"The goal of cultivation is not mere everlasting life, but it is to pursue the truth." - Su Ming

Pursuit of the Truth is a Xianxia that feels a lot like Er Gen's other novels, but set in a more primitive cultivation world. Where Su Ming somehow cheats his way into becoming a Berserker, one of the cultivators of this world. From then it becomes a sort of coming of age story. Shifting focus onto the mysterious origins of this amnesiac MC. And it does get gut wrenching to see the... more>> frustrations & lamentations of Su Ming; a young man with no true memories, no home, no family or kin. Which the author milks for all its worth, to keep the slow paced story compelling, as it undergoes drastic changes from each advancement in cultivation realm. Realms that become confusing once we switch from Berserkers, to Immortal Cultivators and then other races.

Sure it's interesting how the world incorporates Daoist Immortals into the story and how they are perceived by the savage Berserkers. What's not so great is how the author fails to incorporate a single compelling female character. No love interest, family, companion or anything of the sort. And how Er Gen is still inept in writing large scale battles, without relying on suicidal explosions and how unnaturally long the author drags out the reveals. <<less

I can't help but give it 5 stars. Just finished reading it and I don't know what to feel. It's been such a long and fulfilling ride reading this book I feel that bit of emptiness when you finish a really good book. Like every Xianxia, it has its great moments, and its relatively boring moments. But the overall feeling of it is unparallel. This 100% a tragedy, where the MC is dragged through painful experience after painful experience as he grows and loves. Amazing character development and introspection for... more>> both the MC and the supportive cast. <<less

This novel seriously drags things out, to the point where walking up a staircase takes over 15 chapters. That's not even an exaggeration, I counted. There is also a part where all of a sudden there's danger, and the battle lasts over 30 chapters. It feels like author is just trying really hard to be dramatic while ignoring world consistency and logic. There's plenty of plot armor even for side characters, and the MC is constantly able to do stuff that should kill him and pull more power out of... more>> his ass just because he really wants it. <<less

some things bother me like there are only 100 participants in the exam but MC started at the 132nd place. Another is injured shenghan escape through the forest and the MC is in pursuit following shenghan footprints that lead him back again in the battlefield- why will an injured man go back to the battlefield where he is running away from it from the very start. There are many instances of this and its only in the first 100 chapter. Chinese writers tend to be lazy at the 2nd half... more>> of the novel and being lazy at the start is bad indication. <<less

I picked up this novel after reading glowing recommendations. I'm disappointed is an understatement; I'm annoyed. The characters have no depth. Motivations are suspect and superficial if not non-existent. The attempts at tragedy are extremely forced and vain. The dialog is hackneyed and corny. Progression is whack. Comic relief is bizarre ... more>>

Spoiler

(bear pubes? WTF!)

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. World building is inadequate and the imagery is not at all vivid. Some parts are not even cohesive. Whatever little Dao Comprehension there is reads like bullshit. The translation is subpar and error filled. Overall it feels like somebody copy-pasted parts from different novels to make it. I gave it an extra star because I like the author. <<less

The first half of this story is tragically perfect 5/5. It had everything the intrigue, the action, the suspense, the emotion. Yet ruin came in this novel as it does with almost all CN when the element of world expansion was introduced. That said even then it was still a great story for its second half. I just could not accept it because the first half was just wonderful and near perfection. The ending should have been exactly as written in the prologue that would have been the best. Su... more>> Ming is so near the verge of edgy it is near unfair to all those who cross it. As he just masters being badass so well without crossing over into cringe. <<less

Ok so, PoT, I started reading this novel a while a go and caught up with the translation, stopped reading it and came back to it once I knew it was finished.

And while the first time I read it I got captivated by it, the second time not so much, at the begging of the story its interesting, keeps you guessing and the MC has to struggle constantly against his fate, and other enemies scheming against him, and he struggles and mostly looses, and this a trait very importan to... more>> the thr MC he's not supposed to be talented, but manages to do greater things thanks thru determination. So in the land of the berserkers most of his achievements are totally his, but after (spoiler) he gets vanished to the Barren Lands, everything becomes Deus Ex Machina, everytime he faces a litte trouble, he'll come up on top of it just by being the MC, he gets supreme arts and treasures left and right and honestly it becomes pretty dumb, after that the formula it repeats itself a couple more times. Sure the history is nice, and not seeing the MC getting his goals easily is interesting until when every time he has a set back, he doesn't need to do much, and after couple chapter he'll be even more powerful than it was.

And for a character that struggles against fate which is the premise of this novel, he starts getting a lot of things without struggling, plus he's basically a tirant just cause, there's no real MC growth aftet certain point and that's a little boring to me personally.

Anyways I would still recommend it but, this is nowhere on RI leves. <<less