Just like the story in the isekai novel, which is full of reincarnated Japanese mc, who likes to look for rice and soy sauce in another world. In Chinese cultivation novels, there are also common cliches, or common things that often appear in various types of modern fantasy novels today. It doesn't matter if it's a wuxia, xianxia, or xuanhuan novel. They all have the same characteristics.
Common plots in Chinese cultivation novels and manhua
The following are common things we encounter in Chinese cultivation novels. And this is also what makes it interesting to read. Especially by otaku like you guys.
The fatty best friend
Fatty, or the fat man in Chinese novels, is very often the best and closest friend of the protagonist MC in the novel. The fat man usually has a cowardly nature, but is always lucky and kind. Or at least he is a wealthy merchant. The point is that fatty's presence in cultivation novels is very common and natural, becoming its own comedic element in existing novels. Fatty best friend often share same hardship with mc. Like to joke a lot, care for mc, and become best sidekick.
Arrogant young master
Arrogant young masters, young masters from certain clans or sects are always looking for trouble with the protagonists in Chinese novels. They are always a stepping stone for the mc. In every meeting with this role model young master, the mc is always being bullied, being chased by the young master's accomplices. And in the end, the main character because of the thick plot armor. Immediately became strong, and counterattacked the young master with a hard slap. In English we are more familiar with the term "face slapping" / humiliating people in public.
Mc who invites a lot of trouble
It's the destiny of the Chinese cultivation novels mc. Wherever he is, there must be trouble coming his way. Often because of this problem, the mc gets expelled from the clan/big family. Many of MC's closest people are jealous of him, or bullied him, and it's common for uncles and other brothers to try to get rid of MC in order to gain power within the clan. The mc disturbed the young master, the father came, defeated the father, the grandfather came, defeated the grandfather, the ancestor came.
Shameless Mc
Well, we also often encounter this in cultivation novels. Many mc's are like this. He likes to cause trouble but doesn't realize what he's doing. The mc likes to boast, brag, flexing here and there. He likes to do strange things and outside the normal limits of people around him. This happens because it is possible that most of the cultivators came from earth, because he was reincarnated or transmigrated with a myriad of cheats. So it's only natural that they like to show off. Not trying to pretend to be a pig to eat a tiger, like most of the phrases in the novel.
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Courting death
Courting death, This terms appears very often in Chinese cultivation novels. Many cultivators say that when fighting, especially against the mc. You can say, this courting death has same meaning with "you are looking for trouble".
Above the sky there is another sky
No matter how strong the mc is in the current relam and cultivation, there will definitely be a new realm that has an even higher cultivation level than the mc. And the mc if ascended to a higher worlds. The main character automatically became weak again, because there were to many other cultivators in the realm who had a cultivation level that was more higher than the mc. And this keeps repeating itself, until at least 7 realms / new worlds. And even more, depending on the world building in the novel.
Thick plot armor
The plot armor in Chinese cultivation novels is very thick. It's natural in cultivation novels, to gain strength and power is filled with hard paths. Every time everywhere the mc have to go through a fight that can take a person's life. But still, no matter how dire mc's condition was. Since he is the main character in the novel, surely he will survive and gain higher power again, again, and again.
Revenge
The theme of revenge in cultivation novels is also quite popular in the market. The mc for various reasons experienced a miserable living condition. Like being bullied in clan, having poor constitution, experiencing marriage annulment, etc. And for that reason the mc is required to take revenge. And in the end, predictably, there must be annihilation of certain clans or sects in the cultivation world.
Sword riding
Cultivators, especially sword immortals. In Chinese cultivation novels, the journey is often depicted as a cultivator riding a sword. Yup, they were riding on swords, shooting at speeds that were beyond comprehension. It even exceeds the speed of light.
That's more or less the common thing we often see in Chinese cultivation novels and of course the same is true in cultivation manga. Because basically Chinese manga, let's call it cultivation manhua, most of them were originally from novels.
