by adminGrandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Chinese: 魔道祖师; pinyin: Mó Dào Zǔ Shī, or MDZS[a]) is a danmei[1] novel written by Chinese author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, also known as MXTX.[b] The story is set in a fictional xianxia world where humans known as “cultivators” specialize in spiritual, physical, and paranormal pursuits to achieve transcendence from mortality. It tells the tale of the eponymous Wei Wuxian, who diverged from conventional practices and invented an unorthodox path of cultivation.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation follows several interwoven stories: two parallel tales recounting the events of Wei Wuxian’s past and present lives, the investigation of the mystery behind a fierce dismembered entity presently terrorizing the cultivation world, and the development of the novel’s central love story between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, his former classmate and fellow cultivator.
Within the world of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, issues concerning loyalty, classism, power and corruption, perception vs. reality, and ethics of violence frequently come about. The story is littered with true magical elements and supernatural beings, but the focus is on human characters in grounded conflicts.
The novel originated as a serialized fiction on the Chinese online platform Jinjiang Literature City[c] from 2015 to 2016.[3] As of December 2022, it has been officially translated into 11 different languages. The first two volumes of the ongoing official English translation reached The New York Times Best Seller list upon their release.[4][5]
Among its official multimedia adaptations are a webcomic, an audio drama, an animated series and its spin-off, an audiobook, a live action web series, and an upcoming mobile game.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is noted for the vast popularity and proliferation of its same-sex romantic couple Wangxian,[d] and for its intensely devoted fan community both within China and abroad.[6][7][8]
Setting
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Set in a fictional xianxia world reminiscent of ancient China, where human civilization consists of ordinary commoners and people who belong in the cultivation world, around which the story revolves. Cultivators train and work to accomplish superhuman feats in their attempt to reach transcendence from the mortal realm. Those with sufficient control over their spiritual energy undertake fantastical tasks such as liberating spirits, fighting malevolent ghosts and fierce corpses, exorcising haunted places or objects, and hunting down yaoguai and powerful lawless individuals. Their powers may be channeled through spiritual weapons, musical instruments, arrays, talismans, alchemy, and various other forms of cultivation tools.
The Golden Core (金丹, Jīn Dān) is a cultivated orb materialized from concentrated Qi—fundamental energy that constitutes overall health—within the body of a living person and functions as storage for their spiritual power.[9] Once formed, the golden core may escalate the user’s cultivation level, resulting in faster skill development and increased longevity. It is a crucial aspect of being a cultivator, as there are certain feats, techniques, and defensive methods that can only be performed with the help of a well-developed golden core. Core formation and development can be achieved through years of diligent routine practices such as meditation and general martial arts training. A person’s golden core is impossible to restore if destroyed or removed. Humans who do not possess one, or those who form it late in life, never develop a strong cultivation base and must rely on tools, techniques, or other ‘paths’ that do not require extensive use of their own spiritual energy.[10][11]
The cultivation world is made up of numerous clans big and small. In the recent past, the most prominent of these were the Five Great Clans: Qishan Wen Clan (岐山温氏; Qíshān Wēn Shì), Yunmeng Jiang Clan (云梦江氏; Yúnmèng Jiāng Shì), Gusu Lan Clan (姑苏蓝氏; Gūsū Lán Shì), Lanling Jin Clan (兰陵金氏; Lánlíng Jīn Shì), and Qinghe Nie Clan (清河聂氏; Qīnghé Niè Shì).[12] Each clan is situated at their respective region wherein disciples are trained in their specific clan-oriented ‘cultivation path,’ which they use in practice to protect citizens under their jurisdiction from physical and paranormal threats,[13] to gain glory for their clan,[14] and to improve their personal cultivation level. These pursuits are called Night Hunts, due to mostly being carried out at night as it is the likeliest time of day that supernatural creatures come about.[14]