Cultivating Immortality, Have You Seen a Fat Guy?

Looking for Stories With a Similar Approach to A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality

After finishing A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, other cultivation novels feel a bit too contrived. It's easy to guess where the plot is going: the protagonist meets a powerful foe and either 1) hides his true abilities, 2) turns the tables just before dying, 3) lets his enemies fight each other and then swoops in to reap the rewards, or 4) gets taken on as a disciple by some old man. Orz