Question Why do xianxia MCs that pursue immortality always outlive their parents?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Joospinch, Mar 13, 2021.

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  1. Joospinch

    Joospinch Don't click my avatar!!!

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    Why do xianxia MCs that pursue immortality always outlive their parents? Typically they live eternally but they almost always let their parents die naturally, like in MW for example and its not like they don't like them but the opposite they live them but they just let them die, similarly in xian ni the mc literally left no protection to his parents and was literally asking for his entire village to be murdered with him going around offending people, one time he also stopped someone that planned on killing his parents before he almost reached them but he didnt learn. He kept his parents soul with him along with his wife but he eventually discarded his parents souls. You can interpret it as them ending their parents suffering but i dont believe it to be that way
     
  2. Crywolf641

    Crywolf641 Well-Known Member

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    I could always sum it up as author doesn't really give a f*ck about details like that.
    in short?
    Just a terrible plot-hole.
    May even give a BS reason like they aren't talented enough in cultivation or can't cultivate due to age.
    So as to focus on the development of the Main Cast.
     
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  3. Cutter Masterson

    Cutter Masterson Well-Known Super-Soldier

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    Yup, it’s crazy. Another problem I have with this type of genre. Is the way the MC treat people. It’s like he see them as trash or a shiny new toy. Enjoy it for a little while. Than toss it aside. I just hate how they dismiss friends, family or responsibilities. Same with the parents they just leave them.
    For me I can not help but see characters like this as two dimensional. There’s a missing element. There’s no history. It’s just here and the now. Which makes the character shallow and a one trick pony.
    At least that’s what I think
     
  4. Superioreos

    Superioreos Well-Known Member

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    So I think there are multiple answers to this. First of all, some MCs try their best to extend their parents life. In some cases they keep their spirits around and revive them once the MC becomes strong enough. But even in those stories there are often issues such as souls not being immortal and so eventually they will die.

    Then there are the other MCs who maybe give their parents some life extending herbs but do not have them cultivate. Usually these stories have some part which idealizes the mortal lifestyle and explains how becoming an immortal is actually terrible in some way and therefore it is better for only those who are truly dedicated to fight against the heavens to attain immortality. Mortals are better off dying with innocence (not rebelling against the heavens) or something like that.

    Then of course there are many MCs whose parents were mega murdered and that is why they want to cultivate in the first place.

    Remember that almost all of these stories feature reincarnation. Their parents dying as mortals just means their souls continue on in a natural cycle.
     
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  5. Hamski

    Hamski Well-Known Member

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    I do find this odd. It is almost certainly because you aren’t supposed to be able to use pills to cultivate indefinitely, usually because of some bullshit like the SteADy FoUNdAtIoN or no talent.

    I don’t know, I feel like it should be pretty easy to make someone an immortal vessel with 0 combat prowess, especially since souls are usually pretty big in cultivation worlds, but alas, we get the plot holes because the author probably doesn’t want to spend time writing it in. Bit of a dick move :blobangery:
     
  6. 0000000

    0000000 I B SMILING!

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    Iirc in Xian Ni they BS about the parents' souls are dying and should be let off in order to continue the cycle. Like WTF?? Dude, really?! It always felt like the author was writing halfway and then suddenly forget about spring cleaning and had to find ways to yeet the souls out of the closet without being rude.

    I always have a shit ton of xianxia for that BSness, on one hand you blow the trumpets of being a filial son, on another you literally forget about your family while making enemies left and right.
     
  7. Sordahon

    Sordahon 『One Person Virtue Is Another One Sin』

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    I actually like how Qin Yu worried about his family. I don't recall if he made them immortal but he left a whole army of immortals whose job is to protect them, even gave his technique as legacy.
     
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  8. Bachingchung

    Bachingchung Well-Known Member

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    The life of immortal is so boring, they cultivate to live longer, they want to live longer so they can cultivate further. It's a never ending cycle.
    For example, a cultivator lived for a thousand years, 900+ yrs of that are spent on cultivating. More often than not, these cultivators never get to enjoy their lives. So I don't really pity these MCs' parents dying way too early or living a mortal life, they should be envied by the MCs instead.
     
  9. powwder

    powwder Well-Known Member

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    It's about choices. Not everyone wants to live forever and some people are happy with what they achieved. living forever is appealing to some but the prospect of existing for billions of years and the loss associated with it is too much for some people. like you can't make everyone immortal so you will see countless friends and loved ones die. in fact people kill themselves in novels all the time because living is sometimes worse.

    on a more technical side, cultivation novels have a emphasis on reincarnation and the cycle of life and death. Death is merely a detour then your soul gets reborn and the cycle continues.

    i also mentioned earlier, you can't just make everyone immortal. there are usually super harsh conditions and the amount of suffering and hardship one needs to endure is abnormal. how many people want to be immortal but fail yet you want to force this on others?

    Some of the best endings i have read include the MC coming back to his home world and seeing the reincarnation of his parents. his parents are a young talented couple and have no memory of the MC but feel pride and a sense of closeness seeing him. the MC normally gives them some small favor like a blessing or treasure or something then leaves them to live their own lives. he never tells them who he is, he never shows off how powerful he is, sometimes he just stays in the shadows and helps them secretly once or twice so that it doesn't interfere too much with their life. he could have taken them and groomed them under his protection but that would go against the choice aspect. a person needs to live their own life, make their own choices, overcome hardships themselves to grow as a person.
     
  10. Nightangle

    Nightangle Well-Known Member

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    I think it is to release the burden, as the mc grows he makes enemies left and right they can be used as an leverage so one way or another they die..!
    Though there are some in which the are with mc throughout the novel but in these novels they are kept in there personal world if there is a concept like that in the novel so they are safe.
    Basically as long as the author can find a safe place for them they are kept otherwise are used for a revenge plot..!
     
  11. Fluffums

    Fluffums 【R-18 Researcher】【Seeker of Moe】

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    "Why do children outlive their parents?" (n)

    There are a couple of major reasons.
    • The parents are already dead and that's why he's cultivating in the first place.
    • There's a limited amount of resources and most of the methods he uses are unique, limited-time options that his parents aren't around for.
    • His parents aren't motivated and/or talented enough. If they don't want to cultivate, he can't force them into immortality.
    • One of the core tenets of Taoism is detachment from mortal life. It's okay to make bonds that will help him grow as a taoist, but filial piety is a mortal virtue. If he is bound by feelings of duty to his parents/country/whatever, he will never reach the top. Though it can help motivate him to a certain extent.
    • Helping his parents become immortal will get them involved in the world of cultivation, which seems to be not such a great thing for well-adjusted adults.
     
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  12. Joospinch

    Joospinch Don't click my avatar!!!

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    Hmm it does come off as over the top writing but something as simple as this not being done makes the entire xianxia way too formulaic... Nevertheless some parents may have a lack of talent but come on which mc didnt start from trash talent and spammed drugs like crack cocaine to counteract their lack of talent? Like in MW mc was oretty trash in his talent but he always got like resources realms above just to get the perfect most stable supreme foundation now that he ascended to higher realm my guy had the audacity to say his parents' werent talented... Similarly i do understand where they let their parents reincarnate and all i think that happened in desolate era im not too sure but that also made me feel strange tbh idk why but i cant deny that feeling of incogruity where mc was able to achieve all those impossible feats but couldnt revive his parents without making them go through reincarnation... The one who said parents are like a burden, where do you draw the line? If MC s parents would be a burden then what about his 76th harem member that was kidnapped by a higher realm young master? Isnt that a bigger burden? The thing is they don't give them any sort of protection most of the time and enemies do a bit of research and always find them if mc kept them close they wouldnt be targeted as much. The immortal life may not be for everyone but i dont recall seeing a single MC ask if their parents want to die of old age even if they become immortal its not like they cant suicide, all in all to me it seems that author cant expend energy in that direction which is sad since they keep talking about filial piety and what not, it always seems forced when they try getting rid of the parents to the point that it doesnt surprise me anymore its just a matter of when
     
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  13. Voracious_Cachinnations

    Voracious_Cachinnations Member

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    Because their parents lack talent. You're also supposed to ignore the mediocre talent friends that orbit him till the end.
     
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  14. Joospinch

    Joospinch Don't click my avatar!!!

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    The double standards are glaring lol o_O
     
  15. chillidude

    chillidude Well-Known Member

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    They should make them immortal too some how
     
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  16. LolMania

    LolMania Well-Known Member

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    From various novels I have read I can tell my personal opinion-
    MC who travels in another world live in different society in their previous life, so they see it as an adventure or rather an interesting game,they develop mentality faster than kids their age and shock the parents and other mob characters, then he leaves his parents to go to some sect from their on he starts to offend some young masters that are dumb by default, when he kills young masters their backers come to kill him but he still somehow kills them, sometimes a side character who is either a boot licker or a fat guy also meet him in the sect, you may or may not see a companion beast too that is strong and becomes his pet, then he goes to higher cultivation and does the same difference is that he is stronger and offends more powerful people, in between he comes to his home town to give his parents some present or just forgets them cause a hundred or so years happen to pass by that time then he saves his previous sect and gets gratitude and awe from all his previous teachers, principal then he travels again on higher level and does the same there to (offending young masters) whether they be human or other races, and one trait you will see that he will never die cause he believes that he is the main character of the world with a so-called powerful system that does ever thing for him but still the MC remains ungrateful to the system like calling "you piece of ***, you heartless, black hearted" Although the system is doing everything for him, it's not like he will get an overpowered weapon or bloodline or skill for a cheap price right? He doesn't even understand that all things require equal exchange, sometimes he evn gets recognition of a powerful fellow that deters other guys until he stacks up the exp and kill rewards to become more powerful than that fellow, you will never see MC die (cause the novel will end lol), MC will never be alone, he will be either surrounded by a friend or a harem that leeches off him, or some pet.
    There is a debuff of -50% intelligence on the mob so the MC will be the first to point out some things, he will always get the most powerful treasures without much effort that other cultivators fight to death for, the story will only end when MC becomes the strongest in the universe, there's no concept of logic here, he just needs to do some days or even months of hardwork that rivals thousands of years of hardwork of other old dudes but still curses his system that "it's too long, I can't wait, tell me another way" to which system or his old grandpa has always a solution that seems dangerous but his luck still does all the work, the plot armor in this world is so strong that it can deflect 90% of the incoming damage to the MC, although all the works are not the same but "most" is the word that I will use, Chinese authors have great some greats works that I totally agree upon, but still whenever you write novels please at least give credit to original countries(nvm) and there's a thing that whatever MC makes is the most delicious thing that the otherworld creatures have tasted,this novels lack something -
    A sane MC not the one that is a good and humble but still looks at everything like a game.
    A non existent plot armor that let's the MC do the hardwork, even the newbie package is not an exception.
    A conscious system that is a bit strict in MCs matters, I really feel bad when the emotionless system is scolded badly for the prices in the store, they should be deterant towards a spineless MC that is nothing but a cannon fodder in the world without it, also equality matters a lot it's not it's fault that the skills are so expensive but they are totally worth it(MCs realize this only when they use the skills).
    Mobs with sane minds that can actually think.
    An MC that actually knows the value of equality, he spares beautiful girl that came to kill him just cause she's beautiful.
    An finally to authors - You make an MC that sees other worlds as a game,for non system novels,the MC has some useful medicine or cultivation skills or is an assassin from previous world so he already has his newbie pack, I seriously wanna ask, do people in China really forced to do profession from these three so when they reincarnate they will have a newcomer buff?
    I can write more if you want but idk the limit of this thing
     
  17. Drachmarius

    Drachmarius Active Member

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    I feel like these mc have a singular purpose and they ignore all else to achieve this goal of getting stronger. I also think the mc usually doesn't care about their parents because they can't cultivate and stuff while their goal is to get stronger.
     
  18. Joospinch

    Joospinch Don't click my avatar!!!

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    Lol the assassin thing has me worried about ever going to china because of how many there are in stories haha is that a skewed statistic? You described like half of all xianxia and the formula the authors use to write. Just goes to show how bare bones the stories are.

    Yeah i get that but irony much? They go to their masters and spout crap like master for a day father for a lifetime, n im like bro you left ur father ten realms down chill with the fake filial piety lol
     
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  19. De Lan

    De Lan Smartass from blue planet

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    That's why, I prefer if the MC is an orphan thoo, idk if it's too cruel if I say this
    But, i always worried if there's any parent that will get disturb if the MC offend someone, or if the MC went to the higher realm and remembering their parents and I be like 'visitt them right now!! HURRY!!!'
    and we all know that it's not gonna happen soon
     
  20. Joospinch

    Joospinch Don't click my avatar!!!

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    Hahaha i feel you, whenever they offend someone in the back of my mind im like certain MC parents will get the brunt off it, especially when they leave to higher realm his leftover enemies will clean up his family and sometimes you see the MC come back at the nick of time to save follower/family in his original realm lol.

    What i find foolish is that with how experieneced they are, sometimes they act surprised that enemies go after their parents