No Power Fantasies or Mindless Stories: Something Substantial and Not Cringey 不要爽文，不要无脑文，有深度，不尬

1. 1 早 If I’d Known, You Needn’t Have Made Me Transmigrate 早知如此，大可不必让我穿越 The Writer Who Draws码字的画家Eastern Fantasy2.7M WordsCompleted [System runs in the background, ordinary-person cultivation, not a wish-fulfillment story, tactical spell battles, starting from scratch] Tang Zhen was among the luckiest transmigrators out there. In the eighteenth year after his transmigration, thanks to a spell-copying System with simple mechanics but ridiculously powerful functions, he became the leader of the greatest generation of prodigies in a thousand years of cultivation. The pillars of the righteous sects looked after him with great ca 23.9kReads8.8Score2kShelves

   Reader note

   Who understands the true value of not liking light novels?

2. 2 全 Global Blackout: Back to the Age of Cold Weapons 全球断电：重返冷兵器时代 Rampaging Bear狂暴熊Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.4M WordsCompleted [No System, no rebirth, no showing off and humiliating others, not a power fantasy. The story of an ordinary person surviving in a time of chaos.] When electricity vanished worldwide and gunpowder and fuel stopped working, Xia Zhi carved out a kingdom in the midst of chaos with nothing but a bow. With transportation and communications cut off, humanity's ambitions began to grow. Everyone wanted to be emperor; even a village chief dared to call himself king. Xia Zhi had wanted to stay home in the 6.1kReads8.2Score459Shelves

   Reader note

   This one has to be it; it gets better and better as you go on.

3. 3 我EN I'm Not a God of Theater 我不是戏神 Three Nine Sound Domain三九音域Urban4.0M WordsCompleted The brand-new masterpiece by San Jiu Yin Yu, author of Slay the Gods | Winner of the Best Science-Fiction Web Novel Award at the Macau International Science Fiction Awards | A Chinese grotesque epic that turns the tide of an era After a scarlet meteor streaked across the sky, human civilization ground to a halt. From that day onward, humanity could no longer build a rocket, a nuclear bomb, an airplane, a car... The pyramid of civilization built upon modern science collapsed with a thunderous roa 1.7MReads9.9Score183.1kShelves

   Reader note

   This post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel is incredibly imaginative! At first glance, it seems like a typical reincarnation story, but the world-building twists and turns, the plot is fast-paced and unconventional, and the characters are realistic and well-developed. After reading it, my understanding of the post-apocalyptic genre has been completely refreshed.

4. 4 嗟 Alas, Immortal 嗟仙 Meticulous Cultivation精耕细作Eastern Fantasy1.4M WordsCompleted [The human side of cultivation, ensemble cast, no golden finger] Now that order has been established in the cultivation world, fighting and killing are no longer the norm. What matters more is navigating human relationships. Zhu Xiaosuo rises from an ordinary mortal to an immortal, one step at a time, in the name of “saving face.” 31.2kReads9.0Score3.1kShelves
5. 5 弱 I'm a Weakling, Yet the Righteous Call Me the Supreme Saint-Demon 弱鸡的我，却被正道人士奉为无上圣魔 Ouyang Yun欧阳晕Eastern Fantasy2.6M WordsOngoing [A fresh take on misdirected assumptions + new twists + all kinds of reversals + pretending to be a tiger to eat a pig + wild fantasy ideas + lighthearted comedy] My name is Zhang Mo, and my family has been dirt-poor for generations. Yesterday, while I was farming, the local sect dragged me off to fill a vacancy. After I got up the mountain, I found out that our sect was actually an evil demonic cult. Even worse, after just one day on the job, they wanted me to become the sect leader. Damn this 7.8kReads9.2Score622Shelves
6. 6 末 Apocalypse Cockroach 末日蟑螂 Mighty Cockroach伟岸蟑螂Sci-Fi & Apocalypse6.3M WordsCompleted Zhang Xiaoqiang is an insignificant nobody, a lazy loser who had been content to lounge around and wait to die. Staying at home lets him avoid the first outbreak of the zombie virus. When he sees his neighbors in the same apartment complex turn into zombies, he is overcome with boundless terror. He struggles to survive alone in an Apocalypse where people prey on each other. At last, worn down by loneliness, he picks up his gear and heads out into a world shrouded in smoke and fire. He takes the 27.3kReads8.9Score2.4kShelves
7. 7 第 The Ninth Special Zone 第九特区 Wei Jie伪戒Urban6.1M WordsCompleted After the catastrophe, the land was scarred beyond recognition. Food was scarce, resources were in short supply, and the situation was chaotic... A young man who had fought his way out of an undeveloped zone, with endless yellow sand at his back, came alone to District Nine to make a living. Yet he never expected to meet a few good friends by chance, rise to prominence in the chaotic era over a single thought, and embark on a legendary journey... 210.6kReads9.6Score22.9kShelves
8. 8 我 I Turned the Horror World Into a Raising Game! 我把惊悚世界玩成养成游戏！ Yu Zuo予作Mystery2.3M WordsCompleted A mysterious force descended upon Earth, giving rise to another world of terror. Everyone was forcibly sent into the world of horror games on their eighteenth birthday. While everyone else was immersed in fear, struggling to survive in the cracks between life and death, Qin Nuo discovered that he could earn System rewards by influencing the ghosts’ emotions. And every time he completed a dungeon, he could establish his own business in the world of horror. So he became a food runner at the Yin Sp 112.4kReads9.5Score12kShelves

   Reader note

   These books are quite good and meet the requirements.

9. 9 庸 Beware the Mediocre 庸人小心 Yin Mu殷木Urban370k WordsCompleted Realistic fiction · Unrequited love with a bad ending · Small-town life · Ordinary people · Coming-of-age · No golden finger Based on the true experiences of friends, this story is told from a male first-person perspective and follows Jiang Xin through the ups and downs of his youth in a small southern county town from 2005 to 2014. He was once an elementary-school prodigy admired by everyone. But from the moment he started middle school, his life quietly began to veer off course. As a boy, he 190Reads—Score107Shelves

   Reader note

   Shedding the exaggerated tropes of online novels, the story portrays the male and female protagonists equally, and delves into the life gap between choices and reality based on the youthful experiences in a county town.

10. 10 规 Rule Horror: It All Begins with Mom’s Note 规则怪谈：从妈妈的纸条开始 The Author Is Done For作者凉了Mystery935k WordsCompleted In a parallel world, rule-based horror stories descended upon humanity. Each country was assigned a randomly selected player. If a player died, the horror story would descend upon their country; only clearing it could make it disappear. Lin Feng was fortunate enough to win the draw and represent the Dragon Kingdom in a rule-based horror story. The first story was called Mom's Note. Mom can't come back. Remember to go to Grandma's house in three days. 1. You should leave between 9 and 11 p.m. Do 1.9kReads8.9Score183Shelves

    Reader note

    The first book is the pinnacle of the thriller/game genre, definitely not mindless. In each level, the reader might not understand it until the protagonist reveals the truth at the very end. The second one has a good plot, somewhat like a national destiny-themed book. The third one, I think, is excellent; the later parts require increasingly complex thinking, with various timelines, all logically consistent from beginning to end. Every plot hole is filled, and the author has paid attention to the ones readers might notice, even including several chapters to explain the timeline. The fourth one is incredibly profound; reading it late at night sent chills down my spine, and after finishing it, I wondered if I was the one with a mental illness.

11. 11 贴 The Handsome CEO's Bodyguard 贴身兵王俏总裁 Rivers, Seas, and Lakes江海湖Urban10.3M WordsCompleted As a former king, Xia Tian feels under a lot of pressure. He never knows why those spoiled young masters and young upstarts keep picking fights with him for no reason. Having just avenged himself, Xia Tian quietly returned to China and went into seclusion. With his harmless appearance, this seemingly sunny fellow is as mysterious as they come. Plenty of people can’t stand this harmless-looking guy. But after they personally create one tragedy after another, they’re stunned to discover that he’s 13.5kReads8.6Score1.4kShelves
12. 12 传EN Legend Management Bureau 传说管理局 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Eastern Fantasy1.4M WordsCompleted (No harem, no formulaic plot, no invincibility, no System, no brainless decisions, and no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if any of that bothers you.) Du Yu dies an untimely death right at the beginning of the story. Hoping to secure a better spot in his next life, he takes a job with the Bureau of Legendary Tales. His job is to return to legends that have gone off course and put their plots back on track. He never expected that the first mission assigned to an ordinary mortal like him would 171.3kReads9.6Score22.1kShelves
13. 13 方 Fang Xiaoxiao 方晓晓 Don't Turn Off the Light不关灯Mystery134k WordsCompleted After an impulsive moment, Fang Xiaoxiao, a girl still in eighth grade, accidentally killed a classmate who had bullied her. Terrified, she decided to hide the body. To evade the investigation, Fang Xiaoxiao was forced to cover up the traces of her crime and convince herself that it was all an accident, just a coincidence. People can choose to believe lies, but they can never escape reality. The mind can pretend nothing happened, but the rotting body is real. On the seventh day after the deat 493Reads9.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The title is misleading, but it's not a wish-fulfillment story. The third book requires some brainpower!

14. 14 一 Confessions of a Mentally Ill Person 一个精神病人的自述 Multiply by Two乘二Mystery169k WordsCompleted Sometimes I wonder what I am, what the world is, and what my existence means to it. Am I an NPC? Or just a virus that doesn't matter? A virus, yes. I feel like I've caught some kind of virus, or maybe I've always been one. My name is Zhang Shun. I'm an ordinary person, and on an ordinary day, I suddenly saw things no one else could see... 1.5kReads9.3Score376Shelves
15. 15 哨 [Interstellar] The Sentinel's Handbook 【星际】哨兵使用手册 5185Modern Romance369k WordsCompleted Space-age Sentinels and Guides + Beloved by Everyone, with all the arrows pointing one way + No official couple, but plenty of romantic tension + No BL, but a little GL + Growth-oriented female lead, not a power fantasy from the start + Dark, villainous protagonist (not a sweet, kind heroine or a traditional strong female lead; don't read if that's not your thing) "When my rank was low and I had nothing, they looked down on me. They saw my pheromones and my mental companion, which could be used 17.7kReads9.5Score2.3kShelves
16. 16 异 City of Beasts 异兽迷城 Peng Pai彭湃Urban3.0M WordsCompleted Gao Yang was an orphan. At the age of six, he transmigrated to a parallel world and began living in a warm family of five. When he turned eighteen, Gao Yang accidentally discovered the truth about the world: this was not a parallel world at all, but a mysterious realm, and all the relatives and friends around him were terrifying Beasts! Gao Yang nearly lost his life 473.6kReads9.7Score67.7kShelves
17. 17 乱 After Fleeing the Chaotic Era, I Became the Founding Empress 乱世逃亡后，我成了开国女帝 Nan Wanxu南婉徐Ancient Romance4.1M WordsCompleted [Publication rights signed] [Strong heroine + political intrigue + turbulent times + power struggles + ensemble cast] She’s fleeing from the start, a female warlord in a chaotic age. Lin Zhihuang, originally named Lin Zhihuan, transmigrates as a county magistrate’s daughter, only to find tens of thousands of refugees attacking the city from the start! While others transmigrate into palace or household intrigue, she transmigrates straight into a chaotic age and a desperate flight from famine. The 98.2kReads9.4Score13.6kShelves
18. 18 本 This King's Sleeve Is Thoroughly Severed 本王这袖，断的彻底 Born Under a Lucky Star八字过硬Two Male Leads562k WordsCompleted [Preorders for The World Cannot Keep What It Loves Most open at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 15. For the first 15 minutes, signed copies are available with no quantity limit; from 16 to 30 minutes, copies personally signed by the author are available with no quantity limit!] [Two male leads + The prince has a bit of a sense of humor] Everyone knew Prince Pu was gay. Even the man on the imperial throne turned a blind eye. Prince Pu had loved many people in his life. A horseman from the frontier 34.6kReads9.6Score4.9kShelves
19. 19 转 Reborn as a Spider: The Mysterious Queen Who Took Human Form 转生蜘蛛:化形诡秘女王 A Noodle-Slurping Diary from Goose City鹅城嗦粉日记Urban1.4M WordsCompleted [Not a Feel-Good Power Fantasy] Waking up in a terrarium, who will ascend to the throne of the supernatural world? Strange Gu, bizarre demons, machinery, warships, future weapons; witches, dragons, evil gods, curses, dark kingdoms... Her followers call her the “Primordial Night.” Those who fear her compare her to the ancient “Spider God,” Atlach. But no one knows she also has a name: Bai Jie. She once reincarnated as a pet spider and was forced to fight all kinds of poisonous insects and Gu crea 6kReads9.1Score663Shelves
20. 20 穿 Transmigrating to Republican-Era China: The Spy Enters the Game 穿越民国：谍影入局 One Little Orange一只橙橙橙子Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted Transmigration to the Republic of China era + resistance-war espionage + multiple identities + spies within spies + mutual devotion (Main story complete, bonus chapters in progress) One day, Lin Ruotang suddenly transmigrated to the Republic of China era. She wasn’t a young lady from a wealthy family, a concubine, or a schoolgirl. She was a refugee who had nearly starved to death. She had barely transmigrated before she was on the brink of starvation. Luckily, a kind stranger gave her a sesame f 23.9kReads9.2Score2.7kShelves
21. 21 黑 Dark Survival Game 黑暗生存游戏 Cao Cao Is Never Late曹操不迟到Sports1.6M WordsCompleted You wake to find darkness engulfing the world outside. A storm rages, strange bloodstains seep into the corners of the walls, mournful cries ring in your ears, and a figure outside the window never leaves. You and countless other survivors huddle in fear inside your own ten-square-meter shelters. Starving, you open the door a crack and peer outside. [Chance of catching a cold from the rain after going outside: 100%] A cold isn't a disease. It just lowers your immunity and increases your chance o 1.1kReads8.7Score135Shelves
22. 22 无 Infinite Life: Trapped in a Lifetime 无限人生：被困在了一生的时间里 Ten Thousand a Day一天一万Urban1.3M WordsCompleted He had once been an explorer, a war correspondent, a business genius, and the king of investment. He had also been a notorious war profiteer, a world-famous charlatan and prophet. He was also the greatest composer and novelist of the century. And a materials scientist, a physicist, a giant in the history of science... Countless times, in countless different ways, he had stood at the pinnacle of the world. Only he knew any of it, however, before he broke through the limits of a single lifetime. U 24.1kReads9.4Score2.1kShelves
23. 23 从 Mutating from the Shadows 从影子开始变异 Bu Sanyuan卜三元Urban1.6M WordsCompleted In this era, fearsome, savage monsters run rampant. To fight them, humanity pushes its mind to the limit, breaks through its boundaries, and forges a whole new path, mastering all kinds of supernatural powers. Some command wind and thunder. Some can shatter mountains and rivers with their fists. Others unleash countless flying blades with a single thought, wiping out hordes of ferocious monsters. These people are known as the Gifted. Eighteen-year-old Luo Jie learns he can never become one of th 16kReads8.9Score1.4kShelves
24. 24 惊 Horror: My Psychiatric Hospital Has Become a Forbidden Zone of the Supernatural 惊悚，我的精神病院成了诡异禁区 Better Not Come不如不来Mystery432k WordsCompleted After horror games descend upon the world. Wang Ran has only just transmigrated when he discovers that a psychiatric hospital has suddenly appeared under his name. What’s more, when his patients see ghosts, they’re not afraid at all. In fact, they get unusually excited. During the Courtyard House instance, a group of patients charged in and beat up the boss, an old woman. Before leaving, they even stripped off her burial clothes. While riding Subway Line 7, they kidnapped the ghost attendant 522Reads9.0Score101Shelves
25. 25 代 The Code Immortal Realm: I Am the Heavenly Dao 代码仙域，我即是天道 Number One Caramel Macchiato Among Bricklayers搬砖的头号焦糖玛奇朵Fantastical Romance85k WordsCompleted My name is Tian Yingxue, and this is the tenth time I've been reborn. The Heavenly Dao played a cruel joke on me. On one hand, it granted me a golden finger of an opportunity, giving me a natural fire spirit root, letting me establish my Foundation at ten, form my Golden Core and keep my youthful appearance at nineteen, and reach the threshold of ascension at a hundred. On the other hand, it made me perish in the tribulation lightning as I ascended, then sent me back to the day before I was to j 17Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Science fiction cultivation, extremely profound.

26. 26 神 Divine Punishment Descends 神罚莅临 Witch's Evil Knight巫衣邪士Sci-Fi & Apocalypse214k WordsOngoing The virtuous suffer poverty and die young, while the wicked enjoy wealth and long lives. When you are oppressed by evil, have you ever wished, even for a moment, that the underworld existed? If it did, would you dare to peer into it for even one-millionth of a second? The year quantum computing underwent a revolution, Company R offered an answer: the Cyber Underworld. Professor Qi Yuan used computer simulations to resurrect sinners in a virtual world after death, where they would endure eternal 267Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Ethical dilemmas + subtle philosophical reflections + subtle sharp wits + intellectual battles + high-concept + strong emotions + dramatic plot twists. He uses a quantum computer to create a virtual underworld to judge all evil in the world—but who will judge him?

27. 27 一 One Man, One Dog, One Zombie 一人一狗一丧尸 Uncle Nan Yao南妖叔Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.1M WordsCompleted [No superpowers + no System + plot-focused + no harem] Huang Jin, a young man who secretly worked in a specialized line of business, received a call from his boss at the beginning of the zombie outbreak. His boss ordered him to stay put in C City and wait for the organization to rescue him. But time passed, and after waiting for two whole years, Huang Jin still saw no sign of anyone from the organization. He decided to head to Z City, where his boss was, on his own. Along the way, he came across 35.9kReads9.4Score3.4kShelves
28. 28 星 Rising Among the Stars, Starting from Blue Star 星空崛起，从蓝星开始 May You Pluck the Immortal Osmanthus仙桂愿君折Urban3.2M WordsOngoing [No System, one heroine, multiple viewpoints, slow burn, high martial arts, outer space later, no mindless pretending. Skip if you’re not into that.] Two hundred years after spiritual qi revival, the entire world had changed beyond recognition. Fang He, an ordinary student at Jiangling High School, endured a year of nightmares before the clouds finally parted. He merged with the soul of another version of himself from a parallel timeline. Soon, people everywhere began talking about him. First, h 39.1kReads8.5Score2.8kShelves

    Reader note

    This is not a mindless wish-fulfillment novel.

29. 29 我 So What If I'm a Monster? 我就是妖怪怎么了 Yao Xingzhi姚行之Mystery562k WordsOngoing The Celestial Court has fallen, and the Underworld is on the verge of exploding. [Classic of Mountains and Seas] + [Ghost Hunting and Exorcism] + [Gods and Buddhas Plotting in Secret] + [A Little Demon’s Rise] An old monster raised a little monster. Amid the churning waves of the Heavenly Dao’s great river, it rashly poked its head out… 13Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Gods and ghosts, demons and monsters—there's no such thing as good or bad; it's all about who sees what. A great calamity has arrived, and everyone has their own plans. As for whether they can survive, is it up to fate? Or will it be up to heaven?

30. 30 官 The Official’s Path: Why Is It So Hard to Be a Good Official? 官道：当个好官为什么这么难 A Lonely Blade寂寞一刀Urban1.7M WordsOngoing A contemporary political novel rooted in real life, by a veteran author with years of experience writing political fiction. It’s wonderfully down-to-earth, and its schemes and power struggles will leave you on edge and emotionally reeling. Drawing on personal experiences, the author has created a modern-day exposé of officialdom, rich with life experience and thought-provoking political wisdom. It’s absolutely worth reading. Life is a journey of self-cultivation. You have to find your own path. 39.4kReads8.9Score2.5kShelves

    Reader note

    You can't understand this book without a certain level of knowledge and experience!

31. 31 不 Can You Become an Immortal by Any Means Necessary? 不择手段，可成仙否？ The Kingdra Who Loves Drum Corps喜欢军鼓的海刺龙Eastern Fantasy2.1M WordsOngoing [Decisive and ruthless]+ [Will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals]+ [No female lead]+ [The middle and later parts get dark, so don't read if that's not your thing] "The weak are always making excuses for their incompetence and failures, but they themselves are the best excuse of all!" (There are a lot of trolls in the comments, so use your own judgment.) Chen Yi transmigrates to the world of immortal cultivation and opens his eyes already struggling to survive at the bottom. Five years ag 181kReads8.6Score23.2kShelves

    Reader note

    It's alright, Endless is the best.

32. 32 从EN Becoming Ancestorman, Starting in The Boys 从黑袍纠察队开始当祖宗人 Have You Made Breakfast Yet?做早饭了吗Male-Channel Fanfiction977k WordsOngoing The DC Universe and Beyond, Currently: Marvel [Marvel + DC + The Boys + multiple heroines] Reborn in the screwed-up world of The Boys, he awakens the superpower to copy abilities thanks to Compound V. All he has to do is make physical contact to copy one of someone else's superpowers. Abilities of the same type can even be combined and upgraded. But he can only use it on one person at a time. So why even think twice? Homelander, here I come. Let's see what you've got. [Superhuman Physique.LV5] [ 170.7kReads8.5Score23.2kShelves
33. 33 请EN Call Me the Ghost Messenger 请叫我鬼差大人 The Cat from the Xu Family徐二家的猫Mystery2.1M WordsCompleted After the Eternal Night, terror returned. Ten miles of desolate graves, eerie singing. An old man searching for his arms, a headless baby... They kept piecing their bodies back together, unleashing an even more terrifying aura. In the wasteland, even a severed hand could destroy heaven and earth. In this world of darkness and despair, a post office appeared and vanished from view... A mysterious young man, a postal carriage traveling through the void... One blood-red letter after another became 103.4kReads9.5Score9.8kShelves

    Reader note

    The protagonist is a self-taught strategist with brains, not a sycophant, and doesn't have any cheat codes. He survives entirely on his own intellect in all three books. You'll regret it if you don't read them! Can you recommend similar books to me? Thanks!

34. 34 英 I’m a Hero, but I’ve Ended Up on the Streets, Kept by the Demon King 英雄的我流落街头，被魔王包养了 The Starving Turtle饿死的龟Urban2.7M WordsOngoing [Everyday life] [One heroine] [Plenty of sweetness] “My name is Lin En. I'm a hero... or rather, I used to be one.” In the ruins, a radio crackled to life: “Hero Lin En has killed his former comrades! The Hero Association launched a desperate assault, but all thirteen S-rank heroes were wiped out... The Federation has sentenced Lin En for crimes against humanity! Wanted throughout the Federation!” On a stormy night, the retired Demon King Keliya opened the door. Her mortal enemy 59.3kReads9.4Score8.5kShelves
35. 35 当 When the Emperor Transmigrates Into Empresses in the Palace 当皇帝穿越进甄嬛传 Two-Finger Zen Conquers the World二指禅征服世界Female-Channel Fanfiction307k WordsCompleted This isn't about any famous emperor from history. I just want to see what would happen if a normal Qing palace, with a normal emperor and normal consorts, ran into Empresses in the Palace. Hehe. This is a self-indulgent work I wrote for myself. Just read it for fun. 7.1kReads8.7Score364Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a very realistic and authentic ancient-themed novel. It doesn't feature grand, slogan-driven awakenings; rather, it's like a soft knife slowly cutting into flesh—a subtle, persistent pain, a futile struggle. Even a seemingly reliable emperor's wives and concubines suffer from powerlessness. Even Empress Yixiu witnesses her sister die in childbirth, sees Nian Shilan and Li Jingyan die of depression, sees her former lovers disappear, and watches the emperor grow increasingly incompetent; she herself succumbs to depression. In the end, these women, in despair, overthrow their own rule, their unborn son uncertain whether he will become their next ruler. Women of that era awaken amidst numbness, searching for hope in despair. Patriarchal, marital, and patriarchal power prevailed; they never lacked love, but they never possessed even a shred of power.

36. 36 诸EN The Gods' Foolish Game 诸神愚戏 Ninety Autumns in January一月九十秋Urban3.7M WordsCompleted I have two principles in life: 1. I never lie. 2. I never believe anything anyone says, including myself. “Sir, I would like to point out that your second statement conflicts with the first.” “How so?” “If you never lie, why don’t you believe what you say?” “Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that I don’t consider myself human.” “?” Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cheng Shi, Cheng Shi who never lies. What, you’ve never heard of me? That’s all right. You simply haven’t been deceived by m 519.5kReads9.7Score69kShelves

    Reader note

    The book list consists of unconventional cultivation novels with dark themes but solid logic. The protagonists act methodically, making the reading experience enjoyable.

37. 37 开EN A God-Tier Hidden Skill from the Start! I've Seen Through Everything 开局神级隐藏技能！我已看透一切 Thin Porridge Shizhou稀粥世洲Mystery2.1M WordsCompleted [Infinite Flow] [Lighthearted and Funny] [No Female Lead] [Livestream] [Feel-Good] Left Cheng'an was pulled into a world survival game and awakened the game's only god-tier skill, "True Sight"! From then on, he could see the other side of the game! A branch lay by the roadside. Ordinary players: "What's this thing underfoot? Get it out of the way!" What Left Cheng'an saw: [A locust branch loved by the imprisoned Eight-Legged Countess. Give it to her and you can get the quest item, "Secret Room K 69.4kReads8.7Score7.5kShelves

    Reader note

    Good-looking, with many types, not brainless, and the number of words is online

38. 38 惊 Thriller: I Became Excessively Twisted for Fear of Looking Ungraceful 惊悚：因为担心不优雅而过度变态 The Sound of Wind and Rain at Night,夜来风雨声丶Mystery2.0M WordsCompleted [Horror + No Female Lead] A bizarre game descended, pulling all of humanity into a strange world to complete terrifying missions. Fail, and you lose life points. When your points hit zero, you die! Zhao Yi, a renowned psychiatrist, was dragged into the game too, but some unknown glitch appeared in his data source code. And so, an abnormal human emerged, one who made every ghost and monster tremble in fear! The Crybaby Ghost: I just wanted to give him a side quest, but he chopped off my head! The 74.4kReads9.5Score8.4kShelves

    Reader note

    Good-looking, diverse, not mindless, and with a decent word count.

39. 39 求 Survive? Why Would a Warden Like You Need to Survive? 求生？你一个监管者求什么生？ I've Changed My Name Three Times Already我已经换三个名了Mystery2.9M WordsOngoing [If you won't clear the level, what are you even trying to survive for?] [I'm a supervisor. Using my privileges to exploit a bug at the perfect moment is totally fair, right?] [Go tell my coworkers that!] Everyone transmigrates, and Lin Qian becomes one of the survivors in the Infinite Tower. Behind every door is a new, unknown world. While everyone else is still hesitating to step outside, Lin Qian has already become a supervisor after winning a bet. [Level 1 Supervisor Salary: Gain one free at 166.9kReads8.8Score17.5kShelves
40. 40 我 My Bones Are Mediocre, but All My Clones Are Peerless Geniuses 我根骨平庸，但分身都是绝世天才 Su Linger, Who Loves Lamb's Blood爱吃羊血的苏苓儿Eastern Fantasy572k WordsOngoing Avatar One: An ultimate warrior who can transform into a muscle-bound powerhouse Avatar Two: The most revered chief disciple of a sect Avatar Three: A savior who destroys demon lords and evil gods and rescues all living beings Avatar Four: Demon lord Avatar Five: Evil god [The avatars have no self-awareness] 148.4kReads8.8Score17.4kShelves
41. 41 亲 I Kissed the Demon Dog’s Toes and Became a Cultivation World Troublemaker 亲吻魔犬脚趾，我成了修仙乐子人 A Squirrel Eating Pinecones一只松鼠吃松果Eastern Fantasy1.5M WordsCompleted [System shenanigans + absurd comedy + light power fantasy + no farming] Other cultivators slay demons and vanquish monsters, reaching for the heavens, but my very first cultivation quest is to kiss a demonic hound’s toe?! After awakening the Taiji Fun-Seeker System, the more ridiculous the quest, the more outrageous the reward! Fairy dresses, lace gloves, bizarre abilities... As long as I keep the antics coming, my cultivation skyrockets! No protagonist torture, no frustration, no melodrama, jus 1.2kReads9.4Score110Shelves

    Reader note

    I didn't know our plot was written very well.

42. 42 重 Back to the Beginner’s Village? No! I’m Here to Retire! 重回新手村？不！我是来养老的！ Tattered Immortal破烂仙人Ancient Romance3.2M WordsOngoing After completing 9,999 repair missions in minor worlds, Hua Yi decisively retires and chooses a world to spend her remaining years in. She seems like a fresh-faced newcomer who has just entered the world of cultivation, but behind the scenes, she’s a powerhouse who dares to go head-to-head with the Heavenly Dao! Along the way, she plays the pig to eat the tiger, picks up strays, and enjoys the gossip and drama. There’s the Child of Misfortune, sealed away by a powerful cultivator. There’s also t 9.8kReads9.2Score1.2kShelves
43. 43 被 The Canary Bound by Her Own Chains 被自己束缚的金丝雀 Yu Er鱼二Two Male Leads194k WordsCompleted Everyone knows that Young Master Qin keeps a canary: fair skin, a soft, gentle voice... Qin Yuefang is a ruthless tycoon. Calling him evil in every way would be putting it mildly. At the very end, he finally got what was coming to him. He was reborn, but not in his own body. He was kept by “himself.” He had become a bird in a cage. If you fell in love with yourself, what would you do? But if you don’t even love yourself, who else would love you? 956Reads8.9Score142Shelves
44. 44 人 The People's He Liu Hun: This Time, I Won't Become Prince Gao 人民的贺六浑：这一次我不做高王 CyanedgeHistorical738k WordsOngoing With a soul from a later age, he plunged into a world of chaos that devoured all who entered. In 2023, on the rainy night his thesis defense failed, history doctoral student Chen Zhiqing opened his eyes to find himself in the Northern Wei's Zhengguang era, year four, as Gao Huan, a courier in a frontier garrison. No System, no golden finger. His only asset was the unfinished manuscript in his mind, A Study of the Six Garrisons Rebellion. From the start, it was hellishly difficult: Poliuhan Bali 218Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The Northern Dynasties period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties is really popular lately! "King Gao, lead us in one more charge!" I'd like to recommend this book about time travel to Gao Huan's body. Also, I'd like to recommend my own book, *Tracing the Footsteps of Lanling King*, which focuses on Gao Changgong and connects the major historical events of the Eastern and Western Wei split, the Hou Jing Rebellion, and the establishment and fall of the Northern Qi. I've recently written the part where Lanling King enters the battle. I can't recommend my own book, so please search, follow, and add it to your bookshelf! ❤️

45. 45 年 The Supporting Girl in the Period Novel Rolled Her Eyes 年代文女配翻了个白眼 Cai Wangwang菜汪汪Modern Romance1.9M WordsOngoing [The blurb is misleading. This isn't a wish-fulfillment novel, and the leads are ordinary people. If you only like mindless wish fulfillment, please don't read this. Thank you.] Qiu Bailu transmigrates into a period novel as a clownish, supporting villainess, destined to scheme her way to a lifetime of poverty. She's so angry she laughs. She's unapologetically hypocritical. When she read the book, she sided with the protagonist and thought the villainess was awful. Now that she's the villainess, 95.8kReads8.8Score7.1kShelves
46. 46 大 Great Song Lotus Guard: A Transmigration That Begins with an Assassin 大宋芙蓉卫：穿越从刺客开始 Xiao Wu's Coffee小伍的咖啡Ancient Romance1.6M WordsOngoing [Detective Mystery] [Historical Romance] [Transmigration] [Strong Female Lead] [Wuxia] [Medicine] In 2046, Jiang Man, an elite agent from the GA Bureau, leaps into the flames of war in the second year of Jianyan under the Southern Song, hoping to find her lost love. This is her second transmigration. Unexpectedly, an accident occurs on her very first day. She possesses Zilian, an assassin of the Furong Guards, who is gravely wounded and unconscious, and the fusion of their consciousness is viole 580Reads9.3Score108Shelves
47. 47 公 Highway Survival: Why Is the Boss Inspecting Monster Supplies? 公路求生：大佬咋在验收怪物物资 Icebreaking Sledgehammer破冰大锤子Sports1.6M WordsCompleted [Road Survival raft + Infinite Dungeon Progression + Stockpiling] [Not an ensemble story, with a lone-wolf focus. Team battles only begin much later, after around chapter 450. Not a war-between-nations story, and not a rebirth story.] The early chapters borrow general elements from road-survival stories, such as vehicles, professions, and service stations. The story gradually opens up around chapter 100, combining an infinite-dungeon format with a road-survival setting. Current dungeons include 87.8kReads9.2Score8.5kShelves
48. 48 穿 After I Transmigrated, I Gave Up, but My Target Started Pursuing Me Instead 穿越后摆烂我被攻略对象反攻略了 Jiang Li Jiang Li江黎姜离Two Male Leads1.4M WordsOngoing Dual male leads, everyone's favorite, cultivation, System, angst first and sweetness later, reincarnation, amnesia, twists. I transmigrated into a hidden extra, and not just any extra, but a crucial one! The original story never even mentioned me! The calamity that will destroy the world is fast approaching, yet the System's missions are utterly baffling. Am I supposed to form a friendship bond with the child of destiny? Or win over the world-ending villain? And there's more than one child of de 423Reads9.4Score110Shelves
49. 49 我 My Grandmaster Is Zhuge Liang 我的祖师爷是诸葛亮 Zhijin Di脂金地Urban1.1M WordsOngoing [Fantasy premise] [Urban supernatural powers] [Two Worlds] [Wits and strategy] [Three Kingdoms mysteries] Life is a play, and everything depends on your acting. Surrounded by enemies, fish in troubled waters. Make enemies believe they’re your friends, and make yourself seem like their enemy. Zeng Ming is plagued by a hidden ailment and has little time left to live. By sheer luck, he meets a benefactor and learns a life-saving spell passed down from Zhuge Liang. The trouble is, this spell comes w 2.2kReads9.5Score269Shelves
50. 50 小 The Junior Clerk and the Heir to a Fortune Are Secretly Married 小公务员和豪门继承人隐婚了 Xun Jue Yizhuo逊珏逸卓Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Cold on the outside, warm on the inside male lead + warm on the outside, guarded on the inside female lead + older man + secret marriage + marriage first, love later + devoted only to her] A marriage brought about by a twist of fate stirred up no waves for either of them. What difference did it make whom she married? What difference did it make whom he married? After getting their marriage licenses, they agreed to keep the marriage a secret for the time being… But her husband’s secret identity 9.5kReads9.1Score845Shelves

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