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Unintended Cultivator #3
Unintended Cultivator: Volume Three
Sen emerged triumphant, but victory is a doubled-edged sword…
Sen defeated an elder of the Soaring Skies Sect and saved the mortals in the Silver Crane. What should have been a moment to bask in success came crashing down around him when he inadvertently exposed a demonic cultivator cabal. Realizing that a moving target is harder to strike, Sen flees into the wilds with Lifen and Lo Meifeng in tow. There, he’ll learn that not all enemies want to take your life and not every threat can be met with the edge of a blade. Sen must delve deeper inside himself and push his cultivation harder than ever before or risk losing something more precious than his life… He’ll lose his soul.
Sen defeated an elder of the Soaring Skies Sect and saved the mortals in the Silver Crane. What should have been a moment to bask in success came crashing down around him when he inadvertently exposed a demonic cultivator cabal. Realizing that a moving target is harder to strike, Sen flees into the wilds with Lifen and Lo Meifeng in tow. There, he’ll learn that not all enemies want to take your life and not every threat can be met with the edge of a blade. Sen must delve deeper inside himself and push his cultivation harder than ever before or risk losing something more precious than his life… He’ll lose his soul.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
1104 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Eric Dontigney
27 books188 followersRaised in Western New York, Eric Dontigney has lived in New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. He currently resides near Dayton, OH. He is a fan of photo-realism paintings, coffee and well-made food. He has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 2, 2024
This is third in an action Xianxia cultivator story with plot and character elements that build over time. Read in order.
You know what to expect in terms of tone and action. Sen is on the run with his two companions from the cabal of demonic cultivators he exposed at the end of the previous book for most of the book. He makes cultivation discoveries, hidden treasure discoveries, has epiphanies, and encounters a divine turtle that sets him on a new cultivation path. This is all good stuff.
I was a little surprised with the companion developments in this one. Lifen hit the right notes for a romantic interest (including them having sex regularly), but she's also nowhere near an equal for Sen and that disparity shows in ways that it should. Lo Meifing is more of an equal, but there's clearly no spark there, so I'm happy for that friendship development. Well, except for the . Also, Falling Leaf catches up (near the end) and that was all kinds of awesome.
I don't have anything else to say, really. This was outstanding. A great adventure with a likeable hero trying to navigate tricky moral waters while dealing with the Xianxia setting. Five stars.
A note about the series: I originally picked this up on Royal Road and have since joined the author's Patreon; where he has just completed book nine. Plus, I'm still subscribed to the RR feed where it's still in book eight. Yes, that is, in fact, a triple blast of Sen while I read these books. That's how happy I am to spend time with Sen and his friends.
A note about the anger: We still don't know that .
A note about Chaste: Sen and Lifen are clearly doing it. Sometimes smugly. There is a scene of intentionally showing off their closeness with some dishabille involved, but I still consider this kind of chaste. It's on the edge, with their shenanigans only lightly curtained over, but it still qualifies on my personal scale.
You know what to expect in terms of tone and action. Sen is on the run with his two companions from the cabal of demonic cultivators he exposed at the end of the previous book for most of the book. He makes cultivation discoveries, hidden treasure discoveries, has epiphanies, and encounters a divine turtle that sets him on a new cultivation path. This is all good stuff.
I was a little surprised with the companion developments in this one. Lifen hit the right notes for a romantic interest (including them having sex regularly), but she's also nowhere near an equal for Sen and that disparity shows in ways that it should. Lo Meifing is more of an equal, but there's clearly no spark there, so I'm happy for that friendship development. Well, except for the . Also, Falling Leaf catches up (near the end) and that was all kinds of awesome.
I don't have anything else to say, really. This was outstanding. A great adventure with a likeable hero trying to navigate tricky moral waters while dealing with the Xianxia setting. Five stars.
A note about the series: I originally picked this up on Royal Road and have since joined the author's Patreon; where he has just completed book nine. Plus, I'm still subscribed to the RR feed where it's still in book eight. Yes, that is, in fact, a triple blast of Sen while I read these books. That's how happy I am to spend time with Sen and his friends.
A note about the anger: We still don't know that .
A note about Chaste: Sen and Lifen are clearly doing it. Sometimes smugly. There is a scene of intentionally showing off their closeness with some dishabille involved, but I still consider this kind of chaste. It's on the edge, with their shenanigans only lightly curtained over, but it still qualifies on my personal scale.
July 2, 2024
ridiculously good
It leans *hard* on the tropes—hidden masters, heaven’s blessings, secret arts—but does so in a unique way.
Secret elder spirit beast showing up at odd moments? Check.
MC having surprising levels of power for his cultivation? Check.
Meeting someone from his past unexpectedly? Check.
This was a pleasure to read. I am very much looking forward to the next.
It leans *hard* on the tropes—hidden masters, heaven’s blessings, secret arts—but does so in a unique way.
Secret elder spirit beast showing up at odd moments? Check.
MC having surprising levels of power for his cultivation? Check.
Meeting someone from his past unexpectedly? Check.
This was a pleasure to read. I am very much looking forward to the next.
May 20, 2025
In his battle to defend the Silver Crane, Sen defeated a demonic cultivator. That should have been a good thing, but this demonic cultivator had a list of all the demonic cultivators he knew. These cultivators know Sen obtained the list from the demonic cultivators storage ring. They seek to end his life to keep their secrets. Sen must go on the run with the young woman Lifen and his minder Lo Meifeng. They likely won't go on the run forever though, as the list also found itself into the hands of the old monsters who taught Sen.
Unintended Cultivator Volume Three was a fine book. There is nothing particularly compelling about the story, but there is something about it that makes it easy to keep reading. Sen seems to be chosen by the Heavens for something grand as he continues to be prepared through amazing opportunities and devastatingly bad luck. He seems to be the balance between fortune and misfortune.
Unless I missed a side story, I feel like the series expects the readers to have some awareness they can't possibly have. Techniques and transformations are mentioned as though they should be common knowledge, but I personally have no clue what's happening at times. The story gives some mild explanations, but it still feels as though they are inadequate.
Most of the tale is still told from Sen's mind more than anything. To see some additional characterization would be lovely, but it seems the story is determined to provide the minimum in those areas. We don't have to worry too much about knowing what Sen's thinking because the author certainly tells us.
I may continue Unintended Cultivator in the future, but at this point I'm content to move on to something else.
Unintended Cultivator Volume Three was a fine book. There is nothing particularly compelling about the story, but there is something about it that makes it easy to keep reading. Sen seems to be chosen by the Heavens for something grand as he continues to be prepared through amazing opportunities and devastatingly bad luck. He seems to be the balance between fortune and misfortune.
Unless I missed a side story, I feel like the series expects the readers to have some awareness they can't possibly have. Techniques and transformations are mentioned as though they should be common knowledge, but I personally have no clue what's happening at times. The story gives some mild explanations, but it still feels as though they are inadequate.
Most of the tale is still told from Sen's mind more than anything. To see some additional characterization would be lovely, but it seems the story is determined to provide the minimum in those areas. We don't have to worry too much about knowing what Sen's thinking because the author certainly tells us.
I may continue Unintended Cultivator in the future, but at this point I'm content to move on to something else.
July 9, 2024
Way to much Author armor going on in this book. All these ravs reviews and all of them are glossing over a couple big things. One how is the demonic cult sect tracking them down, do they have unlimited people to toss at him? NUMBER TWO, if they are so hated around the continent, why haven't the other sects picked up allllll these demonic cultivators running around? NUMBER THREE, Sen is dragging some barely cultivator woman around, who has never left her town. He cannot protect her when a multi-prong attack happens, She should be very gone after one attack.
Last but not least, ADAM, you need a better pop filter for your mic. I can head background noise.
Last but not least, ADAM, you need a better pop filter for your mic. I can head background noise.
July 5, 2024
I'm loving this series. One of the elements that hit hardest is the in-depth and believable cultivation mechanics. When Sen was imprisoned and left with nothing but inner cultivation, I was fascinated by his process.
While finishing this book wasn't technically an all-nighter, that was only because I passed out. I can't wait for the next installment.
While finishing this book wasn't technically an all-nighter, that was only because I passed out. I can't wait for the next installment.
July 29, 2024
Ugh, Sen is.... unbelievable. Way to OP. Even people far his senior are astonished by him. Seriously, it gets ridiculous. He does struggle at times, but still. He seems...a bit nicer this book? Not as selfish as he was. The plot is kinda all over the place in this one though. It seriously keeps skipping around.
July 7, 2024
Read this
I put down Diefiance of the Fall to get my hands on this book. The storytelling is enrapturing, and you can not put it down until it is done. Pray for me, people. I just found his page on the web with more of his work. The weekend is done, lol!
I put down Diefiance of the Fall to get my hands on this book. The storytelling is enrapturing, and you can not put it down until it is done. Pray for me, people. I just found his page on the web with more of his work. The weekend is done, lol!
December 8, 2024
The story gets ever worse..
The amount of demonic cultivators hunting an somehow finding them are preposterous. A lot of dramma and heavy plot armor. Good luck with trying to move an untrained city girl through the woods for a longer time in real life.. #rofl#
I truly hated that the protagonist decided to attack one side arbitrarily when he encountered the sect war and found him to be once again way too full of himself.
The amount of demonic cultivators hunting an somehow finding them are preposterous. A lot of dramma and heavy plot armor. Good luck with trying to move an untrained city girl through the woods for a longer time in real life.. #rofl#
I truly hated that the protagonist decided to attack one side arbitrarily when he encountered the sect war and found him to be once again way too full of himself.
January 29, 2025
Great third act
Man, talk about upping your game. This book turned the entire world on its head and did it with style. I can’t wait to read the next one.
Man, talk about upping your game. This book turned the entire world on its head and did it with style. I can’t wait to read the next one.
May 3, 2025
100% invested in the story of Lu Sen. A warrior now grown sp mighty that he can escape a cult. He has managed to continue his growth both with help and at times in torturous situations.
Style, pacing, characters are all enough to keep me downloading the next book.
Without a doubt, the bloopers continue to make me laugh.
Style, pacing, characters are all enough to keep me downloading the next book.
Without a doubt, the bloopers continue to make me laugh.
November 10, 2024
Series has flown straight into some of my favourite progression fantasy.
October 29, 2025
I was a little worried starting this book as I realised I had almost entirely forgotten what happened in the last book. Even the two women Sen is travelling with escaped my memory and I realised this wasn't going to be an issue I could push past. This meant that I was going to have to reread the last book to refresh my memory and a big reason why I couldn't remember anything was because I initially found the last book disappointing.
However, I loved the first book so much I decided to take the plunge and revisit book 2, only to find I enjoyed it much more on this read. It's still a far reduced book to the first novel, but I now see that for what it is. The second book was an author struggling to transition his story from where it started to where it needed to go. Having not reread the first book this time round I could appreciate the story it was trying to transition into rather than get hung up on the story it was leaving behind. I stand by the opinion that it is a weaker novel than the first and that it struggled with the transition, but with that transition over I was far more prepared for this book and I'm so glad I took the time to catch myself up as otherwise I would have missed out on this masterpiece.
Right from the start, it was clear that this book had two things that were lacking in book 2; focused direction and balance. The first comes from Sen and his companions having clear and driving motivations compelling their actions. The second is that in this book, the author remembers the kind of story he is trying to tell and Sen can start making more meaningful steps on his progression than he did in the last novel. Because of this, there is now a nice balance of progression, action, magic exploration, world building, character growth and plot progression. This balance made for a more natural rhythm for the narrative and the story hooked me and flew by as a result.
Most importantly, it felt like Sen is once more on the path to fulfil his incredible potential in a way that feels natural and rewarding, and that made this book an easy 5 stars for me. It's rare that a series that stumbles so hard with the second book bounces back so strong, so I can't tell you how excited I am to continue with this series now. I doubt I'll need another refresher before book 4, but I might just reread the whole series just for the fun of it anyway.
I can't wait!
However, I loved the first book so much I decided to take the plunge and revisit book 2, only to find I enjoyed it much more on this read. It's still a far reduced book to the first novel, but I now see that for what it is. The second book was an author struggling to transition his story from where it started to where it needed to go. Having not reread the first book this time round I could appreciate the story it was trying to transition into rather than get hung up on the story it was leaving behind. I stand by the opinion that it is a weaker novel than the first and that it struggled with the transition, but with that transition over I was far more prepared for this book and I'm so glad I took the time to catch myself up as otherwise I would have missed out on this masterpiece.
Right from the start, it was clear that this book had two things that were lacking in book 2; focused direction and balance. The first comes from Sen and his companions having clear and driving motivations compelling their actions. The second is that in this book, the author remembers the kind of story he is trying to tell and Sen can start making more meaningful steps on his progression than he did in the last novel. Because of this, there is now a nice balance of progression, action, magic exploration, world building, character growth and plot progression. This balance made for a more natural rhythm for the narrative and the story hooked me and flew by as a result.
Most importantly, it felt like Sen is once more on the path to fulfil his incredible potential in a way that feels natural and rewarding, and that made this book an easy 5 stars for me. It's rare that a series that stumbles so hard with the second book bounces back so strong, so I can't tell you how excited I am to continue with this series now. I doubt I'll need another refresher before book 4, but I might just reread the whole series just for the fun of it anyway.
I can't wait!
December 11, 2024
Character inconsistency
I really enjoy this series. That said, this book kind of caused me to lose interest in the last quarter of the book. Up until this point the main character has been a prodigy who was trained by the most powerful people in the world. Everywhere he goes he causes normal people to be amazed. For the first time since he left his master's, he has reunited with him. And here we come to the problem. For whatever reason the author chose to go down the direction of his masters who are the most powerful people in the world, also being amazed and in awe of him. This is where I lost my ability to be immersed in the story.
I really enjoy this series. That said, this book kind of caused me to lose interest in the last quarter of the book. Up until this point the main character has been a prodigy who was trained by the most powerful people in the world. Everywhere he goes he causes normal people to be amazed. For the first time since he left his master's, he has reunited with him. And here we come to the problem. For whatever reason the author chose to go down the direction of his masters who are the most powerful people in the world, also being amazed and in awe of him. This is where I lost my ability to be immersed in the story.
June 15, 2025
Entertaining BUT...
Too many pages are wasted in reflection. I'm not against weighing the possibilities of past and future actions. But when the author causes the protagonist to repetitively waste 2 to 3 pages thinking, then reconsidering a course of action, I call it how I see it. "Page stuffing" or filling up the book with repetitive & unnecessary words, and thoughts, is called "CHIN-WAGGING". It's so tedious it makes the reader skip through those passages at best or rage quit at the worst. No author of fiction wants their work to be associated with the phrase "tedious reading" would they? No one wants to waste their time right?
Too many pages are wasted in reflection. I'm not against weighing the possibilities of past and future actions. But when the author causes the protagonist to repetitively waste 2 to 3 pages thinking, then reconsidering a course of action, I call it how I see it. "Page stuffing" or filling up the book with repetitive & unnecessary words, and thoughts, is called "CHIN-WAGGING". It's so tedious it makes the reader skip through those passages at best or rage quit at the worst. No author of fiction wants their work to be associated with the phrase "tedious reading" would they? No one wants to waste their time right?
August 1, 2024
A step up
The action in this one steps up a lot as the power levels rise, and we see more of the consequences if meeting judgements gale.
This series is one of those surprises that are a joy to find, and one of my favourite finds for a while that definitely deserves more recognition.
The action in this one steps up a lot as the power levels rise, and we see more of the consequences if meeting judgements gale.
This series is one of those surprises that are a joy to find, and one of my favourite finds for a while that definitely deserves more recognition.
December 24, 2025
Shaping up into a good series, but far from great unfortunately.
This series has a lot going for it, it’s got an interesting cultivation system with lots of room for experimentation, and it’s got top-notch world-building that sparks the imagination and drives the “wandering” aspect of the main character’s path. But the main character is a bit contradictory, a bit overpowered. The combat is a bit lacking. But mostly my biggest issue is the overabundance of cultivation jargon and the endless moralizing in both inner monologue and conversations.
I won’t go over the cultivation system or world building, I’ve done that in other reviews you can read. As to other things I liked in this book, I really enjoyed the masters’ shenanigans while hunting demonic cultivators. That was fun. I also appreciated getting to see their reactions to MC’s recounting of his adventures. It’s important in these series to allow the audience to bask in the accomplishments of their MCs. I was hoping for a little more detail on what the masters had been up to, but I guess that could repetitive. The author struck a good balance between summarization and exposition.
And though I will spend more time on my criticisms, I still believe this is a good series, just not approaching great. So don’t take this as me dumping on the series, simply focusing on its issues as I see them.
As I said, MC is a bit contradictory. I explained in my last review my confusion with the MC’s precocious wisdom (beyond his age or experience) that made no sense in the context of the story. That continues in this book. The MC always does the right thing, but that’s just not realistic. This is a writing trap where authors idealize their characters and forget to ground them in realism. With all the monologuing in this series over moral ambiguity, it’s kind of bizarre the MC always seems to do the right thing isn’t it?
In this book, the MC gets captured for a time. When he talks and threatens his way out of it, he promises to return and kill the person letting him go. Like why? It’s so arrogant and dangerous. But let’s look at this logically, if MC threatened this guy with certain death by his masters if he’s harmed, then promises (not threatens) to come back and kill this guy when he’s stronger, why wouldn’t the bad guy here, if he’s damned either way, not kill at least one of those responsible? Makes no sense. Comes across like one of those moralizing beat down scenes from a Taylor Sheridan show, where the character verbally owns some scrub with nonsense and the scrub just takes it. This was sloppy, soap opera theatrics honestly. I’d have been totally fine with this vow if MC had just been promising to himself, however. And the despite the moral judgement of the scene where he guarantees he’ll return, he just lets one of the masters handle it. A really bizarre plot line.
The combat is also a bit lacking. There’s lots of it, which I will never complain bout, but so much of it is summarized, and what isn’t is so interspersed with inner thoughts that it doesn’t feel like combat should in this genre. I understand the author doesn’t want to bore us when taking out lesser opponents, but I just want to dive into combat once in this series, without all the inner monologuing or summarizing, and just read a sequence from beginning to end.
And that brings me to my biggest complaint, the cultivation jargon and constant inner monologue and then conversations about moral issues. I know there’s a market in this genre for lots of detail on cultivation, I mean would anyone else still be reading Defiance of the Fall if there wasn’t? But to me, that’s so boring. But I’ll chock that up to personal taste. However, the moralizing thoughts and conversations are too much. The sequence usually goes: a situation arises, MC inner monologues about it usually focused on moral stuff, then he has conversations where he rehashes this process with other people to convince them he’s right, then he inner converses with himself about how that went. It’s just so much needless… filler! I find myself skipping this over and over again, it’s so bad in this book, a large percentage of the word count.
If this continues, it will cause a further decrease in my ratings. But for now, I’m going to just skip through that word count filler and focus on the story.
In the end, I think this is a good series, a good story, but it’s bogged down by common writer traps in this genre. Those being the contradictory MC, the always right schtick, and the righteous moralizing thing where the author seems to always be trying to convince himself and us that MC is a good guy. Let us make that call man, by his actions, I don’t need to read every thought and word spoken about it to force it down my throat.
This series has a lot going for it, it’s got an interesting cultivation system with lots of room for experimentation, and it’s got top-notch world-building that sparks the imagination and drives the “wandering” aspect of the main character’s path. But the main character is a bit contradictory, a bit overpowered. The combat is a bit lacking. But mostly my biggest issue is the overabundance of cultivation jargon and the endless moralizing in both inner monologue and conversations.
I won’t go over the cultivation system or world building, I’ve done that in other reviews you can read. As to other things I liked in this book, I really enjoyed the masters’ shenanigans while hunting demonic cultivators. That was fun. I also appreciated getting to see their reactions to MC’s recounting of his adventures. It’s important in these series to allow the audience to bask in the accomplishments of their MCs. I was hoping for a little more detail on what the masters had been up to, but I guess that could repetitive. The author struck a good balance between summarization and exposition.
And though I will spend more time on my criticisms, I still believe this is a good series, just not approaching great. So don’t take this as me dumping on the series, simply focusing on its issues as I see them.
As I said, MC is a bit contradictory. I explained in my last review my confusion with the MC’s precocious wisdom (beyond his age or experience) that made no sense in the context of the story. That continues in this book. The MC always does the right thing, but that’s just not realistic. This is a writing trap where authors idealize their characters and forget to ground them in realism. With all the monologuing in this series over moral ambiguity, it’s kind of bizarre the MC always seems to do the right thing isn’t it?
In this book, the MC gets captured for a time. When he talks and threatens his way out of it, he promises to return and kill the person letting him go. Like why? It’s so arrogant and dangerous. But let’s look at this logically, if MC threatened this guy with certain death by his masters if he’s harmed, then promises (not threatens) to come back and kill this guy when he’s stronger, why wouldn’t the bad guy here, if he’s damned either way, not kill at least one of those responsible? Makes no sense. Comes across like one of those moralizing beat down scenes from a Taylor Sheridan show, where the character verbally owns some scrub with nonsense and the scrub just takes it. This was sloppy, soap opera theatrics honestly. I’d have been totally fine with this vow if MC had just been promising to himself, however. And the despite the moral judgement of the scene where he guarantees he’ll return, he just lets one of the masters handle it. A really bizarre plot line.
The combat is also a bit lacking. There’s lots of it, which I will never complain bout, but so much of it is summarized, and what isn’t is so interspersed with inner thoughts that it doesn’t feel like combat should in this genre. I understand the author doesn’t want to bore us when taking out lesser opponents, but I just want to dive into combat once in this series, without all the inner monologuing or summarizing, and just read a sequence from beginning to end.
And that brings me to my biggest complaint, the cultivation jargon and constant inner monologue and then conversations about moral issues. I know there’s a market in this genre for lots of detail on cultivation, I mean would anyone else still be reading Defiance of the Fall if there wasn’t? But to me, that’s so boring. But I’ll chock that up to personal taste. However, the moralizing thoughts and conversations are too much. The sequence usually goes: a situation arises, MC inner monologues about it usually focused on moral stuff, then he has conversations where he rehashes this process with other people to convince them he’s right, then he inner converses with himself about how that went. It’s just so much needless… filler! I find myself skipping this over and over again, it’s so bad in this book, a large percentage of the word count.
If this continues, it will cause a further decrease in my ratings. But for now, I’m going to just skip through that word count filler and focus on the story.
In the end, I think this is a good series, a good story, but it’s bogged down by common writer traps in this genre. Those being the contradictory MC, the always right schtick, and the righteous moralizing thing where the author seems to always be trying to convince himself and us that MC is a good guy. Let us make that call man, by his actions, I don’t need to read every thought and word spoken about it to force it down my throat.
September 20, 2024
Sen went full scumbag
I was really enjoying the story till this book. Sadly Sen decided to go full scumbag with his treatment of Lifen. Yes she was an extra character and fairly useless but throughout the whole thing he seemed to have a connection and genuine affection for her, till she got brainwashed. Through his own choices and actions they get captured and she is turned. Instead of immediately going for help to rescue her, he just kinda writes her off as something he will get to eventually! Then to make matters worse, the first hot woman he sees he start rationalizing that he doesn’t really owe Lifen anything since they weren’t actually in love, well she might have been but he wasn’t, and so it’s perfectly fine! Also in complete counter to what he said with Lo Meifeng you know this new cultivator is older than Sen but suddenly that’s ok because he thinks she’s hot…
Sen went counter to so many ideals and principles that he has maintained the entire time and when he went full scumbag over Lifen I am just done with this series. Sadly plot armor won’t let Sen die as the MC but you can hope.
I was really enjoying the story till this book. Sadly Sen decided to go full scumbag with his treatment of Lifen. Yes she was an extra character and fairly useless but throughout the whole thing he seemed to have a connection and genuine affection for her, till she got brainwashed. Through his own choices and actions they get captured and she is turned. Instead of immediately going for help to rescue her, he just kinda writes her off as something he will get to eventually! Then to make matters worse, the first hot woman he sees he start rationalizing that he doesn’t really owe Lifen anything since they weren’t actually in love, well she might have been but he wasn’t, and so it’s perfectly fine! Also in complete counter to what he said with Lo Meifeng you know this new cultivator is older than Sen but suddenly that’s ok because he thinks she’s hot…
Sen went counter to so many ideals and principles that he has maintained the entire time and when he went full scumbag over Lifen I am just done with this series. Sadly plot armor won’t let Sen die as the MC but you can hope.
July 23, 2024
Review of Books 1-3.
A decent albeit a tedious read. It's a meandering slice of life'esque read, which (as at v7 in RR) doesn't seem to have an end goal.
The writing is good, but annoyingly dialogue heavy. Like nothing can happen with at least half a chapter of filler dialogues. And then we have the inner monologues to pile on it. Was ok initially, but gets more and more tedious that I was skipping entire paragraphs of conversation to get to the point.
The MC is pretty much unlikeable too. Cynical, suspicious and prone to anger induced violence. Though fundamentally good at heart, he's one of those better kept at arms length, making him a difficult character to read/follow. Well written and realistic given his background, but still unlikeable.
Book 3 was probably the best, taut and action packed despite having the above flaws.
I'll give it a few more chapters, but I'm unlikely to continue.
5.5/10
A decent albeit a tedious read. It's a meandering slice of life'esque read, which (as at v7 in RR) doesn't seem to have an end goal.
The writing is good, but annoyingly dialogue heavy. Like nothing can happen with at least half a chapter of filler dialogues. And then we have the inner monologues to pile on it. Was ok initially, but gets more and more tedious that I was skipping entire paragraphs of conversation to get to the point.
The MC is pretty much unlikeable too. Cynical, suspicious and prone to anger induced violence. Though fundamentally good at heart, he's one of those better kept at arms length, making him a difficult character to read/follow. Well written and realistic given his background, but still unlikeable.
Book 3 was probably the best, taut and action packed despite having the above flaws.
I'll give it a few more chapters, but I'm unlikely to continue.
5.5/10
November 30, 2024
An utterly fabluous story, engaging & entertaining from beginning to end
This is one of my top 5 cultivator stories that I've read and I've read soooo many. The MC is OP, but in a quite interesting and thoughtful way. He doesnt try to crush all his issues with violence, but considers before taking action. Yet when the time comes to throw down, he is ruthless and relentless.
I love that the story remains true to its roots in that the MC continues to be a wandering cultivator, continuing to learn as well as doing some teaching as he goes from place to place, interacting with people. Some are good but many are in need of chastisement. I look forward to the development of the relationship between the MC and Falling Leaf. There may also be some comic relief with the new lazy guy on the team.
This is one of my top 5 cultivator stories that I've read and I've read soooo many. The MC is OP, but in a quite interesting and thoughtful way. He doesnt try to crush all his issues with violence, but considers before taking action. Yet when the time comes to throw down, he is ruthless and relentless.
I love that the story remains true to its roots in that the MC continues to be a wandering cultivator, continuing to learn as well as doing some teaching as he goes from place to place, interacting with people. Some are good but many are in need of chastisement. I look forward to the development of the relationship between the MC and Falling Leaf. There may also be some comic relief with the new lazy guy on the team.
December 19, 2024
Better when being humorous than trying to take the sects seriously.
It's pretty good, but with some clear flaws most notably the moral dilemmas that Lu Sen gets into are always very black and white and abrupt and weird I do like that he talks about that afterwards and how he's figuring it out, but up to this point nothing has changed and I think they just aren't written with enough care or nuance. That said I think the series is best when not taking itself too seriously there's some laugh out loud funny moments and the best part of the books are when the sect is being ridiculous or there's crazy situations. The really serious stuff is also good when things get tense but the middle where it's trying to be serious but really doesn't matter should be rethought in some way. Overall pretty fun though.
It's pretty good, but with some clear flaws most notably the moral dilemmas that Lu Sen gets into are always very black and white and abrupt and weird I do like that he talks about that afterwards and how he's figuring it out, but up to this point nothing has changed and I think they just aren't written with enough care or nuance. That said I think the series is best when not taking itself too seriously there's some laugh out loud funny moments and the best part of the books are when the sect is being ridiculous or there's crazy situations. The really serious stuff is also good when things get tense but the middle where it's trying to be serious but really doesn't matter should be rethought in some way. Overall pretty fun though.
July 26, 2025
-2 stars for main char being incredible OP, and most strife feels abit fake.
—Starting at 3 stars—
+1 star for introduction of cat human! looking forward to this in next book
+0.2 star: Story is good. Alchemy/healing side stories could be better. Fighting scenes are perfect length.
-0.2 star: MC almost dies of hunger multiple times as young age in incredible poverty, but never thinks about food shortage, or helps/thinks about poor people when in towns feels off - seems it should be a character trait… but isn’t. Should be an introspection about it why he isn’t helping/thinking of it.
-0.2 star: Characters could be much better, especially old cultivators. They could/should have quirks, as seems to be a thing with old people.
-0.1 star: All chars seem to lust for MC still.
Rating: 3.7/5
—Starting at 3 stars—
+1 star for introduction of cat human! looking forward to this in next book
+0.2 star: Story is good. Alchemy/healing side stories could be better. Fighting scenes are perfect length.
-0.2 star: MC almost dies of hunger multiple times as young age in incredible poverty, but never thinks about food shortage, or helps/thinks about poor people when in towns feels off - seems it should be a character trait… but isn’t. Should be an introspection about it why he isn’t helping/thinking of it.
-0.2 star: Characters could be much better, especially old cultivators. They could/should have quirks, as seems to be a thing with old people.
-0.1 star: All chars seem to lust for MC still.
Rating: 3.7/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2024
Fantastic! There are not many series where each volume delivers so consistently.
I love how human many parts of this book are. While Sen certainly follows the usual cultivation tropes, it's times like when he worries about training Lifen because of the resentment it might foster or her variable response to him at the end of the day based on how successful the training went that makes everything feel really human. These are the sort of genuine interpersonal relationships you don't tend to find in other books in this genre.
My only complaint lies in the many month-long wait until the next one.
I love how human many parts of this book are. While Sen certainly follows the usual cultivation tropes, it's times like when he worries about training Lifen because of the resentment it might foster or her variable response to him at the end of the day based on how successful the training went that makes everything feel really human. These are the sort of genuine interpersonal relationships you don't tend to find in other books in this genre.
My only complaint lies in the many month-long wait until the next one.
July 3, 2024
I wasn’t going to post review
Then, I read the bloopers! I was actually laughing so much my cheeks hurt. It made the best ending after the passing annoyance that means I’ll have to wait till later for fourth book to come out. I usually don’t touch novels unless they’re at minimum a trilogy. This book however has had me invested in Sen since the beginning. It’s worth the wait. I waited for book three and couldn’t put it down. Just read the series. It’s worth it and definitely read the bloopers! lol what’s worse than a tribulation? You’ll find out soon!
Then, I read the bloopers! I was actually laughing so much my cheeks hurt. It made the best ending after the passing annoyance that means I’ll have to wait till later for fourth book to come out. I usually don’t touch novels unless they’re at minimum a trilogy. This book however has had me invested in Sen since the beginning. It’s worth the wait. I waited for book three and couldn’t put it down. Just read the series. It’s worth it and definitely read the bloopers! lol what’s worse than a tribulation? You’ll find out soon!
July 4, 2024
Absolutely Fantastic Series
This was a street orphan urchin who was just trying to hide from some bullies who accidentally used cultivation and a wondering cultivator found him. So he and his buddy and wife trains him and the kid works harder than anyone else they have trained and he endures himself to them. They are some of the most powerful people on the planet. But he just thinks he is adequate to go exploring. At the end of this book he’s headed to the main capitol to find a book. Great Stuff
This was a street orphan urchin who was just trying to hide from some bullies who accidentally used cultivation and a wondering cultivator found him. So he and his buddy and wife trains him and the kid works harder than anyone else they have trained and he endures himself to them. They are some of the most powerful people on the planet. But he just thinks he is adequate to go exploring. At the end of this book he’s headed to the main capitol to find a book. Great Stuff
July 4, 2024
excellent book, another great one in the series.
An excellent book, fast-paced enjoyable. Likable characters, including the MC’s minder. Plenty of world building, different locations and various different characters along the way. you can’t hope but like and root for the MC in this book he is trying to find his way and we readers along with him, great to see some character growth in him. I am happy with the developments of the story so far and I am. Eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, keep them coming.
An excellent book, fast-paced enjoyable. Likable characters, including the MC’s minder. Plenty of world building, different locations and various different characters along the way. you can’t hope but like and root for the MC in this book he is trying to find his way and we readers along with him, great to see some character growth in him. I am happy with the developments of the story so far and I am. Eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, keep them coming.
September 28, 2024
Supremely addicting
I will readily admit, I am not really into cultivation story arcs. Mostly they bore me, or lose my interest.
But this series is quite different! I have gotten so sucked in and invested that I have read books 2 and 3 back to back in 2 days, reading late into the night........just so I can see what happens next.
Ex story line, absorbing world and magic system, and a MC you actually like and rapidly come to care about.
Already have book 4 - and will no doubt finish it shortly!!!!!
I will readily admit, I am not really into cultivation story arcs. Mostly they bore me, or lose my interest.
But this series is quite different! I have gotten so sucked in and invested that I have read books 2 and 3 back to back in 2 days, reading late into the night........just so I can see what happens next.
Ex story line, absorbing world and magic system, and a MC you actually like and rapidly come to care about.
Already have book 4 - and will no doubt finish it shortly!!!!!
March 18, 2025
Rating 4.0 stars
A good continuation of the series. There were some setbacks for the MC in this one, but in reality those setbacks just allowed him time to become more powerful. Overall I am really liking the series.
A good continuation of the series. There were some setbacks for the MC in this one, but in reality those setbacks just allowed him time to become more powerful. Overall I am really liking the series.
June 17, 2025
Amazing read!
There's absolutely nothing that I can say wrong with this book. I love the author's writing style and I love the characters. In my opinion all details of the story are extremely appropriate and depth. There are subtle things that don't seem to matter when they're first explained but certainly do later as well there are many things that are explained just enough without going into too much detail and wasting Story Time on just words. This is not an author that gets paid by the word at least the book it does not read that way. It reads like a work of art!
There's absolutely nothing that I can say wrong with this book. I love the author's writing style and I love the characters. In my opinion all details of the story are extremely appropriate and depth. There are subtle things that don't seem to matter when they're first explained but certainly do later as well there are many things that are explained just enough without going into too much detail and wasting Story Time on just words. This is not an author that gets paid by the word at least the book it does not read that way. It reads like a work of art!
July 5, 2024
What an incredible series! Dontigney's writing and storyline is amazing and I find myself wanting more soon as the book ends. I wish I could read ALL the books in the series now but I know when it comes to the end I'd still want more of Sen, Master Feng... Uncle Koh, Auntie Caihong and more importantly Falling Leaf. It was a shock about Lifeng, but it made sense. November can't come soon enough for the next book!
July 13, 2024
This book was everything I expected from this series and I'm so glad for that. No part of it felt like a slug to read and the interactions made me laugh so many times. I especially enjoyed the main character's development as a person. He evaluates himself, his values and actions, and tries to be better. Not ashamed to say I learnt some important lessons from him. Definitely looking forward to the next book.
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