So this might very well be an impossible request, but I would like to read a cultivation story where the protagonist is actually good, like proactively good. For most cultivation stories, even if the protagonist isn't an evil demonic cultivator, they would still fall under the category of chaotic neutral. They will steal and murder when the reward is high enough, and aren't above using obviously evil techniques and artifacts if they're powerful enough. Now how I would define a good character is first someone who has a clear conscious and adheres to a basic moral code; that is just default normal goodness. In addition they should also be the type that will intervene if they see something blatantly evil going on. This can be annoying if overdone, but hey good guys don't look the other way. As I previously mentioned they should avoid using evil techniques and artifacts out of principle, and have a general abhorrence for such things. Lastly (this is optional but highly requested) I want them to use virtuous cultivation technique. Something with a divine or holy theme, that is especially effective against evil. (Note by virtuous I'm referring to being moral and righteous, not someone who is chaste)
Cultivation Chat Group, maybe? Although he did once do something that could be considered "evil" by accident Spoiler MC acquired a skill that would make anyone (and I mean anyone) that caught his gazes while the skill is active to experience what it's like to be pregnant & gave birth no matter the gender. The skill itself is more of a grey area, the one who created it was an Ancient One of a righteous sect w/ too much time to spares & wanted to experience the pregnancy himself. MC accidentally released it during an 8th stage evil cultivator speech (he got dragged somehow into someone else's trial & survived) by suddenly fall asleep/lost consciousness in the middle of the speech but somehow recited the skill's speech (something 'bout filial love or something) & unleashed his impregnating gaze to all the spectators (it was broadcasted live to all cultivators in the world)
I read a bit of that, I got the impression it was more of a light hearted comedy kind of story. The protagonist also didn't really seem like some moral virtuous person. Read that one actually, one of my first cultivation stories. I remember it was a good story, but I don't think it was a Good story. I mean the protagonist is a former assassin, and he's pretty merciless from what I can remember.
I thought theme in martial arts stories is ambiguity in world. You have bad side and bad characters in "good" faction and you have good side and good characters in the faction who get slandered as "demon" faction. As protagonis gain experience from myrad characters and his journey, good is often blur, each people want good thing for themself, their family, their people but good thing for them might cause misfortune to others.
Yeah I've seen some novels try and tote that message. Sometimes it works and can even come across as sincere. Other times though the characters are just being tremendous hypocrites. "Oh I found a rare herb that can cure the grandmasters illness, but some evil rival sect is trying to steal it from us, so I killed them." Later on.... "I stumbled upon a group of cultivators who just happened to find a rare herb that can benefit my cultivation, so killed them all and took it for myself." Being good isn't some ambiguous unobtainable concept, and I'm almost certain the authors realize how hypocritical their protagonists are. The thing is readers love the amoral murder happy hypocrite, so that's what gets written. The nonsense of goodness being some ambiguity of the world, that's just something tacked on so it doesn't become too obvious how detestable they really are.
Well martial arts stories that I had read are old classic like Condor Heroes, Condor Heroes Return and Heavenly Sword & Dragon Blade by Jin Yong, I read them on library and watch the dramas adaptation on tv when I was kid, I don't follow current martial arts stories.
Oh interesting I'm pretty much only familiar with what I've read on NU, so I know virtually nothing about the classics.
Apparently Jin Yong novel also get translated in here, the three novels I previously mention is trilogy but can also be read on it's own. There you go, https://www.novelupdates.com/nauthor/jin-yong/
Don't know if it was mentioned, but I saw up there Dou Luo Da Lu and remembered another one of Tang Jia San Shao's earlier works called Shen Yin Wang Zuo. It truly is rare to find a 'good' protagonist. But if there's one I remember being a good protagonist, it might be the MC in Shen Yin Wang Zuo. It's been a while since I've read it, maybe like 3 or 4+ years. Maybe you've read it, idk, but I think the MC is good. The FL, however, is an assassin, but she's also technically good. I just can't remember if he does anything borderline evil or if she does, but they are basically on the good side and he is, from impression, a good natured MC who does the things you described.