There are a couple of excellent cultivation manhua out there that you must have read. And since you are already interested in the genre, as you are looking for recommendations, I have got you covered with this article. In this article, you will find not only the best cultivation manhua but also the best cultivation manga and manhwa that you might want to check out.
There’s one thing that bugs me with cultivation stories – almost all of them are exactly alike. And I will say it in the beginning, some of the titles mentioned in this article might seem similar, but you should give them all a try because they are just amazing to read.
To help you with your reading journey, I have created a complete list of the best cultivation manga, manhua, and manhwa featuring badass main characters and many fantastic supporting characters. Also, the plot of these stories is great, and the art is just legendary. So, don’t let me waste any more of your time; let’s just have a look at all the amazing cultivation stories you should read this year!
Best Cultivation Manhua, Manga & Manhwa (2023)
1. Tales Of Demons And Gods
Tales and Demons and Gods is the most popular cultivation manhua at the moment, with the main character being Nie Li, a member of the Heavenly Marks family. He used to be one of the strongest Demon Spiritists, but he lost his life during a battle with the Sage Emperor, and Six Deity Ranked Beasts.
However, that wasn’t the end because he found himself reincarnated into his 13-year-old self. As a child, he had the lowest talent, but now he is armed with all the knowledge from his previous life, so getting stronger isn’t that much of an issue for him.
Using his knowledge of his past life, he hopes to prevent the calamity from repeating itself, and to protect his friends and family from being wiped out a second time, all the while preparing for his ultimate battle with the Sage Emperor and his forces!
2. The Legend Of The Northern Blade
If you’re a lover of adventure, fiction, and action series, then this is one of the best manhwas you can read at the moment!
After the death of his father, Jin Kwan-Ho, Jin Mu Won goes into hiding to develop himself. At a young age, he was considered unfit to be master of the Northern Heavenly Sect because he did not know martial arts. However, after the Central Heavenly Alliance killed his father, his sect was thought to be eradicated.
While posing as a blacksmith, he learns the secret martial arts of his defunct sect and fights toe-to-toe with the Demon of Chaos, Tae Mu-Kang, before disappearing again. He goes into seclusion to train himself to master the fighting techniques left behind by his predecessors.
However, he stops his training when the only person close to him suddenly gets into trouble, and he has to come to the mainland to find out what exactly happened! But the mainland is filled with people from his past, the very same people who betrayed his father and his sect!
3. Martial Peak
Martial Peak is a fantastic cultivation manhua that tells the story of Yang Kai. If you are a sucker for the grass-to-grace story, this is a must-read series!
Yang Kai is born as a lowly sweeper in a world where power is everything. Despite cravings for the power of everyone, the trainers at Sky Tower do not make the journey easy. The Ling Xiao Sect’s martial art ways remain closed to Yang Kai and leave him defenseless and helpless against the bullies in his class until he comes across a small, wordless “black book.”
With the strength of the black book, Yang Lai joins the race for Martial Peak, hoping to defeat Sky Tower’s numerous tests and become a peak martial artist.
4. Nano Machine
Life changes very quickly for a powerless predecessor when he gets a visit from his descendant from the future. Cheon Yeo Woon is gifted with a “nano machine” by his descendant but does not know what to expect from the implant. However, his life changes very quickly.
With the abilities of the nano-machine, he rises quickly through the ranks of martial artists, rivaling even the strongest characters in the world, and becomes a great cultivator by stumbling through the demonic cult. Eventually, he finds a seal that houses ancient and strong demons, belonging to his father. Cheon decides to bust the seal, but would he be able to take care of the demons contained within?
5. The Grandmaster Of Demonic Cultivation
The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, or Mo Dai Zu Shi, has promised and fulfilled the job of giving quality content in action, adventure, and life lessons.
This cultivation manhua follows the story of Wei WuXian, a man rumored to have founded the demonic sect in his previous incarnation. However, because of the chaos in the world which resulted from his action, the other tribes ganged up and had him killed.
He is reincarnated into the body of a lunatic, Mo Xuanyu, who is renounced by his clan. When Mo Xuanyu is taken by Wei WuXian’s sworn enemy, Lan WangJi, the gates are opened to a series of adventures in which Wei has to fight ghosts, demons, and even other cultivators.
Although he must lead a new life and finds himself engaging in battles with monsters all the time, he finds joy in it and is even able to raise children. If you are a fan of the cultivation manga series and are interested in the adventure and love trope, this is a fantastic title to begin with!
6. Reborn As A Scholar
The first endearing thing about Reborn As A Scholar is the suspense in the plot! Each new arc leaves the reader guessing what the main character will do next. Weaving this suspense into an action-packed story of redemption, this series is a cultivation manhua totally worth reading.
It tells the story of a strong martial artist who was murdered in battle by a priest’s suicide attack. He died and later reincarnated as a normal human to a local lord.
In this past life, he used to be one of the most powerful martial artists in the kingdom, but in his new incarnation, he must learn to protect his younger sister, his family, and the new life he’s been blessed with. If you are a fan of the family trope, this is a series you should definitely check out!
7. Battle Through The Heavens
As the name implies, Battle Through The Heavens is an action-packed cultivation manhua that tells the story of Xiao Yan. Due to the absorbent powers of a ring he was given by his mother before her death, Xiao Yan cannot rise beyond a certain Dou. His case is peculiar because he was once hailed as a genius child!
Determined to be recognized, he goes into secret training and sets out to defeat an enemy he sees as the pinnacle of power – Nalan Yanran. However, during his training and after his fight with Nalan, Xiao sets his eyes on an even greater goal – the highest battle rank, Dou Di.
To reach Dou Di, he would not only have to defeat a host of people but also rise in abilities through continuous training.
8. Spirit Blade Mountain
Spirit Blade Mountain is a Chinese story about a young cultivator named Lu Wang and makes up for a perfect start for those who love to read stories with love for action.
Although there are many great characters like Feng Vin, one of the Seven Elders of the Ten Thousand Celestial Alliance, whose cultivation is so strong that it can shake the world, the story focuses more on the life of the young and upcoming but heavily talented Lu Wang.
With his friend, the erratic Wang Wu, Lu Wang must face the tests and preparations on his journey to becoming an expert cultivator. Spirit Blade Mountain provides a solid blend of action, humor, life lessons, and adventure and will undoubtedly keep you entertained! Easily, it is one of the best cultivation manhuas out there.
9. Soul Land
Next on the list of must-read cultivation manga series is Soul Land, also known as Douluo Dalu. This title stole people’s hearts with the story of Tang San.
Originally born as a member of the Tang Sect, he committed the grave offense of stealing the most secret art of the sect. As a result, despite being the most talented member of the sect and the only person who had been able to master some of the most difficult secrets of the sect, he was ostracized from his community.
Reborn on earth, he retains his memory and cultivation abilities from his previous life. However, he is born with a supposedly weak spirit (the Blue Silver grass). Despite being called a useless spirit, Tang San is determined to rise above the ordinary. How will he do it with such a weak spirit?
He attempts to do this, retaining some of his knowledge from his previous life as a master of the secret teachings of the Tang. Using this knowledge and the skills he gets from his new Masters and his friends, he soon shows excellent potential as one of the few strongest disciples and is taken on by a great master.
10. Apotheosis
Apotheosis is another great manhua worthy of being considered as one of the best cultivation manhua right now!
It follows the story of Luo Zheng, who is charged with the task of rescuing his sister. As he ventures on a journey of discovery, his fate gets almost sealed when he becomes a slave, despite being born to a wealthy family.
With his father’s ancient book of martial art secrets, he rises to power again and gains experience using a secret divine technique. Despite the numerous foes he faces on the battlefield, he uses his creativity and immense power to keep on rising to the top of society, all for the sake of saving his sister. Packed with both action and adventure, Apotheosis is a new-generation manhua worth checking out.
11. Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator
Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator is easily among the best cultivation manhuas. The story tells the tale of a man who had risen once before to the pinnacle of power in the Sects after cultivating for 500 years under one of the nine celestial sects, the True Martial Immortal Sect.
Chen Fan, the main protagonist, failed the final tribulation of the heavens, despite being the disciple of the Immortal Cultivator, the Sect’s Grand elder, and being rumored to be the next most likely cultivator to cross into the realm of immortals.
After failing the final test, he finds himself born into a younger body, having the memories and abilities of his previous life. As such, he must now go through life as a cultivator again and discover why he could not transcend the final tribulation in his last incarnation to enter the realm of immortals.
Through a series of fights for what he loves and against those who dislike him, his perspective on life has to mature more than before. But the question remains, will he be able to transcend the same cultivation he failed after 500 years of training?
What’s Your Favorite Cultivation Manga & Manhua?
This brings us to the end of our recommendations for the best cultivation manga, manhua, and manhwa, that you should definitely consider reading if you are a fan of the genre.
Before I conclude the list, I want to tell you that these are only a few of the cultivation manhua; there are still many titles I haven’t read, so I didn’t add them to the list. If you are a long-time fan of the genre, then make sure to drop your suggestions so I can check out some new titles and perhaps add them here in the next update!
Also Read: Best Reincarnation Manga in 2023