Recommendations MC who doesn't rely on a treasure

So basically I'm looking for a novel, preferrably CN or similar style, where the MC isn't some talentless moron who just happens to find a treasure and instantly becomes OP.
I think Lord Xue Ying is the best example I have of what I want. Novels like WMW and reincarnation novels doesn't really rely on a treasure specifically, but it's still just a lucky coincidence they end up reincarnating and I'm tired of the constant luck. This doesn't mean I want a unlucky MC, just not a story based upon a single lucky encounter.

 

hmmm well the mc of Emperor's Domination has lots of knowledge so it might qualify? As it wouldn't be luck as he knew about most of what he was doing beforehand.

 

Damn beat me to it although just the fact that he is older than the mountains literally is a cheat by itself I guess

 

Release that Witch

 

War Sovereign Soaring The Heavens would be what your looking for. The MC doesn't just happen upon some heavenly item that no one has ever seen before.

 

Ai Hui from The Avalon of Five Elements

 

IET's new novel- Seeking the Flying Sword Path. Though he has the inheritance of a sword immortal as cultivation technique, but he progresses through his own effort & keen perception.

 

What about novels with game system?

 

Also there is Martial God Asura his cheat is his bloodline

 

Talisman Emperor - his mom leaves him something that drains his cultivation but eventually helps him but regardless he's very talented and hard working.
Chronicle of primordial wars- completely relies on himself.
Desolate Era - although he has a "lucky" encounter in his childhood, it becomes less and less relevant throughout the book. He's a hard working MC.

 

I see...I guess gdk also works for you? Same as ztj

 

A Sorcerer's Journey- No cheats, no reincarnation, no transmigration, no clan support, etc just applies the knowledge he learnt in innovative ways to produce amazing results but sadly the novel is on a hiatus. Best wizard/sorcerer novel translated yet.

 

Reverend Insanity

No cheat or suddenly get back in time o-o

 

I wouldnt really qualify it cause it all relies on the luck that he got chosen as the soul for the crow and thus got invincible with endless preparations and knowledge

 

World of Cultivation (albeit he has an old dude in his head)
Ze Tian Ji (he does have a mysterious phisique though)

 

If u don't want a lucky MC, u should read 'The Gate Of Good Fortune', first 100-200 chapters are all about MC getting fucked (metaphorically)

 

I hear Gate of Fortune balance out the luck ;p

Seriously though, what you really want is where the plot armor isn't obvious.

 

I mean, it wouldnt really be a xianxia if the mc never got lucky at least once, and ED would also never be a story if he didnt get chosen...

Its part of the story after all. its like saying spiderman got lucky he got bitten by a spider or batman got lucky his parents got killed, which in turn sorta lead him to what he is.....

I would more like to call it a necesaary part of the story, rather than say he got lucky

 

Retired life of a martial king he's already experienced all the bone shattering pain of becoming strong and you oversee him as he tries to achieve a retired life.

 

But isn't he actually the crow itself, he get trappes to mysterious cave or ruin that forced him to be crow and at the beginning of the book he abke to free from the curse?