Is Genshin Impact a good Xianxia/Wuxia Reference?

[ArchlordZero]

I'm planning on making a xianxia or wuxia novel next (around 2025). I am not familiar with actual Chinese lore so I'm planning to make some things my own, kind of like Qi/Chi/Chakra to Elemental Visions, Immortals/Demigods as Archons as what Genshin Impact did. I lack knowledge on cultivation novels (Heck, I thought cultivation only applies to food crops lol). So using my knowledge in the only Chinese media I played, is Genshin Impact a good enough reference for Xianxia/Wuxia?

 

[Kalliel]

Genshin is not even remotely close to a standard cultivation novel, wdym?

 

[georgelee5786]

I'd say no. You're better off doing research into actual Chinese mythology

 

[LilRora]

I think if you want very general knowledge, it's not bad. If you want to go into any more details though, it's better to read up on it more, because Genshin is kinda like surface knowledge without much lore.

Plus, cultivation novels differ greatly from each other, so either way it's probably better if you have multiple sources and decide for yourself what fits your story better.

 

[ArchlordZero]

Genshin is not even remotely close to a standard cultivation novel, wdym?

"More specifically "Cultivation" is a progression model often seen in Eastern fiction (xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan[sp?]) where characters get stronger by advancing the bodies & souls through stages derived from & representative of elements of Taoist/Daoist philosophy (& I presume other Eastern/Asian philosophies, since they all tend to feed each other to a degree)."

So this definition by the reddit thread is incorrect then?

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/cxok9a

 

[Kalliel]

"More specifically "Cultivation" is a progression model often seen in Eastern fiction (xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan[sp?]) where characters get stronger by advancing the bodies & souls through stages derived from & representative of elements of Taoist/Daoist philosophy (& I presume other Eastern/Asian philosophies, since they all tend to feed each other to a degree)."

So this definition by the reddit thread is incorrect then?

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/cxok9a

No?

Based on my experience playing genshin, there was little to no mention about Tao or Dao philosophy. You'd better off reading a cultivation novel.

 

[Cipiteca396]

I'm planning on making a xianxia or wuxia novel next (around 2025). I am not familiar with actual Chinese lore so I'm planning to make some things my own, kind of like Qi/Chi/Chakra to Elemental Visions, Immortals/Demigods as Archons as what Genshin Impact did. I lack knowledge on cultivation novels (Heck, I thought cultivation only applies to food crops lol). So using my knowledge in the only Chinese media I played, is Genshin Impact a good enough reference for Xianxia/Wuxia?

Genshin is a decent reference for a LitRPG Isekai... But for cultivation? I mean, with some serious changes maybe. But at that point you wouldn't really be using Genshin as a reference, so much as trying to use xianxia as a reference to write a Genshin story.

...If you want to write a Genshin fanfic, don't taint it with cultivation tropes.

"More specifically "Cultivation" is a progression model often seen in Eastern fiction (xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan[sp?]) where characters get stronger by advancing the bodies & souls through stages derived from & representative of elements of Taoist/Daoist philosophy (& I presume other Eastern/Asian philosophies, since they all tend to feed each other to a degree)."

So this definition by the reddit thread is incorrect then?

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/cxok9a

I can understand what you mean with this, but it's sort of missing the point.
Most of the 'cultivating' that happens in Genshin is purely a gameplay thing. The leveling, the material grind, the weapon tempering and refinement, the constellations- none of that really matters.
The barest hint of cultivation appears in that getting a vision is a bit like advancing to the next realm, and that Traveler gathering elemental powers could be considered a cultivation method- if it was focused on more directly. Instead it's just a gameplay gimmick meant to ensure you have a viable character no matter how poor you are.

The plot and characterization that happens is purely RPG. If you directly converted Genshin to a story, it would become a LitRPG, not a cultivation story.

 

[ArchlordZero]

No?

Based on my experience playing genshin, there was little to no mention about Tao or Dao philosophy. You'd better off reading a cultivation novel.

Here are some examples:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Lore/comments/163dhoq
But I get your point. I need to research more since Genshin is kind of watered down in terms of lore

 

[Kalliel]

Here are some examples:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Lore/comments/163dhoq
But I get your point. I need to research more since Genshin is kind of watered down in terms of lore

I mean, if you can dig that deep, then use it as you want. But I still recommend you reading an actual cultivation novel, preferably written by a Chinese author to really get that unique 'feel' that I think is important in the genre.

 

[Sleds]

No, genshin is not a reference for cultivation.

"More specifically "Cultivation" is a progression model often seen in Eastern fiction (xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan[sp?]) where characters get stronger by advancing the bodies & souls through stages derived from & representative of elements of Taoist/Daoist philosophy (& I presume other Eastern/Asian philosophies, since they all tend to feed each other to a degree)."

So this definition by the reddit thread is incorrect then?

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/cxok9a

It's correct but not for the whole genre. Not all of them use elements of taoist/daoist.
If you use genshin for reference, it would be in the world bulding, you can have gods who rules a concept/elements in your story, and have human or other races cultivating to have a chance to reach them (or never reach them, depending on what you want to do).


Their tons of novels you can get reference from, while being slightly the same, all cultivation stories are somehow different.

Here some reference if you need it :
Reverend Insanity, Martial World, Soul Land (Any of them, but better going with the 3), Super God Gene, The Desolate Era, Against The Gods, Godly Model Creator, Tales of Demons and Gods.

They are different in how the cultivation path are made and how they progress in it.

 

[PlatDragon]

I'm planning on making a xianxia or wuxia novel next (around 2025). I am not familiar with actual Chinese lore so I'm planning to make some things my own, kind of like Qi/Chi/Chakra to Elemental Visions, Immortals/Demigods as Archons as what Genshin Impact did. I lack knowledge on cultivation novels (Heck, I thought cultivation only applies to food crops lol). So using my knowledge in the only Chinese media I played, is Genshin Impact a good enough reference for Xianxia/Wuxia?

Honestly, as someone who can't do things imperfectly, I would just stop any of this and go off and read the typical, popular xianxia/wuxia novels to see what I have to do. Writing things about subjects I don't have full confidence in makes me so disgusted so I stopped doing so. That's what happened when I tried to write a Super God Gene fanfic/inspired novel and halfway through I realized I know next-to-nothing about animals for me to write them decently. You're probably better off just making your own kind of novel without xianxia/wuxia aspects and just take inspiration from genshin's power system if you really want to.

 

[ArchlordZero]

Honestly, as someone who can't do things imperfectly, I would just stop any of this and go off and read the typical, popular xianxia/wuxia novels to see what I have to do. Writing things about subjects I don't have full confidence in makes me so disgusted so I stopped doing so. That's what happened when I tried to write a Super God Gene fanfic/inspired novel and halfway through I realized I know next-to-nothing about animals for me to write them decently. You're probably better off just making your own kind of novel without xianxia/wuxia aspects and just take inspiration from genshin's power system if you really want to.

This is actually the advice I needed. No need to force myself if I don't want to lol

 

[beast_regards]

No. It is not. However, there is no rule saying you can't write a fantasy inspired by Genshin Impact. Or fan-fiction of it. Genshin Impact is an Eastern Fantasy Kitchen Sink (like many anime and manga and other games are). It is a thing. You can even slap a Wuxia and Xianxia tags on it if you feel like it. It won't be accurate, but does it matter? In the world of web-novels where readers can down vote you for using letter "a" does it matter if you actually label the things incorrectly?