The Redemption of Cultivation Novels—A Reading of Journey to the West and Exiled Immortal

The Redemption of Cultivation Novels—A Reading of "Journey to the West" and "Cultivation of the Godly Manual"

by: Heavenly Dao Xiao Hua, this article is dedicated to the great masters Xiao Qian and Tan Hua!

[Keywords: Xiao Qian, Journey to the West, Path to the Sky, Instant Kill, Overlord Thunder God, Little Duan Tan Hua, Cultivation of the Godly Manual: Immortal Realm Chapter]

[Abstract: In current cultivation novels, protagonists often defy fate, killing gods and buddhas for a sliver of advantage; or they kill for treasure or to level up, and all sorts of beauties fall for them while their rivals are annihilated. In short, the mainstream cultivation novels today are almost all chaotic, with might makes right being the prevailing principle. I personally favor Xiao Qian and Little Duan Tan Hua, and their works. I believe they represent the self-redemption of cultivation novels. Xiao Qian was the first cultivation novel I encountered in 2015, and I was amazed. Path to the Sky, Instant Kill, and Overlord Thunder God were all added to my reading list; my encounter with Little Duan Tan Hua's "Cultivation of the Godly Manual" was a strange fate, from abandoning the book in the second volume to returning to it and now following "Earth's Sole Cultivator." Tan Hua's novels are the ones I've reviewed the most extensively. I place Xiao Qian and Little Duan Tan Hua together not only because of my personal preference, but also because of an intrinsic similarity: neither are mainstream cultivation novels. Their protagonists are not the type to kill for treasure or level up by killing monsters. Compared to other cultivation novels, their protagonists possess more warmth and human connection, and the novels lean more towards positive energy. Of course, there are differences. In terms of writing style, Xiao Qian can be described as handling the weighty with ease; while Little Duan Tan Hua handles the light with gravity. Xiao Qian's writing is effortless and natural, presenting thrilling adventure stories before your eyes; whereas Little Duan Tan Hua meticulously layers his narrative, elaborately describing and laying out a rigorous framework with foreshadowing that spans thousands of miles. Tan Hua's novel is currently the most comprehensive in its cultivation system, the most massive in its structure, and the most epic of cultivation historical works. If the fourth volume, "Immortal Realm," and the fifth volume, "Primordial Divine Realm," are completed in over a decade, Tan Hua may have achieved something unprecedented, perhaps even inimitable. If Xiao Qian is the progenitor of cultivation novels, possessing a grand demeanor; then Little Duan Tan Hua's "Cultivation of the Godly Manual" might be the pinnacle of cultivation novel history—it has no tropes or patterns, it is unique in heaven and earth, offering a refreshing experience. The netizens' saying, "Once you enter the world of Cultivation of the Godly Manual, you're lost at sea; from then on, no other Xianxia novels can be read," is indeed true!]

I. Artistic Characteristics of Xiao Qian's and Little Duan Tan Hua's Novels

1. The Narrative Mainlines of Xiao Qian and Little Duan Tan Hua: The Beauty of Singularity and the Breadth of Complexity

Xiao Qian's "Journey to the West" is hailed as the progenitor of cultivation novels, and the phrase "handling the weighty with ease" perfectly describes Xiao Qian's writing style; Xiao Qian's prose is not ornate, possessing a unique beauty of conciseness and fluidity within its simple naturalness. The narrative mainline of Xiao Qian's novels is very singular, with relatively tight plots, which particularly embodies Xiao Qian's grand style and his excellent command of plot. The novel transitions smoothly between scenes, elaborating where necessary and abbreviating where appropriate, never dragging. Compared to Xiao Qian, Tan Hua's prose is relatively more ornate, with a tendency for elaborate construction, and Tan Hua's novels feature rigorous plotting, grand structures, and complex cultivation systems with numerous narrative mainlines. The writing can be somewhat slow and lengthy; seven years to write 16 million characters is proof of this!

2. The Inner Meanings of Xiao Qian's and Little Duan Tan Hua's Novels: The Simple Emotions That Flow Delicately and the Profound Humanistic Care

In Xiao Qian's "Journey to the West," "Instant Kill," "Legend of the Transcendent," and "Overlord Thunder God," every protagonist is full of human warmth, possessing the beauty of simple kindness. Li Qiang enjoys making friends and can get along with anyone anywhere. Guo Shi'er and Mi Xiaojing deeply care about their families, friends, and sects; their growth often involves bringing their loved ones along. This is almost unimaginable in cultivation novels that prioritize "killing for treasure and leveling up by killing monsters," and it might be a point of criticism for many young readers who believe cultivation is about defying fate and seizing every advantage, killing gods and buddhas for that single opportunity. What others criticize Xiao Qian for is precisely what I value most. I personally believe this is the bottom line for a writer; only by maintaining this bottom line, this sense of mission, and this writer's conscience can the writer and the work have depth.

We see a similar situation in Little Duan Tan Hua's "Cultivation of the Godly Manual." Influenced by the awareness of caution and reverence from the I Ching, Tan Hua also imparts this sense of awe and respect for heaven and earth to the protagonist of "Cultivation of the Godly Manual," Xiao Hua. In essence, the "delicate flow of simple emotions and profound humanistic care" in the works of Xiao Qian and Little Duan Tan Hua is the salvation of cultivation novels, because in their works, they establish a rule that transcends any individual, not just the simple principle of might makes right.

3. The Philosophical Beauty of Xiao Qian's Novels and Tan Hua's Foreshadowing

Xiao Qian's novels, whether "Journey to the West," "Path to the Sky," "Instant Kill," or "Overlord Thunder God," all have astonishing endings. If I were to give those four novels a score of 90, I would give the ending alone a 100. This is because Xiao Qian's novels engage with ultimate human concerns. Unlike other cultivation novels where the protagonist, upon reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, believes they are the most powerful, transcending heaven and earth and existing above all laws; Xiao Qian's novels involve ultimate human contemplation, constantly questioning what the true purpose of cultivation is. "Journey to the West" and "Path to the Sky," as Xiao Qian's earliest novels, their very titles reveal Xiao Qian's philosophical thought—the Heavenly Dao is obscure, human power is limited. Even if you cultivate to the extreme, like the Azure Emperor and Li Qiang in "Journey to the West," whose lifespans are boundless, they remain lost in the face of the endless starry sky, not even knowing if they have passed the divine tribulation or attained godhood. "Journey to the West" truly lives up to its name.

"Path to the Sky" is as its title suggests. The purpose of cultivation is to transcend life and death and achieve eternal life. Yet, in "Path to the Sky," after cultivating to the extreme, with realms merging together, the self is lost. In "Overlord Thunder God," Lei Xingfeng cultivates to the extreme, destroying countless universes, transforming his body into a world, yet he can never return home. He embarks on another fated journey with a woman who shares his plight. Perhaps all cultivation is but an illusion, and in the face of the boundless universe of the Heavenly Dao, even the perpetual continuation of small humanity cannot escape the charm of male and female bestowed by nature!

Little Duan Tan Hua, a science graduate, reflects his rigorous personality in his novels. To put it this way, no other cultivation novel has more foreshadowing, more plot holes, or a more rigorous structure than "Cultivation of the Godly Manual." To borrow the words of fellow Daoist Xuan Qing, it's like "heavenly maidens weaving brocade, heavenly generals setting up formations," presenting a rich, colorful, and clearly organized plot and world. The endings of the characters and the twists in the story are almost impossible for readers to guess. "Cultivation of the Godly Manual" has a total of five volumes. The first volume, "Cultivation of the Godly Manual," is a prequel, detailing how the protagonist Xiao Hua seeks the proof of godhood in the Ruins of Shenzhou during the age of dharma decline.

"Light Escape" tells the story of the protagonist in the cultivation world, divided into two volumes. One volume depicts the protagonist cultivating to the early Golden Core stage on the Xiaoyu Continent. Because his demigod body made it easier to pass heavenly tribulations during an earlier cross-realm journey, he is pursued by the disciples of a sealed individual, two Nascent Soul cultivators. With his master and lover self-detonating and perishing, he travels through the Sumeru Buddhist Array, Five Elements Annihilation Grand Array, and Song of Years Demonic Array in the seabed to another realm, thus beginning the adventures of True Person Xiao across the Four Great Continents, which are also the most exciting stories of True Person Xiao in the cultivation world. Little Duan Tan Hua spent seven years writing these three volumes, totaling 16 million characters. The fourth volume, "Immortal Realm," and the fifth volume, "Primordial Divine Realm," are estimated to be completed in over a decade, filling the plot hole of "Outsider from Beyond the Heavens" in the first volume.

Let me briefly mention Little Duan Tan Hua's endings. Whether it's the first volume's side story, or the Xiaoyu Continent of Light Escape, or the Four Great Continents of Light Escape, each section has a classic ending that serves as a literary benchmark. The end of the first volume's love story, the origin of the Outsider from Beyond the Heavens, the author has dug a pit that will take over a decade to fill. And as you shed tears over the self-detonation and demise of Xiao Hua's master and lover in the second volume, the three arrays sealing the Xiaoyu Continent and the innate divine restrictions of the Immortal Realm beckon you from the third volume. In summary, Little Duan Tan Hua's novels have a grand structure, rigorous plotting, and complex cultivation systems. True Person Xiao's adventures in the cultivation world are truly magnificent! The author also skillfully employs "cross-cutting montage" and "parallel montage," unfolding multiple narrative mainlines to brilliantly showcase the "last-minute rescue" that can only be seen in American blockbusters! This is the unique Tan Hua, the refreshing "Cultivation of the Godly Manual"!

II. Shortcomings of Xiao Qian's and Little Duan Tan Hua's Novels

1. Shortcomings of Xiao Qian's Novels

"Journey to the West" and "Path to the Sky" are masterpieces of cultivation novels. Based on these two works alone, Xiao Qian can occupy a very important position in the history of cultivation novels. However, Xiao Qian's later novels, such as "Instant Kill" and "Overlord Thunder God," show more commercial considerations (Xiao Qian also has a novel called "Super Evolution," which is not my preferred genre, so I haven't read it and cannot comment). Therefore, Xiao Qian's novels, while adopting the popular online novel format, inevitably contain some formulaic elements. For example, in all of Xiao Qian's novels, the protagonist usually brings their family and friends along, like Guo Shi'er's family, the sect in Lei Xingfeng's small world, and Mi Xiaojing in his new book "Legend of the Transcendent," who is also bringing a large group of people. Additionally, Xiao Qian's protagonists' cultivation modes, since "Instant Kill," can be entirely different books if the protagonist simply changes their cultivation mode and some training scenes or adventure experiences.

Of course, I am very impressed with Xiao Qian's imagination. Whether it's Guo Shi'er traveling through different small worlds, or venturing from small worlds to larger ones, or Lei Xingfeng's step-by-step adventures, their completeness and fluency always allow you to find reading satisfaction and pleasure, and discover something different from Xiao Qian's previous works. Of course, the formulaic nature of cultivation novels is unavoidable after numerous imitations and followers. To borrow from the Bible's Ecclesiastes: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

2. Shortcomings of Little Duan Tan Hua's Novels

I have mentioned the shortcomings of Little Duan Tan Hua's novels more than once: too many superfluous details, poor control of the novel's pacing, mishandling of brief and detailed descriptions, leading to slow pacing and lengthy plots. The sheer volume consumes the reader's patience, and I will not dwell on these old issues. Below, I will discuss Xiao Hua in "Cultivation of the Godly Manual" in contrast to Li Qiang in Xiao Qian's "Journey to the West." Of course, this is a matter of personal bias; as the saying goes, "a pot of broth can't please everyone."

Compared to the protagonists and supporting characters in Xiao Qian's novels and Tan Hua's novels (both authors have depicted supporting characters very successfully), I prefer Li Qiang, Azure Emperor, Venerable Bogu, Tian Zhen, and others in Xiao Qian's works. In Xiao Qian's writing, they are all on a similar level; they interact, have understanding, have petty squabbles, and engage in scheming. But watching them interact, whether in the infinite starry sky of "Journey to the West" or the interstellar exploration of "Path to the Sky," I always find the realities and emotions of life in them. Compared to Li Qiang, perhaps because Xiao Hua is destined to become a Primeval God under Tan Hua's pen, the characters around Xiao Hua are almost all his foils. True Person Xiao is lofty and forever solitary. In Xiao Hua, I don't experience the joy of companionship that Li Qiang has.

In conclusion, in terms of novel structure, plot development, and various complex cultivation systems, Xiao Qian is far from comparable to Tan Hua. However, when it comes to ultimate human contemplation and inquiry, as well as the human condition and destiny, Tan Hua is definitely not as good as Xiao Qian. In my opinion, Xiao Qian's endings represent true mastery and philosophical reflection, ensuring that our beloved cultivation novels do not become a form of spiritual opium!