So I'm hoping for a novel where the author cares about how the world building will progress, the mental state of the MC same as his emotional one. Also hopes the side-kicks and his enemies also have progression on how they act. One of the example I can quote is in a cultivation novel where MC is a 20 y/o hairless boi vs a 500+ y/o monster that has experienced tons of shit but gets 'outwited' on how 'genius' the MC is (Plot Armor), and how the young masters of prestigious clan tries to be like a brain-dead saying 'How dare you fight back when someone is crippling you', 'how dare you ignore this great one' then they get fcked up. I mean really? How low is the education of a prestigious clan that they produce that kind of idiot. Same as the MC shouting POWER of FRIENDSHIP and *slash* *slash* then slaughter with the background music of him shouting 'MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA' There is also one thing I'm curious, how does the enemies get surprised when the MC sneaks then shouting at them 'HAAAAAA' like wtf? •-• You get what I mean? ._. There is also the 'love at first sight' type of girls then MC creates a harem, I think love at first sight is utter bullshit I mean are you even going to fall in love to a stranger you just saw just by his/her looks? •-• Soooo.... All in all, what I'm saying is at least the characters must have a lil bit of bottom line. I ain't shunning the weird traditions like 'touch my leg and you must marry me' cause that's the authors problem. I just want a progression for IMPROVEMENT and not they cause a DOWNFALL the longer the novel cause they should just finish it. One of the likeable novels for me is Reverend Insanity because of how the MC isn't an imnopotent guy that can solve every problem all the way ~ (He can also be tricked, plotted and be used just like a normal fckin human, and those around him shows their worth for their long existence)
Also, how many 'beauties that can cause a downfall to a kingdom' can there be in a city? Do they converge in a little place, like really?
I Might Be a Fake Cultivator,it's essentially a parody of the cultivation genre, Lord of Mysteries, one of the best cn novels that I have read,Way of the Devil,an op protagonist done right in a cruel but realistic feeling world,etc
There are also ergen novels,the early ones atleast the MC's suffer a lot,there is zhuxian,which shows a realistic morally grey world where the said villians are 1d cardboard cutouts and how well I won't spoil the plot twists but they are big
Er gen is fairly mediocre. If you want realistic characters you will have to dodge most, if not all, cultivation novels.
Zhu Xian The only slighty believable xianxia I ever read, it full of characters emotion and turmoil, reading it always make me sad and happy