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Cultivation Nerd #2
Cultivation Nerd 2: A Xianxia Progression Fantasy
The world of cultivation is brutal, unforgiving, and often rigged in favor of the talented. But sometimes, sheer intelligence is the deadliest weapon of all.
Being a cultivation nerd with mediocre talent in a sect full of geniuses is tough. But when the world descends into chaos, Liu Feng, a cautious bookworm, finds that reading books might just be the best defense.
Winter has arrived, bringing inevitable disaster to the Blazing Sun Sect. Monstrous beasts hungry for human flesh storm the territories. Liu Feng, with merely average talent (53 Spiritual Root branches), finds himself thrust into a bloody war, forcing him to ally with the maniacal and ruthlessly effective genius, Song Song.
Driven by survival instinct alone, Liu Feng must navigate the politics of the inner sect and ascend rapidly just to stay alive.
Book 2 on Liu Feng's quest to surpass all limits and defy the heavens, shattering the arrogance of all young masters on his way. It's perfect for fans of Unintended Cultivator, Cradle, and The First Law of Cultivation!
With nearly 11 million views on Royal Road, this popular web-serial has been completely revised and relaunched into this definitive version now coming to Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible, narrated by John Pirhalla!
Being a cultivation nerd with mediocre talent in a sect full of geniuses is tough. But when the world descends into chaos, Liu Feng, a cautious bookworm, finds that reading books might just be the best defense.
Winter has arrived, bringing inevitable disaster to the Blazing Sun Sect. Monstrous beasts hungry for human flesh storm the territories. Liu Feng, with merely average talent (53 Spiritual Root branches), finds himself thrust into a bloody war, forcing him to ally with the maniacal and ruthlessly effective genius, Song Song.
Driven by survival instinct alone, Liu Feng must navigate the politics of the inner sect and ascend rapidly just to stay alive.
Book 2 on Liu Feng's quest to surpass all limits and defy the heavens, shattering the arrogance of all young masters on his way. It's perfect for fans of Unintended Cultivator, Cradle, and The First Law of Cultivation!
With nearly 11 million views on Royal Road, this popular web-serial has been completely revised and relaunched into this definitive version now coming to Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible, narrated by John Pirhalla!
- GenresFantasy
596 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2025
197 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 17, 2025
Great
I’ve read the story on Royal Road, and I bought the book so I could support the author in a small way. Honestly, if you enjoyed the first one, I don’t see why you wouldn’t enjoy the second.
I like this unique take with the main character in the world of cultivation, and the way he tackles his problems. He is a very much an intellectual at his core, but one who knows how to make deadly use of the knowledge he has access to.
Overall, many cultivation stories run for 6000 chapters, 3000 chapters, and so on, and I don’t think this story will have that problem. It definitely has a potential to be long, but I feel like the storytelling itself is pretty efficient, very entertaining, and it makes you want more.
So if someone is actually reading this review, give the second book a chance, because if you enjoyed the first one, this one will be up your alley.
I’ve read the story on Royal Road, and I bought the book so I could support the author in a small way. Honestly, if you enjoyed the first one, I don’t see why you wouldn’t enjoy the second.
I like this unique take with the main character in the world of cultivation, and the way he tackles his problems. He is a very much an intellectual at his core, but one who knows how to make deadly use of the knowledge he has access to.
Overall, many cultivation stories run for 6000 chapters, 3000 chapters, and so on, and I don’t think this story will have that problem. It definitely has a potential to be long, but I feel like the storytelling itself is pretty efficient, very entertaining, and it makes you want more.
So if someone is actually reading this review, give the second book a chance, because if you enjoyed the first one, this one will be up your alley.
January 13, 2026
Needs an continuity editor. BADLY.
If the author doesn’t care about contradicting themselves, or their characters why should we?
Character traits, subplots, conversations, characters knowledge. All of it is forgotten for the next quippy dopamine cool thing. The stories own frame work is a mess and forgotten about. The kids teacher doesn’t remember he write a book. Or conversations about the third floor owl creature. Even the main characters constantly contradicts himself paragraph to paragraph. In both his thoughts, morals and actions.
This writing is just all over the place. Book 1 was fun and intriguing, book 2 went off the rails in soo many ways.
If the author doesn’t care about contradicting themselves, or their characters why should we?
Character traits, subplots, conversations, characters knowledge. All of it is forgotten for the next quippy dopamine cool thing. The stories own frame work is a mess and forgotten about. The kids teacher doesn’t remember he write a book. Or conversations about the third floor owl creature. Even the main characters constantly contradicts himself paragraph to paragraph. In both his thoughts, morals and actions.
This writing is just all over the place. Book 1 was fun and intriguing, book 2 went off the rails in soo many ways.
December 18, 2025
How is it BETTER than the 1st???
I haven't written a review in a bit, but hoo boy. This is a top tier progression fantasy novel. It uses the classic tropes as plot devices, it has main characters who would be traditionally considered evil, and its such an interesting world and story. Its better than the first and that was already in the 9.3/10 realm for me. Definitely top new series for progression fantasy for me this year, and overall in the top 5 for series this year. I can't wait for the next one!
I haven't written a review in a bit, but hoo boy. This is a top tier progression fantasy novel. It uses the classic tropes as plot devices, it has main characters who would be traditionally considered evil, and its such an interesting world and story. Its better than the first and that was already in the 9.3/10 realm for me. Definitely top new series for progression fantasy for me this year, and overall in the top 5 for series this year. I can't wait for the next one!
December 21, 2025
MC is slowly integrating into the harsh world of Cultivators; instead of injecting his modern views, he has become a realist who takes actions that necessitate the events he's thrown into.
The drudgery of cultivation is there, and it's good that the author lessened it.
The pacing, action, and world-building are there, which is good!
Overall, a solid 4.5/5!
The drudgery of cultivation is there, and it's good that the author lessened it.
The pacing, action, and world-building are there, which is good!
Overall, a solid 4.5/5!
January 2, 2026
A serious step down. You need an editor to deal with the excessive run-on sentences. It honestly felt like poorly set-up writing. Each fight was just a "I have this and this and this and this." The author constantly needs to tell us why xyz happens. Honestly, if a shelf were on a wall, the author would give us a lengthy explanation as to why.
January 7, 2026
An improvement over book 1. I feel the author is getting a better handle on the conflict between the idealism of the protagonist from Earth and the hard reality of the viciously brutal fantasy world. I enjoyed the humor of two different major characters thinking about each other "I've got to avoid him, he's obviously the protagonist and getting in his way will never turn out well for me."
December 20, 2025
Pretty good, 3.5/5 rounded up to 4
It's getting to be a little too "This is my Azula Fan Fiction" to me, but I'll probably still read book 3 and see if the author can pull out of it.
It's getting to be a little too "This is my Azula Fan Fiction" to me, but I'll probably still read book 3 and see if the author can pull out of it.
December 21, 2025
Exciting
The book flows as you read it in a captivating mixture of action and clan politics with a bit of cultivation. I appreciate how the book does not get so detailed my eyes glaze over. Fun read.
The book flows as you read it in a captivating mixture of action and clan politics with a bit of cultivation. I appreciate how the book does not get so detailed my eyes glaze over. Fun read.
December 29, 2025
So in the first book most of the horrible stuff takes place behind the scenes. In this book it is a lot more explicit and honestly, I didn't enjoy that. I thought the tone changed a lot and it wasn't what I was expecting from the series. It's fine but it's not for me any more.
December 30, 2025
Atypical
This series is all about avoiding being caught up in Xianxia tropes. An Isekai with enough brains to realize that the nail that sticks out gets hammered hardest. Enjoy the fun you get out of the tropes without participating in them. Enjoy.
This series is all about avoiding being caught up in Xianxia tropes. An Isekai with enough brains to realize that the nail that sticks out gets hammered hardest. Enjoy the fun you get out of the tropes without participating in them. Enjoy.
December 31, 2025
entertaining read
This book was decent. Definitely some good elements in there. That said, it felt like it was a bit all over the place at times. The Ye A plot is completely uninteresting.
This book was decent. Definitely some good elements in there. That said, it felt like it was a bit all over the place at times. The Ye A plot is completely uninteresting.
December 31, 2025
It's good
It's good. I loved how the tropes of usual xianxia were portrayed here. Conflicts arose, mc has more things to identify, learn and improve along with his increasing friendship with song song. The turtle is an added bonus as well.
It's good. I loved how the tropes of usual xianxia were portrayed here. Conflicts arose, mc has more things to identify, learn and improve along with his increasing friendship with song song. The turtle is an added bonus as well.
December 26, 2025
This series is scratching an itch. There's nothing particularly original about it but it is hitting a note that resonates with my psyche.
January 8, 2026
Fanfreakingtastic!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out!
January 7, 2026
did finish
What happened? The writing quality went down markedly. The attempt at faulkneresque writing was there, but the author did not quite pulled it off successfully.
What happened? The writing quality went down markedly. The attempt at faulkneresque writing was there, but the author did not quite pulled it off successfully.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews