Summary
ErGenverse is a series of Chinese Xianxia novels written by Liu Yong, known by his pen name Er Gen. There are a total of six novels written by him: Renegade Immortal, Pursuit of the Truth, I Shall Seal the Heavens, A Will Eternal, A World Worth Protecting, And Beyond the Timescape. The first five are finished, while the last one is ongoing.
Novels
Renegade Immortal
"Since ancient times, those that followed the will of heaven were favored by the heavens, but in truth, they were mere insects! My Dao doesn't follow the will of heavens, I follow my heart to walk against the heavens. I don't seek to be immortal, I seek to get rid of my status as an insect. That is what it means to rebel!"
Renegade Immortal is the first novel of the verse and tells the story of Wang Lin is a normal boy with mediocre talent that by a chance got accepted in a sect of Immortals. It follows his journey of hardships and trials as he changes his destiny to defy the Heavens.
The novel is made of 13 Books with a total of 2088 chapters.
Pursuit of the Truth
"Since the beginning of spring is no longer around, then why would there be a need for me to pursue waking up? I'd rather be in this darkness and search for the shattered figures who will stay by my side.
Since I would only see death in the world when I opened my eyes, I would rather keep my eyes closed forever. The only thing that will bloom before my eyes will be endless darkness. I will spread this darkness through the world and to all lives. Perhaps… this is my true Dao!"
Su Ming grew up dreaming about becoming a Berserker even though he knew that the chances of him becoming one were close to nil. One day, he found a strange piece of debris, and it allowed him to walk the path of becoming a Berserker. But would it be enough for Su Ming to become just another Berserker to protect those he cares about?
The novel is the second of the verse and is made of 7 Books with a total of 1484 chapters.
I Shall Seal the Heavens
"If I want something, the heavens better have it. If I don’t want something, the heavens better not have it! My Name is Meng Hao! The Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, I shall seal the Heavens!"
I Shall Seal the Heavens is the third novel of the verse and follows Meng Hao, a failed young scholar who gets forced into a Sect of Immortal Cultivators. In the Cultivation world, the strong prey on the weak, and the law of the jungle prevails. Meng Hao must adapt and survive, and yet, he never forgets the Confucian and Daoist ideals that he grew up studying. This, coupled with his stubborn and cunning nature, set him on the path of an Immortal cultivator.
The novel is made of 10 Books with a total of 1613 chapters + 3 side stories.
A Will Eternal
"One will to create oceans. One will to summon the mulberry fields. One will to slaughter countless devils. One will to eradicate innumerable immortals. Only my will… is eternal"
A Will Eternal, fourth novel of the verse, tells the tale of Bai Xiaochun, an endearing but exasperating young man who is driven primarily by his fear of death and desire to live forever, but who deeply values friendship and family.
The novel is made of 8 Books with a total of 1314 chapters + 1 epilogue.
A World Worth Protecting
"Lift my head and there will be no gods for one meter, on the three inches of my hand is the world."
The story follows Wang Baole, a young student of Etheral Dao College and one of the few who are capable of going down the path of cultivation. Though cultivation, he attempts to rise through ranks to become the leader of the federation and to stay physically fit to live a long and fulfilling life. However, the way of cultivation is ruthless and bloody, and not even a utopian world like his can make the path any less difficult to walk.
The novel is the fifth of the verse and has a total of 9 books with 1460 chapters and 1 epilogue.
Power of the Verse
As a whole, the "ErGenverse" is an extremely powerful verse with its foundation based on Taoism. Due to borrowing many concepts from there and the way the cultivation system works within the setting, with each increase in stage, realm or both, their power and abilities expand exponentially.
1st Step cultivators focus on shedding their mortality and entering immortality are comparatively and despite being the weakest characters in the overall setting have Low-Godly Regeneration due to being able to regenerate from their Nascent Divinities, Soul Manipulation as their attacks cause both material and immaterial harm, Law Manipulation and Conceptual Manipulation thanks to their understanding of the heavens and nature manifesting through Severings and Domains, different forms of Immortality and much more. Those at the peak of this Step can cause devastation across an entire cultivation planet, planets which are comparable to real-world solar systems in size.
2nd Step cultivators focus on bridging the gap between themselves and the Dao. They are capable of far greater manipulation of natural laws of the world as a result and showcase even greater control over life, death and the energy present in nature. They can outright annihilate cultivation planets, make entire starry skies go dark and even create supernovae and other cosmic phenomena.
3rd Step cultivators focus on the cultivation and development of Dao and are capable of destroying entire universes at the very least, stronger ones being fast enough to walk through time and all have mastered at least one Essence, a true Platonic Form, which is the basis of all aspects existence with one for life, death, space, time, truth, falsehood, beginnings, endings as well as far more. This allows everything from control over reality to manipulating infinite-dimensional space as they tap into an Outerverse level concept.
Above even them are the 4th Step "Transcendent" cultivators, who completely eclipse all others with even 3rd Step cultivators unable to understand and comprehend their existence. They can create and manipulate Essence and are essentially Daos unto themselves, transcending space and time and being able to decide all laws and concepts of reality.
It is important to note that not only are 5th and 6th Step cultivators confirmed to exist but cultivation has no end. As such, an infinite number of Steps and realms potentially await.
Xianxia – literally means “Immortal Heroes”. Fictional stories featuring magic, demons, ghosts, immortals, and a great deal of Chinese folklore/mythology. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. Heavily inspired by Daoism/Taoism/Buddhism. Contrary to the wuxia genre, Xianxia novels have more elements of fantasy, complete with magic, demons, ghosts, and immortals.
Dao – the origin and source of all things. It can be translated in many different ways, including The Way / Road / Path / Method. According to Daoism, it is the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of Yin and Yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order. In these novels, characters often try to gain insights into the Dao, which can give them supernatural powers or even control over aspects of the natural world.
Qi – the vital energy which exists in all things. The cultivation of Qi is a major theme in Wuxia, Xianxia & Xuanhuan novels.
Immortals – beings who ascended to Immortality through Daoist cultivation practices. They have magical powers, can fly freely through the air, and have a close connection to the Dao and the natural world. There are several types of Daoist Immortals, such as the Celestial Immortals and Earth Immortals.
Cultivator – a person who trains in martial & mystical arts, generally in order to become powerful and increase their longevity. Meditation and the cultivation of Qi are common practices among cultivators.
Sect – an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and/or martial arts. Typically led by a Sect Leader or Patriarch. With the help of Sect Elders, they instruct Disciples in the proper methods of cultivation or training in the martial arts styles of the Sect. The Disciples live in the Sect, which provides for their daily needs. There is practically always a strict hierarchy among members of a Sect, and respect for the elder generations is demanded.
Internal Energy – also called Inner Energy, Internal Strength, Internal Power, or Internal Force. The cultivated energy within a martial artist’s body. Utilizing it, a martial artist can accomplish superhuman feats of speed, agility, strength, endurance, etc… It can even be used to heal wounds and nullify poisons.
Cultivation – the process of improving health, increasing longevity and growing powerful. This is accomplished by cultivating Qi and training in martial & mystical arts. In many of these novels, the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an Immortal or attain godhood.
- Cultivation Method – a mystical art or collection of techniques which cultivators’ practice in order to cultivate.
- Cultivation Base – the amount or capacity of refined Qi possessed by a cultivator.
Insight – related to enlightenment. Cultivators usually gain insights by meditating, engaging in life-or-death battles, or going out into the world to experience new things. These insights are often needed in order to master techniques or advance to higher stages of cultivation.
Ranks / Levels / Layers – a common way to quantify martial power or the progress made in cultivation. In many cases (although not all) where these are used, there are 9 ranks/levels/layers to each stage of cultivation, with rank 1 being the start and rank 9 being the peak. After breaking through to the next stage, the practitioner starts at rank 1 of that new stage. The number 9 has a great deal of symbolism.
- Another set of commonly used terms are Early-stage, Middle-stage, Late-stage & Peak. For example, someone might be a “late-stage Core Formation expert” or they could be at “the peak of the Nascent Soul stage”.
- Half a step into __ – refers to someone who went past a realm but didn't fully enter it yet, only "halfway". For example, someone who’s “a half step to Foundation Establishment” is above the Qi Condensation stage, but still not Foundation Establishment.
Heavenly Tribulation – in some novels, a trial encountered by cultivators at key points in their cultivation, which they must resist and ultimately transcend. Because immortal cultivation (generally) goes against the Will of Heaven, the Heavens will send down tribulations to oppress high-level cultivators who make progress towards Immortality, often right when they enter a new cultivation stage. This typically takes the form of a lightning storm, with extraordinarily powerful bolts of lightning raining down from the Heavens to strike at the cultivator.
Spiritual Sense – also known as “Consciousness” or Divine Sense. An ability possessed by cultivators to scan their surroundings (far beyond the limits of their ordinary 5 senses) with their spirit. The distance/total area they can scan corresponds to the strength of their spirit. Also used in some novels to remotely control magical items such as Flying Swords.
Since much important information to understand the franchise is spread across five novels that are quite lengthy this will make it easier. That's why Ergenverse has a vast amount of explanatory blogs that can help someone who does not know this content to understand the necessary at once.
For those curious/interested, there is a reading order to Er Gen's novels: Renegade Immortal -> Pursuit of the Truth -> I Shall Seal the Heavens -> A Will Eternal -> A World Worth Protecting.
- Qi Condensation AP 18.10 Megatons (City level)
- Meng Hao destroy a boulder 722 Megatons (Mountain level)
- Foundation Establishment AP 40.25 Gigatons (Island level)
- Meng Hao destroy Mountains 72.52 Gigatons (Island level)
- Bai freezes a Sea 668.58 Gigatons (Large Island level)
- Core Formation AP 9.67 Teratons (Country level)
- Nascent Soul AP 60.7 Exatons (Moon level) / 607 Exatons (Small Planet level) / 6 Zettatons (Small Planet level) / 60.7 Zettatons (Planet level)
- Shaking Planet South Heaven 1.67 Exatons (Multi-Continent level)
- Revelation shakes Mountains 239.01 Exatons (Moon level)
- Soul Transformation AP 78 Yottatons/780 Yottatons/7.8 Ronnatonss/78 Ronnatons (Large Planet-Dwarf Star level)
- Vaporizing the Devil Sea 10.6 Ronnatons (Large Planet level+)
- Demigod AP 1.03 MegaFOE/10.3 MegaFOE/103 MegaFOE/1.03 GigaFOE (Solar System level)
- 2nd Step AP 19.2 PetaFOE/192 PetaFOE/1.92 ExaFOE/19.2 ExaFOE (Multi-Solar System level)
Supporters/Opponents/Neutral
Supporters
- Zaratthustra
- ZackMoon1234
- InfiniteSped
- Ricsi-viragosi
- Nepuko
- Daoist kon
- Sage Extermination
- The Empyrean
- Planck69
- Larssx
Opponents
Neutral
Characters
Wang Lin
Planet Suzaku
Others
Creatures
Meng Hao
Clones
Planet South Heaven
Fang Clan
Ninth Mountain and Sea
33 Heavens
Vast Expanse
Others
Bai Xiaochun
River Defying Sect
Heavenspan
Wildlands
Eternal Immortal Domains
Dao of Nirvanic Extermination
Locations
Others
Solar Federation
Vast Expanse Dao Palace
Other
Discussions
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