Do you dream of living forever? Are you tired of the humdrum real world? Perhaps you are looking for an escape? Come here to the world of ancient China and experience Xianxia then. Combining mythical elements of mortal martial artists with Chinese mythology and Buddhism, expect to meet many friends, unspeakably powerful enemies, and sometimes a truly unexpected cliffhanger.
In our worlds, the ultimate goal is to become immortal. In doing so however, you will need a reason, your Dao. This is the "path" you follow. To protect, to grow strong, to be free, there is no one right path and even the way of evil may be permitted. The setting is a rural land in the time of Emperors. You will follow a young main character that can be of noble birth or common blood. He will encounter a treasure or special "cultivation manual" that will be incomplete. However, it will start him down the path to immortality. From a mentor he will learn what the levels of cultivation are, and what it takes to become a Celestial Immortal who can ascend to the Heavens, or the Divine Realm.
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There are no set levels of cultivation, each author creates his or her own, but they all generally start with the idea of martial artists who are more powerful than ordinary people. Gradually as they rank up they will grow more powerful and live longer until they gain the title of True God or its equivalent. Most main characters are naturally benevolent but also willing to kill to survive. They are not necessarily virtuous paragons as implied in western cultures, but instead just heroes of circumstance, people who were in the right place at the right time.
Along the way, a common theme is to find that an enemy race is invading from outside of their dimension. Many times, this race is referred to as the Demon Race, and it is the struggle between the two races which motivates the main character to grow strong and repel the invaders. Oftentimes there is a romantic encounter and the main character will be forced to fight for his love in the face of overwhelming odds and rivals. Several famous novels hinge on the concept of bringing a dead loved one back to life as their primary theme.
Of most novels, there is a concept of Heavenly Tribulation. This is the idea that cultivators seeking immortality are going against the "way of the Heavens". What this means is that when the cultivator grows to a new level of power and gains a longer lifespan, the Heavens will retaliate with a brutal tribulation. This tribulation is often a lightning bolt which gradually expands to multiple lightning bolts totaling to a multiple of nine. However, as the character grows ever stronger, the Tribulations also grow more powerful. They will have multiple parts, the original lightning which they must resist and then oftentimes there will be a so-called "Heart Demon". The Heart Demon refers to the demon within oneself. This can be a trauma or setback suffered which lingers on one's mind. Only by letting go of this Heart Demon, can one achieve Nirvana and an empty state of mind and pass the tribulation. This relates to the common Buddhist theme of letting go of mortal attachments to reach immortality.
