Cautiously Cultivating Immortality in a Strange World Chapter 365 Discussion

1) What is about?

Is a slow story about failed cultivator middle-age (40-ish) guy, that gain a relative "weak-cheat" power that is pure auxiliar in production.

Spoiler

"he will succeed at least 1 in 10 tries, each time he tries to create something." However, only if he "follow all the correct steps, with correct materials, methods", so he need real recipe, have the materials/equipment necessary, and know at least how to follow the steps, then he need to fail 9 times and then in the 10th time it will succeed.

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His talent for cultivation, from reaching the next lvl to mastering magic skills, are still bad to mediocre even 300 later. Making up his flaws with money and pills.

The MC himself, quick become capable of being ruthless and decisive when the situation calls for it, as well able to scheme against more powerful enemies as well when to bow his head and wait for a good time, as well prepare escape routes. However his cautious nature may be a little too much and the author struggle to keep it interesting without relying on hotheadedness of average cultivation MC. More of this point later. Also despise the fact is a "isekai" as usually it barely even come out and you might ignore it.

2) My overall thoughts about it

I must say that is one of the "most interesting" in the cultivation genre, and with a title like that, you know exactle what kind of MC you are getting, so my main complaing is not as valid on how that may be "too much caution" is not as valid. And if you are tired of hothead MCs that make dumb decision without think you may find this a breath of fresh air.

Regarding overall plot development and worldbuilding is pretty good. When it come to small arc plot has some interesting elements but feel rushed or the MC didn't take enough active role at it. While is not as bad as japanese isekai that the MC is often complete passive yes-man, there are more than one time where he will be just a piece to someone else plan and he is not interested in seeking much more in deep in other characters lore, that hurt specially in the realm of character and dialogue. Even if we hear about interesting plot and counter-plots, when we don't interact or get invested in the character or the fight is not as interesting as it could have been.

3) More detailed good and bad points

However, this cultivation world is more "realistic/grim" than others and terrible things happen to good people, man, woman and some times even the recently introduced jade beauty may endup terrible the next time he meet them. At same time fights are often quick and blood affairs, with little to no banter or conversation and given the weakness of the MC items are dangerous hidden cards that anyone may carry to kill even somone of superior cultivation realm. While you can expect that good numbers of battles have a "planning" involved, both in take the ramification of killing that person in consideration to leading then to 20 years in the making trap.

Also don't expect "sect/school arc" the MC is old man in both body and heart, he will wonder around and when he join any forces is clearly a more bussiness/employee relationship. So at least until now, no tournament, test or explored inheretance.

Instead is on the very first arc that we learn that this world is not your "generic" cultivation world, the world is clearly "poor/weak" compared to what you expect and you will learn why, also there are "Weirdness" and situations that often escape the confines of the magic of the cultivators and can cause all kinds of strange things. As well a relative novel "cultivation method" that one of the main villains use. Lastly there is a thought put in make the world and character "living" outside the MC influency, when major events happens far away that affect the MC or character that he meet again clearly had UPs and Downs in their life.

Like most cultivation novels, characters and dialogue is rather mediocre. In part because there are no secundary characters, all others characters feel like they are temporary side characters the author barely show him interacting with them. Even when it come to Romance, you really can't buy it because all their buildup intimacy are implied to have happened in time skips, while dialogue that you do see is mostly utilitarian to advance the next scene or exposition. The author wouldn't show more than 1 scene where they crack jokes and say how they are friends for so many years or how theses words are clearly fake and they are probing each other for weakness while talking or something. That get worse because the MC reluctance to take risk make him even more unlike to seek others and their interaction are relative short before the MC feels danger and escape to new place and no real plot involve that character is ever satisfied followed, at best we hear later how they endup.

In fact:

Spoiler

after end of a small arc, timeskip tells us that the MC has made friendship with 2 others cultivators while travelig and beside 1 chapter talking about then and how they become friends that the MC himself had confirmed in his monologue, the very next chapter we have another time skip telling how both endup dying a few years ago.

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Beside the characters, the biggest critique is how the MC take the "cautiou" too far and get you annoyed and slight bored, if the world wasn't always changing and pushing him or him believing he is being at risk and retreat to a new area, we are sure that would be story of the most boring man alive. Following the "slow and steady" aproach, the MC can always use his cheat to fund his training in safety without going to "seek oportunity". That get to the point that even characters inside the story point out that his excessive caution is his biggest flaw. Worse yet, you can't really fault some of his aproach, his decision are rational and recklessness and greedy often get punished by swift demise while the MC 3 hidden cards and trying to run away when possible is keeping him alive.

Another problem is the "luck" aspect, that is pushing a little "too much". Specially when it come to romance. The MC is so Rizzless and without intention of pursuing some lady, that the author had to make complete inexplicable make situations that either he is in the right time and right place to gain trust of powerful and beautiful woman, that even the MC himself can't understand why they have fallen for him. That get worse when he meet theSpoiler

Nightmare that will provide with so much oportunity for him

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Another thing that annoyed me:

Spoiler

Lastly it does have the dreaded aphrodisiac drug/poison trope, but is played just a way for the MC and the other party had le*d thoughts but he manege to resist the temptation with his extra cautions and clean then up and then even when they throw themself at his arms he just say no and leaves.

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