Discussion In cultivation novels, what powers/abilities do you enjoy to read about the most?

I've been reading cultivation novels for like 2.5 years now and I have my own opinion on what types of powers/abilities I prefer to read about, just curious what abilities you prefer the MC of a novel to have? And when I say powers/abilities I mean like what 'path' or Dao their main abilities is a part of, so it could be elements, weapons, concepts/phenomenon? Also what such abilities do you wish there were more of in novels?

 

Spacetime, alchemy, soul, body refining, sword intent

 

The ability to recognize Mt. Tai

 

Pure Yang body.

 

First and foremost, not as specific an answer, but I just wanna see authors use even a smidgeon of creativity by describing how cultivation techniques work. The best way to go about that is have the mc create their own which extremely few do. Aside from that, light and dark are surprisingly under-utilized in cultivation novels. Take that one step further by combining the two, and you could make twilight a power in some way. May be shooting myself in the foot by saying that as I've been sitting on that as a theme for a cultivation-esque novel with a unique mc to go with it for some time, just haven't done it.

 

You got it right and the order is correct aswell.

 

Personally my favourite powers are:

1. Space (especially the ability to reduce the distance from point 1 to point 2, so you take one step and it's like you took a thousand steps etc. So essentially you'd be teleporting around)
2. Sword Intent
3. Formations//Arrays (when it can be created in more or less an instant and during combat)

Some powers that I've been thinking a bit about lately and would like to see more in novels is music and calligraphy.

 

1. Martial intents (Sword, spear, etc).
2. Body refining
3. Arrays, alchemy
4. Hyper-regenerative abilities (Regrowing limbs and such. I guess this would go with body refining)
5. Law/concept fusion
6. Self-created techniques
7. Powerful souls

I think it would be pretty cool to see a novel with an Mc who used a giant war hammer or a unique weapon, but that would probably be an inconvenient weapon. Swords and spears are more mainstream.

 

Martial Arts, especially swords, I really enjoy it when the power system isn't just about skills/abilities that the characters gain and use arbitrarily, it's more special when they are tied to the characters comprehensions and frame of mind(I've mostly seen this from "historical" types of novels). Although "Laws" and such are a bit similar, I dislike them because they don't make much sense.

 

I like when they weaponize music, art, and perception (divine sense). It just feels like an author knows just enough about a certain subject that they turn it into a weapon for lack of knowledge on a real fighting style. Makes me laugh.

 

I realized that I loved the "hidden weapon" fighting style in Douluo Dalu, just a shame that the world didn't fully support that kind of cultivation where it was his only abilities like in the world he reincarnated from. Anyone know any cultivation novels where MCs fighting style would be somewhat similar to the hidden weapons? Such as flying knives or shuriken-flower like weapons.

 

1) alchemy
2) blacksmithing
3) healing
4) cooking

 

I like the "unusually" used powers that are often presented early on in Cultivation Stories, such as "using Water to Dissolve & Reform Metals to Smith With", or "X Technique used in Y Situation it wasn't meant for, because the MC only has so much to work off of". I also prefer when the MC isn't a "Master of All Trades", surpassing people who have trained in their specialty for 10,000 years with their less than 100 years of experience, especially when their only ability in cultivation & techniques exists from them having a cheat (and a bloodline only awakened/revealed near the end of the story, because of course no orphan can actually be an orphan, and the people who raised you can't be your parents).

Sorry, I turn this half into what I dislike. To clarify, I like innovation and creative usage of powers/techniques to get around limitations. Be they considered creative on the side of the Author or just the Character.

 

fly.... yes the basic ability to fly not too fancy
Doraemon bag aka space pouch
magical formation, array, structure cuz it require mathematics err calculation to employ sure with abracadabra magic, element, time, place stuff~
the stupidity, err slap face.... yeah not ability but...

 

1. Grand/Heavenly Dao
2. Dao Heart
3. Intents
4. Alchemy