why it matters: This novel took the opposite approach from most cultivation fiction. Its protagonist, Han Li (韩立, Hán Lì), is not a chosen one. He has no special bloodline, no heaven-defying talent, no mysterious old master living in his head. He's a cautious, calculating mortal who claws his way up the cultivation hierarchy through intelligence, patience, and a healthy sense of self-preservation.
What it changed: "Mortal's Journey" proved that a protagonist didn't need to be special to be compelling. Han Li's appeal is that he's relatable — he avoids fights he can't win, hoards resources, and makes pragmatic alliances. This "rational cultivator" archetype influenced countless subsequent novels.
| Traditional Protagonist | Han Li | |------------------------|--------| | Destined hero | Random village kid | | Charges into danger | Avoids unnecessary risk | | Powered by willpower | Powered by preparation | | Trusts allies easily | Trusts almost no one | | Special constitution | Average talent |
Read it if: You're tired of protagonists who succeed through plot armor. Han Li earns every breakthrough.
3. Coiling Dragon (盘龙, Pán Lóng) by I Eat Tomatoes (我吃西红柿) — 2008
Why it matters: Coiling Dragon was one of the first Chinese web novels to be fully translated into English, thanks to translator RWX (Ren Woxing) and the WuxiaWorld platform. For many English-speaking readers, this was their gateway into Chinese web fiction.
What it changed: I Eat Tomatoes (IET) pioneered the "power fantasy escalation" model that defines much of the genre today. Coiling Dragon starts in a medieval fantasy world and gradually expands to encompass multiple planes of existence, each with higher power levels. The protagonist, Linley (林雷, Lín Léi), goes from a struggling noble boy to a universe-creating god over the course of the novel.
The novel's influence on the English-language web novel community is hard to overstate. WuxiaWorld, which started as a platform for translating Coiling Dragon, became the largest English-language Chinese web novel site.
Read it if: You want a fast-paced power fantasy with clear progression. Don't expect literary depth — that's not what IET does.
4. Stellar Transformations (星辰变, Xīngchén Biàn) by I Eat Tomatoes — 2007
Why it matters: Another IET novel, but this one deserves separate mention because it established the "body cultivation" (体修, tǐ xiū) subgenre. The protagonist, Qin Yu (秦羽, Qín Yǔ), can't cultivate through normal methods, so he trains his physical body instead — a path that everyone considers inferior until it turns out to be secretly overpowered.
What it changed: The "can't cultivate normally, finds alternative path" trope became one of the genre's most popular setups. It's a variation on the underdog story, and it works because readers love seeing characters succeed through unconventional means.
Read it if: You enjoy training montages and the satisfaction of proving doubters wrong.
5. Against the Gods (逆天邪神, Nì Tiān Xié Shén) by Mars Gravity (火星引力) — 2012
Why it matters: Against the Gods pushed the "overpowered protagonist" model to its logical extreme. Yun Che (云澈, Yún Chè) has multiple special constitutions, a treasure that lets him cheat death, and a personality that oscillates between righteous fury and shameless flirtation.
What it changed: This novel crystallized the "face-slapping" (打脸, dǎ liǎn) formula that dominates much of the genre: arrogant antagonist underestimates protagonist → protagonist reveals hidden power → antagonist is humiliated → repeat at higher power level. It's formulaic, but Mars Gravity executes it with enough energy and escalation to keep readers hooked for thousands of chapters.
Read it if: You want pure entertainment without pretension. It's the cultivation equivalent of a summer blockbuster.
6. I Shall Seal the Heavens (我欲封天, Wǒ Yù Fēng Tiān) by Er Gen (耳根) — 2014
Why it matters: Er Gen is widely considered the best prose stylist among major web novel authors, and ISSTH is his masterpiece. The protagonist, Meng Hao (孟浩, Mèng Hào), starts as a failed scholar who stumbles into cultivation and gradually becomes one of the most powerful beings in existence.
What it changed: ISSTH proved that web novels could have genuinely beautiful writing, complex themes, and emotional depth without sacrificing the power progression that readers expect. Er Gen's cultivation system is one of the most creative in the genre — Meng Hao doesn't just get stronger, he develops a unique philosophical understanding of cultivation that sets him apart from every other character.
The novel also popularized the "scholar-cultivator" archetype — a protagonist whose greatest weapon is intelligence and knowledge rather than raw power.
Read it if: You want the best writing the genre has to offer. The first hundred chapters are slow, but the payoff is extraordinary.
7. Desolate Era (莽荒纪, Mǎnghuāng Jì) by I Eat Tomatoes — 2012
Why it matters: IET's third entry on this list, and arguably his most polished work. Desolate Era blends cultivation fiction with Chinese mythology more thoroughly than most novels, incorporating figures like Pangu (盘古, Pángǔ), Nuwa (女娲, Nǚwā), and the Three Realms cosmology.
What it changed: Desolate Era showed that cultivation fiction could engage seriously with Chinese mythological traditions rather than just borrowing surface-level elements. The protagonist, Ji Ning (纪宁, Jì Níng), practices sword cultivation in a world where Buddhist and Daoist cosmologies coexist, and the novel treats both traditions with respect.
Read it if: You're interested in how cultivation fiction intersects with Chinese mythology.
8. Reverend Insanity (蛊真人, Gǔ Zhēnrén) by Gu Zhenren (蛊真人) — 2012
Why it matters: This is the most controversial novel on the list. The protagonist, Fang Yuan (方源, Fāng Yuán), is a villain. Not an antihero, not a misunderstood good guy — a genuine, calculating, amoral villain who manipulates, betrays, and kills without remorse in pursuit of immortality.
What it changed: Reverend Insanity shattered the assumption that cultivation fiction protagonists must be sympathetic. Fang Yuan is fascinating precisely because he's terrible. The novel's Gu (蛊, gǔ) cultivation system — based on refining magical insects — is one of the most original in the genre. The worldbuilding is dense, the politics are complex, and the moral philosophy is genuinely challenging.
The novel was eventually banned in China for its "negative values," which only increased its cult following.
Read it if: You want cultivation fiction that challenges you morally and intellectually. Not for readers who need to like the protagonist.
9. Lord of the Mysteries (诡秘之主, Guǐmì zhī Zhǔ) by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving (爱潜水的乌贼) — 2018
Why it matters: Lord of the Mysteries isn't traditional cultivation fiction — it's set in a Victorian-era steampunk world with Lovecraftian horror elements. But its "Sequence" power system is essentially a cultivation hierarchy, and its influence on the broader genre has been enormous.
What it changed: This novel proved that cultivation-style power progression could work in non-Chinese settings. The protagonist, Klein Moretti (周明瑞, Zhōu Míngruì), advances through a numbered sequence of increasingly powerful and dangerous transformations. The system is meticulously designed, with each pathway having unique abilities, risks, and thematic coherence.
Lord of the Mysteries also raised the bar for mystery plotting in web fiction. Each arc is a genuine puzzle that rewards careful reading.
Read it if: You want to see what happens when cultivation fiction meets Western gothic horror. One of the best web novels ever written, full stop.
10. Cradle Series by Will Wight — 2016
Why it matters: This is the only English-original entry on the list, and its inclusion might be controversial. But the Cradle series — starting with Unsouled — is the most successful English-language cultivation novel series, and it's directly responsible for popularizing the "progression fantasy" genre in the West.
What it changed: Will Wight took the Chinese cultivation novel structure — weak protagonist trains through ranked power levels in a world of martial artists — and made it accessible to Western readers without losing the core appeal. The protagonist, Lindon (蓝墩, Lán Dūn... okay, he doesn't have a Chinese name), starts with no power in a world where power is everything, and his journey through the sacred arts system is pure cultivation fiction DNA.
Cradle proved that the cultivation novel format isn't culturally specific — the appeal of watching someone grow from nothing to godhood transcends language and culture.
Read it if: You want cultivation fiction written in native English with tight pacing and a satisfying power system.
Honorable Mentions
- Battle Through the Heavens (斗破苍穹, Dòu Pò Cāngqióng) by Heavenly Silkworm Potato — Popularized the "fallen genius regains power" setup
- Douluo Dalu (斗罗大陆) by Tang Jia San Shao — Pioneered the "spirit ring" cultivation system
- Renegade Immortal (仙逆, Xiān Nì) by Er Gen — Er Gen's first major work, darker and more brutal than ISSTH
- The Grandmaster Strategist (一代军师) — Cultivation meets political intrigue
The State of the Genre
The cultivation web novel genre is both thriving and stagnating. Platforms like Qidian publish thousands of new cultivation novels every year, but most follow formulas established by the novels on this list. The face-slapping pattern, the tournament arc, the auction house scene, the "young master" antagonist — these have become clichés through overuse.
The most exciting developments are happening at the edges: novels that blend cultivation with other genres (Lord of the Mysteries), novels that subvert protagonist expectations (Reverend Insanity), and novels that bring cultivation fiction to new audiences (Cradle).
The genre's next great novel probably won't look like any of the ten listed here. That's how it should be. Each of these novels changed the rules. The next one will too.