I don't wanna give spoilers or start a debate or anything but Fang Yuan is definitely a "talented" person. If you think that's wrong, then you've gone wrong somewhere in your reading. And its also on of my favourite novels too, so I wouldn't be standing against it but standing against your wrong statement.
He's a talented person, but one of the first thing that's introduced after he turns back time is the fact that he isn't innately talented at cultivation. Of course, that's more of a biological problem for him than a mental one, and a fundamental issue that he "fixes" even before leaving his home town permanently, but it's still presented that he's a mental genius, not the one with the best innate cultivation talent. That's also ignoring all the future knowledge and "work-around's" he stumbles across before exploiting in learning new things as the story progresses.
You can also try Galactic Dark Net. The MC has no talent so he goes on the dark net to buy one at random. Finds out his ability cancels out other abilities and places them on an even ground. It starts off quite interesting, but goes in a weird direction at the end. Still a good read.
It's graphic but you could even skip the R-18 chapters if you wanted to because that's the difference between an R-18 and a smut.
Thanks mate, but honestly, some of those are definitely not want I was asking for. I only read a bit of King of Gods, but if I remember correctly, the MC got some typical MC legacy and became a total cheat. So he's definitely not a simple, untalented, hard-working protagonist. Talisman Emperor was an even bigger cheat. I've read something like 100-150 chapters and "ultimate legacies" were basically falling down from the sky to hit him in the face. Sure, he was hard working, but he was also extremely talented, just that, like in most of generic xianxia novels, his talent got blocked by something. I haven't read any of the other ones so I'm not sure about them. I was planning of reading Sovereign of Judgment and The Charm of Soul Pets since some time ago, so now might be the right moment for it, if they fit the criteria of this thread. Thank you anyway mate! Thanks, it's been on my to-do list for ages, I just can't pick it up for some reason. I'm sure it's great, just not sure when I will finally get to it Thanks mate, but the fact that it has >3.5 thousand chapters is a little intimidating. I might read it in a few years when there's a lot more translated chapters. Not even touching mtl, my head hurts at the thought of it. Oh I just checked him out and he's the author of Sevens and I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!. I want to read both of them so thanks mate I'm not sure it fits, but it seems interesting. Thanks!
Nine Star Hegemon Body Art - MC does get a cheat = an old alchemy master's memories of his advanced techniques and ancient pill formulas. Which is good because the MC is almost totally dependent on pills for development due to his unique body condition and cultivation circumstances. Normal methods don't work on him because he was mysteriously crippled when he was a baby. So other than trying to stay alive because everyone is out to kill him, the MC has to devote a lot of time and actions to gathering ingredients. So whether it be working to earn enough to buy or scheming to steal or fighting others to grab or growing his own, it's always on his mind. Additional stress for him is that he discovers that as his cultivation advances, his need for pills increases exponentially especially because each realm for him with his unique cultivation method has more levels than normal for other people. Later, the MC even has to support his followers by power leveling them with pills.
Thank you mate, but I think this isn't what I'm looking for. The fact that he has a cheat and a unique body - I just classify that as talent. Especially the body. I want MC that was basically born as a "Villager A", no unique cultivation, unique body and no hidden talent that's just waiting for the MC to unearthen it. Just pure hard work that got him to the top. I didn't read this novel, but just from the premise, it's not what I'm looking for in this thread. Thanks anyway.
Oh, right. I forgot that part of your post. I was wondering why I didn't recommend this in my earlier response.
How about this one: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21188/forge-of-destiny - young street urchin brought to the sect because someone saw potential in her. She's trying to deal with her new situation and associating with people of much higher social status. Turns out she does have some talent so now she also has to deal with the extra attention. While a lot of stories with sects have the MC just getting a starter manual and then they spend all of their time doing their own thing to power up, that doesn't happen here. Aside from the outer sect beginner classes, this MC gets personal training from outer sect elders and resident sect Spirits. Some of these sessions were rewards for finding the "special opportunities" the sect provides (and maintains) within its massive region for those disciples who want more than to just coast along. The MC even uses contribution point to pay for additional tutoring from inner sect disciples. All of her skills and techniques are provided by the sect. The only fights so far are the sanctioned disciple faction conflicts and during some sect jobs.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality- MC has average talent and has to workhard for cultivation But some people don't like it because mc is average and isn't special.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality MC innate talent is... so bad, You will feel bad for the guy rofl. Lets say if god given genius does it in 1 day, super geniuses 2 days, clan geniuses 5 days , Above normal 10 days, Normal 30 days, thrash 100 days.. then comes our MC with glorious give or take 500-1000 days. So he has to work his ass off at unimaginable levels. (There is bit of time manip stuff tho, so as to you know, not make everyone of his peers dead or ascended by time he is able to face them). The novel itself will be also calm and patient writing, very few retarded villains and everyone has a level head on them. MC is not the smartest bloke in quite literally anything till like end of series when he is at top. So it is story of an average man trying to do the impossible with determination of letting his existence erased. Ze Tian Ji - Now u can say controversial with how strong MC is in same tier, but I mean ya, MC takes 120+ chaps to literally tap into first stage of cultivation to say. More brains then brawns, again very calm writing and one of the best novels when it comes to side characters and villains. Stellar Transformation - This guy talent is abysmal levels of painful lol. Every time he goes into TS its like thousands to millions years to get to next stage. Good shit tho.
I'm not sure if this is it to be honest, but damn it sounds interesting! Definitely putting it on my list, I'm gonna read it later for sure. Thanks lots Oh this is exactly what I'm looking for, how could I forget about A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality. I've never read it, but I'm definitely planning to do so. Thank you very much mate! A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality - Definitely, exactly what I'm looking, this type of MC. No talent at all, but hard work that leads to results. I remember he had a small cheat (something that allowed him to grow alchemical ingredients quicker?) but I can definitely live with such a minor cheat. Ze Tian Ji - It's probably not what I'm looking for, yeah he takes hundreds of chapters to increase his cultivation, but if you look at his age, he's leveling up very quickly. It's like Cultivation Chat Group where it took >3k chapters for the MC to reach the final stage but who can say his untalented when that dude this that is like a year or 2. Nevertheless, it's been on my reading list since forever, so I'm definitely gonna pick it up in the future. Stellar Transformation - that one as well, he may take millions of years to progress in his cultivation, but in that world, it's already very fast. And he made a whole new cultivation system so it's hard not to call him a genius. Also, I've read it a long time ago and loved it (one of my first novels) so thank you for this one anyway
Ye, MC has a bottle that gives one drop 14-28 days, that accelerates growth of one plant by 10-100 years (depends where on novel he is and what plant), hence the time manip Thats all he gets pmuch to make use of to barely play catch up with others. This was honestly the most tame cheats of all times since the quantity and effectiveness is extremely limited, so it takes him fuck ton of time anyway. Bit of spoiler but MC does not really has any talent until Spoiler He has whole body system broken since birth and is meant to die an early death for real (which he does, to save his life and heal his body the Defacto no1 cultivator has to give up a major chunk of own cultivation), which basically reforges his body due to to person doing it but ya ZTJ is literary masterpiece and even in late story MC is never the pinnacle ( His fiance always one ups him rofl) ST was actually pbad for QY, Normal people could manipulate time by only 100-1000 times when QY used to do it for 100ks due to Lin'er uncle tower gift, When those people reached 100ks - millions, QY upgraded to 100s of millions. So from reader POV, QY literally was taking 100-1000 times more times then other to up himself (since he was a mortal after all , unlike true god king bloods)
I really don't know why I'm putting off reading Mao Ni novels, all I hear are good things about them, and this makes me want to read them (and especially Ze Tian Ji) even more ^^ Oh I completely forgot about the time acceleration thing in Stellar Transformation. Now I feel like reading it for a big dose of nostalgia
Oh and reason why MC at young age is comparable/better than other is Spoiler because his master had him cultivate one of top 5 art since he was 3 yr old and it took him THAT LONG to even tap into first stage despite it rofl
Aye you should Another one would be Spirit Blade Mountain ,MC talent is pretty dogshit there (He cant even qualify for normal disciple by his aptitude) and to finally able to fight others, he has to put a heavy curse on himself with his life on line to get power. Tho he is hella smart tho if that matters.
It sounds really interesting. I've been subconsciously eliminating it from possible reads because ~4 years ago I read like 10 chapters of it's manga and didn't like it, but now that I think about it, It's a really stupid reason not to try this novel ^^
Yep. I mean head over to reviews and all the bad ones you find will be MC is a turtle and not powerful enough, which you are looking for. But overall it is hilarious, but only if you can stomach dirty jokes, a lot lot lot of chinese dirty jokes. Because Wang Lu mouth has never ending stream of it and thats what makes it a unique one.
Here's a new novel: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/39408/beware-of-chicken The MC is transmigrated into an untalented outsect disciple who died from being beaten up. He decides it ain't going to get any better, so he leaves the sect. He finds a remote village and buys a plot of land to start a farm. Some slow romance too.