Discussion Change My Mind - ISSTH vs AWE

Between the series, I Shall Seal the Heavens and A Will Eternal (@597 chapters).

Spoiler: My Thoughts

While I think that AWE has a better and smoother introduction to Bai Xiaochun, ISSTH totally dominates in character development, plot, side characters, powerups, and items.

I don't believe that ISSTH was perfect and we all know that ISSTH has a problem with rehashing the same plot in a different setting, but ISSTH is much more thought out in terms of the above ideas than AWE. Even though ISSTH is 3 times as long as the current AWE, there's really no excuse because 600 chapters is a lot of things the MC must have gone through.

Character Development - Both Meng Hao and Bai Xiaochun don't really have a strong motivation to continue to cultivate, even though they become a lot stronger than their fellow chosen. Maybe it's because destiny is shaping them to become transcendents and fight the Will of Heaven? But in any case, MH's character is more tempered and hammered from his adventures. By 600 chapters of ISSTH, MH has already gone through being hunted by several sects, leading a tribe into a long desperate war, and fighting a hopeless continental war where his wife and fellow sects get annihilated. Through this, MH braves through life-threatening situations, where we get to see MH respond and shine. Bai Xiachuan, on the other hand, does have life-threatening moments, but he's a chosen and has people (his uncle/Stream Division/Du Lingfei+her followers) watching/feeding him goodies. There isn't actually much where Bai Xiachuan faces death or has to contend for his destiny by himself.

In terms of pill refinement/medicine, Bai Xiaochun seems to be the only one in his series to use his "brain" to sit down and study multiple days. Bai Xiaochun is actually a genius among geniuses in this area, but we don't even know where he got that talent. Whereas Meng Hao was stroked by fortune and a curse to have the plant bind within himself. So he wasn't a genius but extracted the talent of the 6-colored plant to make it his own.

*Also a small thing that annoyed me was that the turtle signature of the pill for Bai Xiaochun was kinda thrown away. It was never revealed and seemed like that whole fiasco was ignored.

Plot - Overall, ISSTH is able to shape the reader's emotion better than AWE. ISSTH is like a rollercoaster from Meng Hao trolling people for money in the Reliance sect to running away for his life from all the sects to steal the blood inheritance to revealing he's Grandmaster Cauldron to filling the war with blood through the war to seeing his wife die to become a false immortal. ISSTH has a lot of adrenaline filled moments where the reader just wants to read the next chapter while BX has lackluster moments in comparison (BX trying to encourage his battle beast to live which turns out to be a pervert and forgotten later).

One thing that annoys me in this area is that Meng Hao says "profound things" while explaining them (my favorite being where he admits his cultivation base isn't high enough to understand and yet has an idea). BX says a few words and people get shocked to death (596-597).

Items - I'm going keep it pretty simple by saying ISSTH is slightly better because Meng Hao received some relevant items that he could continue to use after the plot arc was over while AWE completely ignores it/forgets it (little turtle, turtle wok). The little turtle knows things way above Bai Xiaochun's cultivation but is barely mentioned. Turtle Wok is a godly tool and yet barely used and not even investigated where it's from.

Generally, ISSTH does have the same problems (Lighting Patriarch, intelligent pill cauldron, devil beetles) but not to the extent of AWE.

Side characters - So far, the only relevance we get from side characters in AWE is the mention of glaring at BX and wanting to surpass him. What I loved from ISSTH was side characters becoming more than they seemed or continuing to be relevant to MH even after he overpowered them. BX's fellow chosen are unreasonable mad at him even though he has already shown his talents are beyond the River sect's ability to cultivate.

Powerups - MH strives using his own effort and fortune to cultivate. BX relies on others and even uses enormous amounts of cultivation material to temper himself. It's a lot more interesting to read a story of someone fighting for his very life to get stronger than reading a story of someone sitting in a room and absorbing materials into his body.

MH, without guidance, followed the path of perfect cultivation. BX, with help and Celestial example, knew what he needed to do to advance to the next stage.

Overall I think that AWE is a good story, compared to the average novel, but falls short of ISSTH. It does make sense that MH has the greatest destiny because he creates the strongest magical technique near the end and is destined to finish off the Will of Heaven which a lot of other potential transcendents have lost their lives to.

Your thoughts?

 

No CMV, cuz I agree.

 

*never read AWE.. Dont plan to.. ISSTH first novel ive read and still the best one*


Hush now..

 

A will eternal, i like mc in awe,

 

CCG FTW

 

Neither, both are terrible.

 

AWE because harem.
ISSTH also has some seriously silly logic regarding "romance."

 

I just think that awe is a light hearted ver. Of issth but will have dark moments

 

*sips white old chocolate*
Where's the option or neither of them ?

Meng is a better con artist and Bao is more funny. Anyway one dropped a bit before ending and the other dropped at around ch 300.

 

I am loving AWE, I think the author has grown as a writer and it is even more enjoyable than ISSTH was for me. I love both of them but AWE wins the vote for me.

 

A thought thorough eternity.
Jk, my vote went to wang lin

 

Both have shitty romance, one boring ice cold beauty type, the other awe mc is hen pecked by 2 irrational chicks so none #TeamChuYuyanISSTH.

 

renegade immortal is better than both of them

 

That team doesn't exist because the author cucked the reader.

 

Waifu that creates drugs deserves kisses and hugs.

 

Agree. Pursuit of the True also beats them both.

 

AWE seems better. I have hard time in starting to read ISSTH.

AWE's comedy makes it more enjoyable even if there are cliches or what ever issues chinese novels have. AWE made me laugh out loud countless times and ISSTH, I tried few times to get into it but I just can't. Especially after reading the start of AWE... Cultivation Chatroom, AWE and other novels ruined me for other novels.
Their humor and the way they are written made me get really bored and tired of reading something else. While AWE and Cultivation Chatroom seems very original.

 

Well it is hinted that CYY departed at the very end of the book to go adventuring with MH, which leaves the reader to wonder whether she really joined the harem or not.
The only reason I don't hate it is because of this one aspect.

 

ISSTH for me, i just liked the story of meng hao growing as a cultivator, conning other people in just funny ways. And then you have the epic moments, the fights, espically around the northern invasion arc. Or just the entire past arc, i actually cried a bit during it. And Lord Third and Lord Fifth are just comedy gold, same with reliance.
Havent read RI recent enough to say if its better.
For AWE, i can agree its funny but not that epic as ISSTH overall.

 

AWE seems to have an extremely poor ending so i’ll go with issth.