Cog Cultivator (Xianxia) [BOOK 1 COMPLETE]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

"It is said he walked through fire and rain"Ramor-Tai monastery is a haven of the Wasteland - the place where heroic Cultivators can hone their skills through meditation and martial tournaments. For decades this place has stood as a bastion of humanity against the storms of war that threaten to engulf what remains of the world, though the Disciples of each Sect have agreed to a strict pact of non-interference with worldly affairs.So when a man made of steel comes to knock at their doors one morning, he is met with shock and suspicion.Jade-skinned beauties? Godlike powers? The ability to command the heavens themselves? These common dreams were not the desires of the machine-man. All he cared about was learning, understanding, and harnessing his Qi. All he wanted was an answer to the question: "Do I have a soul?"His name was XJ-V. This is the tale of his legend.

Cog Cultivator updates Mondays and Fridays!

Chapter length: 1.5-2k

Discord:The Iron Guild

UPDATE: As of 15/09/24,Book 1 is COMPLETE

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2024
Author: J. S. Boyd

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.2/ 5.0
Followers: 2,300
Views: 504,620

What readers say about Cog Cultivator (Xianxia) [BOOK 1 COMPLETE]

“Ok, yeah. I saw several people do reviews after chapter 7, just to give this story a try and I have to say this is the easily one of my new favorites. Not only is the story based on what is honestly. A very independent question. Would it gives a lot of char…”
Polyist's ApostleRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“This was a fantastic read! I've never read Xianxia before, and this was a great introduction to the genre. This story is incredibly unique in the way it mixes several elements such as post-apocalypse with a monastery setting, as well as having a robot as a…”
TheQueenofGremlinsRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

Polyist's ApostleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Ok, yeah. I saw several people do reviews after chapter 7, just to give this story a try and I have to say this is the easily one of my new favorites. Not only is the story based on what is honestly. A very independent question. Would it gives a lot of character development as well as worldbuilding even in the first 7 chapters that makes it possible for you to not only immerse yourself in the world easily but also gives you the opportunity to empathize with all of the characters involved. This is a very classic story with, honestly, some very easy to follow plot lines. But the way that it's being told is very cool. I like it a lot. If I had to give any criticism, it's only that the author has made it clear that english is their third language and while there are still some spelling or grammar errors available. It genuinely comes across as a passion project for the author. I am genuinely excited to see where this story goes.It has automatically made it to my notifications list to see when next chapters come. I don't know if this story is meant to be long or short but hopefully the entirety of it is as good as the first seven chapters if not better.
TheQueenofGremlinsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This was a fantastic read! I've never read Xianxia before, and this was a great introduction to the genre. This story is incredibly unique in the way it mixes several elements such as post-apocalypse with a monastery setting, as well as having a robot as a MC. Personally, I have never seen something like this before and I loved the way all of these elements were utilized to enhance the story and work together to dive into deeper concepts and questions such as the concept of a soul, and who gets one as well as one's place in the universe and spiritual connection.
I highly recommend reading!
Style: I love the way the story feels. There is a sort of steadiness to it that allows the reader to sink their teeth into the depth of the narrative and comfortably think about the big questions the story asks of us. It does not feel as though we are being spoon fed an opinion or philosophy, but rather presented with ideas from various angles to consider. The monastery setting helps maintain this foundation of a contemplative atmosphere even amidst high paced action. Due to the isolation of the monastery, a reader can almost forget this takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, but the author skillfully weaves in world building details to remind us of the dangerous world beyond the monastery walls.
Story: The pacing of the story as a whole was well managed with action packed chapters, balanced out alongside more contemplative or character developing chapters. I also found the pacing within the chapters well done also. A scene that stood out to me in this way was during a duel between XJ-V and Fai-Deng as their fight techniques were being described. The narrative slowed down alongside the description of how Qi flows and builds in their bodies prior to facilitating their attack. Then the narrative picks up speed as the action progresses. I thought this reflected what was happening for the characters really well.
Grammar score: Overall, the story is easy to read. It flows well and is
Face of the KingRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
1. the grammar and the language and the way the author describes things is good and very engaging it is not simply statements it takes you there by making you feel like the MC. it is mesmerizing and immersive.
2.the characters and their development are very satisfying they don't suddenly realize somethings there is a true time line and and thins happen so in response to this characters change.
3. the events are entertaining and not choreographed and premeditated they are both chaotic and expected, close to real life there are bad things that happen the story is not a sweet you get all buffet but not the total dark brooding i amma torture the people kinda thing..
4. the side characters are very good i love them the main idea of the story is very controversial and we are at the age we must consider them : "can the creation of man be the same as creation of god ? for is it not our purpose to be gods ? for what child does not inherit the legacy of the forefathers ?"
i hope it was a view into the story i like it will probably re-review it later cause its still 7 chapters in but i think the author is doing a good job and wish to see this story soar. \
shahrokh
RedSunLotusRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I can see the effort the author has put into this novel. It's creative , well thought out . I like the emotional depth the character interactions have with the MC , a very unique MC too 10/10 love it.
Keep at it author - sama , you got yourself another follower 💪🙌
NoTime..Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A very interesting story. I do not believe I have read something like this before.
It is incredibly unique. Has the potential for very good world building and extremely good character development. Though it is a bit early to say how it will truly play out.
I believe that this story is worth a solid 4-5 stars. The only way i could see myself lowering this review is if something catastrophic ruined the story in the future. But from how it has gone so far it seems very well written. I highly recommend giving this story a chance.
Blackdrake101Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So overall I really like this, I’ll give a basic rundown of each part.
style: I love how this story is written. The world and power systems are interesting with room for great expansion, and the description of the fights is quick and to the point.
story: so far I like how this is going. How it could continue I wait to see, but what I’ve seen so far is fun and engaging with a good mix of emotions.
grammar: perfect. The authors vocabulary is expansive and he clearly knows how to use it. I find his descriptions drawing me in to a beautiful world of vibrant colours and vivid sounds. The fights are well described and I can clearly imagine how each character moves during each blow.
character: it remains to be seen how the characters grow and develop, but I love what I’ve seen. Characters have unique personalities and goals which affect their every action. The character growth seems a bit fast with challenges being overcame a bit faster than some would like but I’m fine with that.
overall I love this story so far and can’t wait to see where it’ll go. Especially with the latest advancements.
GogmatRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
A good story overall.
Cog Cultivator is a xanxia story.
As such, you will find some classic characters; the arrogant young master, the harsh teacher, the strong one... And yet they evolve and grow through the story and time. It is well done, justifiable. The one villain we truly see, though, is quite annoying in my eyes (he talks way too much...).
I feel the author lack a proofreader. There are grammatical and orthographical faults, and visible hesitations in the writing which could be avoided. Nothing too important, though, it is still easy to read (I'm French, so I don't think it is too difficult).
XJ-V, the protagonist, is a machine. It has a very human feel, which is justified through the story and the lore, as well as by the technology level through which it is made, but at times it feels like the author forget that it is a machine.
The interactions between the characters feel mostly natural (apart from that villain!).
There aren't information walls in the story, we discover the world a little at a time though the actions of the hero. Naturally.
The Qi system has a slight LitRPG feel, quite discreet, while keeping the cultivation vibe.
A xanxia story, different enough to be interesting, with a good author who can still improve.
I recommend and expect a lot from it!
PetrikRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
While reading description, I started to ponder, 'What would the answer be like' and 'What journey such question will lead to'. Maybe it challenges the very concept of cultivation itself or it can lead to engages in debate with old monsters. However, as I began to read, I can't help but notice there's nothing truly new. Style is appealing, but all I can see is a determined boy with body made of steel, forging friendship and seeking a mentor who will answer question for him. Nothing foreign, just another human soul venturing on road of cultivation.
Is there no place for machine soul in the Great Dao? Maybe cold and calculating, yet wondrous all the same.
doombotRoyal Road
★★ 2.0
What appears to be a generic cultivation story, except that the main character XJ-V is a robot who isn't interesting or pleasant to read about. Every single character shown, from Feng Lung, to Master Longhua, even ones with less than a line of dialog, is an asshole. I don't want to discover more about these characters, I want them to be more interesting and not assholes, but I don't want to have to suffer through reading about them to discover if, maybe, they stop being assholes to each other.
Every character depicted in the setting, including those who realistically should have some empathy from their time outside the sects and wastelands, is either actively unpleasant or just generically unpleasant.
Chirag94Royal Road
★ 1.0
One of the most disappointing nobel i have read. When the abstract said that he is a machine, completely devoted to dao, i was expecting a cultivation novel where personal gain takes the first priority. Instead i got a novel no different from other garbage out there with only difference being the cultivation is the machine. But it's thought process, actions are all more naive than a child who has experienced war. To say the least the summary and title is completely different from the story. Why the hell would a machine care, if the world is inhabited by humans/demons in the future. It's a machine. It itself is a different race and can be built to survive any type of future environment.