Looking for Cultivation Novels With a Meticulous Protagonist, a Vast World, and an Overwhelmingly Bleak Tone 求主角严谨，世界设定很庞大且以绝望为主的修仙文

1. 1 感 A Guide to Reforming Villains 感化反派指南 Xiao Shanzhong小山重Ancient Romance253k WordsCompleted [Main Story Complete; Extras Will Be Posted From Time to Time] Jiang Runian was on the verge of successfully ascending when the Heavenly Dao informed her that her fortune was insufficient. The tribulation lightning struck her and sent her to another world, where she was bound to a System that was supposed to reform villains. When she heard that five or six little-sunshine Hosts had already failed to stop the villain from turning evil and destroying the world, Jiang Runian sneered. “Would a villa 3.3kReads9.2Score52614d adds

   Reader note

   It's not about heroism, but about unity and strength. The ending was brilliant! I almost missed it at first because I thought it was a romance novel, but it's a masterpiece. I was so moved while reading it. The male lead made me cry buckets; he's so kind. He could have ascended and left, but to keep the world running, he went back in time again and again. Later, what seemed like a normal interaction with the Heavenly Dao turned into a compromise, but it wasn't; they remained in opposition. It was amazing! The plot is unconventional. The female lead has top-tier combat skills and incredibly high intelligence, uncovering the truth step by step. The romance between the male and female leads is subtle yet deeply moving. The author's writing is superb! Highly recommended!

2. 2 只 I Was Just Playing a Cultivation Game, I Didn't Mean to Cultivate for Real 只是玩个修仙游戏，没想真修仙啊 Meteor on a Spring Outing踏青的流星Eastern Fantasy595k WordsOngoing This book has been adapted into two animated dramas, so you can count on the quality. [Slow Burn] [Cultivation Sects] [The fiery spirit of youth, gifted rivals, laughter and tears. There are always things you have no choice but to do, and people you have no choice but to say goodbye to.] [The further you read, the better it gets. If you don't believe me, try the latest chapter first, then decide whether to keep reading.] [This book won't have Foundation Establishment cultivators cutting down Nas 16.2kReads8.1Score2k14d adds

   Reader note

   This book gets better as you read on. It depicts youthful spirit, the clash of geniuses, and the gradual growth of young people. There are always things that must be done, and things that must be said goodbye. Flowers may bloom again, but youth will never return.

3. 3 宗 Every Sect Wants to Kill Me, So I Just Reload After Death! 宗门都想噶我，我直接死亡回档！ Chao Lianyun巢怜云Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Transmigrated into a Book + Villainess + Death Rewinds Time + Eldritch Cultivation + Unhinged + Quirky Style] Lu Xiaojin transmigrated into a book, becoming the lovesick senior apprentice sister in a cultivation novel where everyone falls for the heroine. She kept fighting the heroine for men and ended up dying horribly. No problem. She wasn't stupid. She knew how the plot went, so she could avoid trouble, stay away from the men, and survive. But! Can someone tell her why her junior apprentice 24.8kReads9.2Score3.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   The protagonist in this novel seems genuinely desperate. The first dozen or so chapters are a bit wordy, but it gets better and better as you read on.

4. 4 全 Everyone in the Sect Is Love-Brained, Except Me, a True Lunatic 全宗门都是恋爱脑，唯我是真疯批 Paper Tiger纸老虎Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted The complete print edition of A Double Crossing is now available on all platforms. Relationship blogger Lin Du died of a broken heart after being driven crazy by hopeless romantics. After death, she transmigrated into a tragic romance cultivation novel, becoming the beautiful, powerful, yet doomed junior uncle who paved the way for the protagonists' great love with her own ashes. After reading the script, she slowly typed a question mark. “Have they dug up every wild vegetable on this sect's mou 234.9kReads9.7Score27.6k14d adds
5. 5 我 I Am No Immortal Puppet 我非仙傀 Xiang Nanzheng向南峥Eastern Fantasy152k WordsCompleted My spiritual sense is ruined, and Heaven’s Will still scans my brain every day? I let a robot cultivate for me, running cultivation techniques directly as code. Have I even managed to fool Heaven’s Will into a stupor? Nope. That’s why cultivators have an old saying: Don’t let Heaven’s Will know what you’re thinking, unless you want to become a mindless husk. Only later did I discover that this piece-of-junk robot was turning the entire cultivation world into its code. And I became its only bug. —Reads—Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   The world-building is brilliant, the perspective is fresh, and the humor is engaging. It's been a long time since I've read such a good and insightful book.

6. 6 凤 Phoenix, O Phoenix, Return to Your Homeland 凤兮凤兮归故里 Mu Zhiyiran沐之以然Ancient Romance964k WordsCompleted After being reborn, Zhihe finally learned the truth about her origins. Perhaps she didn’t love Donghua at all; perhaps she was simply too lonely. 1.4kReads8.8Score10214d adds
7. 7 女EN The Supporting Female Character Cultivates, the Protagonists Are Sacrificed to Heaven 女配修仙，主角祭天 Long-Tailed Tit长尾山雀呀Ancient Romance1.6M WordsCompleted On the night before becoming the disciple of Immortal Venerable Yanchen, Sang Ying discovered that she was the villainess in a cultivation novel about a master and his disciple! She was the foil to the pure and kind heroine, a delicate white lotus. Not only did she force the male lead to take her as his disciple, she also tried to steal what belonged to the heroine. In the end, she died at the hands of one of the heroine's admirers, and her pure ice spirit root became the catalyst for repairing 7.7kReads8.5Score1.2k14d adds

   Reader note

   A really good story that isn't cliché.

8. 8 别 Never Think a Fairy Is Easy to Bully: I Dare to Storm Heaven 别以为妖精好欺负，天界也敢闯 Wu Qi舞琦Ancient Romance82k WordsOngoing Wu Kouzhu has cultivated for nine hundred years, but still can't even take human form. She wants to ascend to immortality and thought she'd need to cultivate for several thousand more years. Then, unexpectedly, she meets a human who can help her cultivate quickly. She likes this human very, very much. The human is so good to her. But... there's no such thing as a free lunch. That man turns out to be an immortal. He ascends without taking her along, and then forgets all about her. The nerve! 1Reads—Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   You can click to see if it looks good or not.

9. 9 魔 The Demon Lord Is So Cold and Aloof, Yet He Conquered Himself 魔尊大人很高冷，他把自己攻略了 Golden Hairpin, Ah金步摇啊Ancient Romance314k WordsCompleted [One-on-One, Both Pure + Sweet Romance + Lighthearted + Funny + Soft, Adorable Pig-Girl Heroine + Aloof, Love-Struck Demon Lord] The little fairy Xiangxiang’s true form is a pig. She’s cultivated in the immortal realm for eight hundred years, but spends all day eating and sleeping. So she’s not much good at anything, but she sure has a big appetite! But one day, she’s captured by the Demon Lord Ming Jin… Xiangxiang sobs: “Demon Lord, please don’t eat me.” The Demon Lord sneers. “Hmph! Wo 3.6kReads9.2Score25214d adds
10. 10 穿 Transmigrated as a Senior Sister, I Go Full Crazy; My Junior Sister Plays the Victim, and I Put on an Act 穿成师姐当疯批，师妹卖惨我装哔 Yi A Ya一啊鸭Ancient Romance1.2M WordsCompleted I’m the most high-risk senior sister in a cultivation clan. I spent seventy years working hard at sword practice, only for a junior sister with a beloved-by-everyone System to appear and skewer me in one blow. Her System needed to steal my good fortune, so all she had to do was crook a finger and my fellow disciples became her devoted lackeys, isolating me. I discovered she was in contact with the Demon King. My master and the Demon Venerable thought I talked too much, so they had her strangle m 3.7kReads8.8Score49614d adds
11. 11 缺 One Move from This Shameless Junior Sister, and the Experts of the Nine Provinces Are All Stunned 缺德师妹一出手，九州大佬全麻了 Holding a Lamp Beneath the Moon月下执灯Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted Lu Lingyou transmigrates into a novel about a universally adored heroine, only to become the cannon-fodder female supporting character. The original owner was useless at everything and always the first to take the blame. The heroine killed a fellow disciple? The heroine leaked the sect's secret techniques? The heroine was secretly involved with the Demon Clan's holy lord? She got blamed for all of it. In the end, she died horribly amid the cheers of the entire cultivation world! Lu Lingyou says 45.7kReads9.1Score6.7k14d adds
12. 12 无 Infinite Reincarnation: From the Start, I Defeat the Underworld King with a Peachwood Sword 无限轮回，开局用桃木剑打败冥王 Black Tower's Last Ark黑塔末舟Eastern Fantasy334k WordsOngoing When his home turns into a living hell, Lin Ye, an ordinary young man, falls into the despairing Underworld to protect his childhood sweetheart. His only way to survive points toward an unimaginable goal: kill Hades, the maddened lord of the Underworld. Ragnarok has arrived. Zeus has abandoned humanity, Poseidon has gone into hiding, Ares thirsts for blood, and Dionysus is brewing poisoned wine... Order has collapsed, and only strength can offer salvation. At death's door, the System becomes his 1Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    In a fictional world, a protagonist devoid of hope treats death as a game. But if that's all there is to it, then why is he afraid?

13. 13 别 While Others Cultivate Immortality, I Cultivate My Fate. Even the Heroine Can't Outlast Me 别人修仙我修命，女主也没我命硬 Knife, Medicine, Pen刀药笔Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted [Transmigration into a book, cultivation, strong female lead, System, fire spiritual root, no romance] Chu Luo transmigrates into a cultivation world and binds herself to a Destiny System, starting off with her luck reduced by 9,999 points. It turns out that she and her twin sister share the fate of twin flowers on a single stem. All of Chu Luo's luck has been drained by her elder sister, the heroine of the original novel. Worse, her own family wants to kill her outright so the heroine can becom 7.6kReads9.3Score94114d adds

    Reader note

    Look! The early and mid-game were amazing, and everyone has their own opinion on the late game.

14. 14 逆 Defying Heaven's Cute Beast: The Peerless Demoness Rules the World 逆天萌兽：绝世妖女倾天下 First Day, Seeing the Moon初一见月Ancient Romance6.2M WordsCompleted [Print Edition of One Thought, Ashes Return to the Mountain: Preorders Open September 27 at 7 p.m.] Her own sister ripped out her phoenix bone, stole her talent, and tossed her into the Demon Rift like a dog! But against all odds, she survived and became the little demon girl cherished in the palms of the monsters living in the Demon Rift! The monsters of the Demon Rift: “Anyone who lays a hand on Niannian declares war on our entire demon clan!” She returns to the Five Continents, cuts down her 146.8kReads9.6Score18.9k14d adds
15. 15 末 Apocalypse: The Big Shot and Her Full-Spectrum Powers Protect China 末世对照组：大佬带全系异能守护华夏 Deep in the Hedgerow篱落深深Sci-Fi & Apocalypse861k WordsCompleted [Reborn in the Apocalypse + System Powers + Two Powerful Leads Defend the Nation] It wasn’t until the moment she died that Jian Yu learned the truth: the apocalypse wasn’t a natural disaster, but a man-made one! The destruction of humanity and the catastrophe that struck Blue Star were nothing more than a hunting game staged by a higher civilization, bored and eager to watch a lower civilization struggle on the brink of death! Looking at the System before her, all honeyed words and a venomous he 3.1kReads8.9Score34414d adds

    Reader note

    None of them really meet the requirements. They're just okay.

16. 16 穿 After I Transmigrate, I Become a Shopping Agent on Interdimensional Livestreams 穿越后在位面直播代购 Mala Hot Pot Mixed Rice麻锅拌饭Two Male Leads597k WordsCompleted [Extremely sweet male-male romance + live-streaming across realms + two powerful leads who dote on each other + realm-hopping merchant + satisfying read] The death rate among realm-hopping streamers is extremely high. They struggle to survive in the gaps between worlds, and the slightest mistake can cost them their lives. Ye Jue: ? It’s not so bad, really. On his very first day as a realm-hopping streamer, he picked up an incredibly handsome partner. As for struggling to survive between worl 3.3kReads9.4Score50314d adds
17. 17 系 After Handing Over the System, the Stand-In Ascends to Immortality 系统上交后，替身她成仙了 Little Scull, Light Boat小楫轻舟Modern Romance624k WordsCompleted (Entirely fictional, so please don't compare it to anything. A light read; if you mind romance, this isn't for you.) Li Ziyin was treated as a stand-in by the men in her sister's harem, and everyone took it for granted that they could exploit the poor thing. By chance, she got a transmigration System and handed it over without a second thought! What's a harem compared to transmigrating for the nation? Now that's the bigger picture! But after she transmigrated, why did people keep treating her li 5.5kReads9.3Score50414d adds
18. 18 植 Plant Zombies: Lord of National Destiny 植僵国运领主 Distant Galaxy遥远星系Urban1.5M WordsCompleted One contestant from each country is randomly chosen and bound to it, then sent into a realm for a battle royale. The countries behind the contestants can gain anything they can imagine through their chosen players. Average lifespan, physical fitness, natural resources, cutting-edge technology… Jiang Lianshan is bound to his country's fate and dragged into the realm, where wave after wave of monsters await him. At the brink of life and death, Jiang Lianshan calmly hefts his shovel. “Don't rush. L 1.3kReads9.0Score16914d adds
19. 19 国 National Fate Survival: I'm Really Just a Summoner 国运求生：我真的只是个召唤师 The Pigeon Tries Not to Flake鸽子努力不咕咕Urban1.1M WordsCompleted [Survival game for national destiny + no romance + no female lead + instances + support role + young boy] A survival game for national destiny has descended upon Blue Star. Clearing instances allows players to send items into the real world. Food, weapons, technology blueprints, cultivation manuals... Anything you could want! Randomly selected Chu Jin does his best to clear instances with his little pets. Unfortunately, most of his pets are support types. At a loss, Chu Jin decides to look for t 14.7kReads9.3Score1.4k14d adds
20. 20 成 After Becoming an Immortal, the Male Leads from Tragic Romance Novels Beg Me to Forgive Them 成仙后，虐文男主们跪求我原谅 Chu Shimei楚诗魅Ancient Romance684k WordsCompleted [Content warning: old-school angst. If you like feel-good stories, stay away!] [Content warning: old-school angst] [Content warning: old-school angst] Shen Qingzi is the fated heroine in the Cycle Envoy's stories. Over eighty lifetimes, she helps eighty immortals who have descended to the mortal world overcome their trials. In every life, she suffers through tragic love and endures every kind of torture the mortal world has to offer. In her eighty-first life, she meets Wen Ting, the Crown Prince 211Reads8.7Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    You can take a look at this.

21. 21 日 Don’t Let the Sunset Clear 日落别晴 Lian Shi恋什Eastern Fantasy108k WordsOngoing I will stop at nothing to succeed, even if it means my death. I want power, limitless power, even if I am no longer myself. He was someone who would do anything to succeed, but failed at the final moment. Cast back into the human world, he could only possess another person. There he met a boy who had been pessimistic since childhood, had nothing, and longed for power. Gradually, the boy discovered that he could come back to life. But what would resurrection cost him? He also discovered that he c —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Enough despair and pain, there is no limit to despair, only deeper despair, endless despair awaits before the ultimate despair, the body has become numb to pain.

22. 22 水 Book 13 by Shuibu Shangshu 水部尚书第13本书 Minister of Waterworks水部尚书Eastern Fantasy139k WordsOngoing Wuxia, political intrigue, slow burn, and a test of your wits. Read at your own risk. The Jade Dragon Sword, gleaming like fresh snow, the immortal blade; the Phoenix Dance Hairpin, sweeping across the Milky Way to the azure heavens. Wild grass in the imperial court, the Son of Heaven in the jianghu. Nuwa and Fuxi, joined as one, bring forth Su. —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    There is no room for despair; we must vanquish demons and monsters, and fear no conspiracy or treachery!

Other lists with A Guide to Reforming Villains