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This may be my favorite romance tagged action novel, not that I have read many martial arts ones. The enjoyability for me is top tier, plus the emotional impacts in certain points of the story are alright. The translation is messy sometimes, and the world feels a little small compared to previous novels I read, but that's ok. Oh, one last thing, Keke > your faves (fight me!).
this novel is good.i hope to read next version. story is intresting i could not help to stop reading more.
Reveal Spoiler
Nothing but talking and forum chat. 100 chapters in and it could be condensed to 20 and you wouldn't miss anything. Author is a thief.
One of my favorite webnovels of all time tbh, it just does everything right. Good chracters good fights but maybe a tad bit too detailed for some people’s taste but it does not really bother me, GREAT ROMANCE, one of the best I’ve ever read and overall just a really great story! One thing this novel has is a soul, I can feel the love the author put into every sentence and apart from the rushed ending, I don’t really have anything to complain about. This is a story about passion, love and most of all, youth!
definitely must read, the ending is a bit abrupt, but it's still a very good and not very appreciated novel, Love it so much [img=recommend]
This is one of my favorite story's on here. It's definitely worth the time to read. The martial arts fight scenes are one of the best I have everread in a novel. It's a slow paced novel at the beginning and mid-way. It's a slice of life, so that's tobe expected. The interaction between MC and female lead (the romance part of the novel) is very good and well thought out.I think the novel starts to really get good during the MC's first solo tournament. The only complaint i have is the ending feels abit rushed.
Forgot to rate this but it's really good and I can see why many like cuttlefish that loves diving. 9/10
A nice story that has an intriguing plot., characters one can relate with and exiting moments do th end was a bit rush.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because of the translation errors, the typical mixing up of him/her he/she plus a few others. Otherwise a great story, a little slow at times, but with a well built world, good believable romance(no harem), and steady weak to strong MC. Would love a TV/Netflix adaptation.
Best and Most relatable story and MC out of all the xanxia/wuxia I’ve read. The translations could use some work but despite that it’s really enjoyable read. I really hope there will be a sequel to this Novel.
I really liked the slow and fleshed out romance. However I disliked how the MC’s entire life was centered around a girl. He would quite literally do anything for her including jumping off a cliff 1 week into their relationship. I mean, its kind of realistic for an 18 year old to be that down bad in their first relationship, but at the same time it was hard to read.
Reveal Spoiler
CuttleFish That Loves Diving is one of my favorite Chinese writer and since I finished his last completed story and the current one is far from over, I decided to proceed with one of his earliest work, « Martial Arts Master ». So, did this string of excellence date even further back ? The characters are of excellent quality, even if, as it is logical, not everyone has the same depth. The protagonist, Lou Cheng, is a very well made contemporary martial artist, obviously not with the usual callous attitude found in this kind of novel, although he shows ressources of strong willpower and lateral thinking, he has the refreshing normalicy of a modern young adult/student. Outside of martial arts and his passion for his girlfriend/wife, he is a serious, tame otaku as well as a good son and friend. Speaking of his love interest, Yan Zheke is a real deuteragonist in this novel (in fact, if not for her noticeably shorter « screentime », she would be a true second protagonist). She is equally well-written, strong and feminine, remarkably intelligent (often more perceptive than the MC) and driven. The rest of the cast is excellent, with each character having his own flavor, whether it is for the sassy best friend Cai Zongming (who really deserves the nickname « Talker »), the mentor, geezer Shi, the other friends, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke’s parents and grand-parents (all of them likeable and concerned about their descendants’ life, but quite different in their behaviors and backgrounds), the rivals, competitors and antagonists, all of them are finely made, this is definely a big strong point of the book. The setting is also pretty good, in fact I find that it is the one that best answers to the « Magical Realism » definition. It is our contemporary world, but an added level of low-to-mid supernatural abilities. China, America and Japan are all present (although with some liberties, but nothing major) with their real names and other countries are also present, but under different name (Gaul for France, Albion for the United Kingdom …). As for supernatural powers, they are part of the world, almost entirely because of martial arts, but they are not omnipresent (being a martial artist at a significant level is a full time job that relatively few people have the talent for, especially at the higher levels) nor omnipotent (martial artists are powerful, but they can’t go against the might of a state level, well equipped and trained army, even at the « Physical Invulnerability » level). As it is, the setting created here by Cutttlefish That Loves Diving shines because he has made it « credible ». On a side note, there is a patriotic bias of the author, but it keeps quite clear of the obnoxious nationalism found in a lot of Chinese contemporary fantasy novels. The power system is also quite well-made. In fact there are quite a number of them, all linked to martial arts (even distantly) but each with distinct characteristics, strength, weaknesses and cultural background. One is clearly based in the hard body training of Muay Thai, a Japanese one has clear influence of Karate’s Kiai, others in America and Europe are based in Christianism, Satanism, Animism/New Age, and I leave the Egyptian one and the rest to your imagination. The most detailed system is the Chinese one (logical) and it is quite diverse in itself (one sect is Buddhist, another Taoist and pretty much everyone at high level has powers related to one or more elements), unified by the various stage the martial artists go through : Body Refining, Dan Qi (use of Chi), Inhuman (acquisition and /or reinforcement of supernatural abilities) and Physical Invulnerability (relative). The protagonist is a peculiar case, as due to events I won’t spoil here, he includes elements of the mostly abandonned Cultivation system in his martial arts path, which makes him a bit of a trailblazer and is a significant part of the plot. For the plot, sadly it is where it shows that the author was writing one of his early novel. The story is good, but he tried to include too many genres into one. You see, Martial Arts Master is a martial art novel, a sport novel, a romance novel and a cultivation novel, all rolled into one. And while Cuttlefish tries to keep every plot type separated in its own chapters, it is simply too much, even if each element is very good by itself (especially the cultivation and romance parts, which seem natural and believable). Add to that long chapters (good to keep most fights in one chapter) with pacing problems (mostly due to the overwhelming number of tournaments chapters compaired to other types of action chapters), and you get a story that, while being good, very good in some parts, is also rather heavy to digest, forcing the reader to take breaks regularly (which is a pity, as the food scene are very good ; clearly Cuttlefish is a gourmet). The somewhat abrupt ending is, for this reason, appreciated. The translation is pretty good, especially for the description during combat, although with (I may be mistaken) some technique names of the side character change from one chapter to the other. So, in conclusion, Martial Arts Master is clearly an early novel of Cuttlefish That Loves Diving : the characters are excellent, the setting and power system are very good but the plot, although good, is overstuffed and suffers from pacing issues (something the author greatly improved in his next novels). With the few translation problem found there, you got a good story, with some very good parts and some others you really have to push through. Overall, my final verdict is a 7 out of 10. It is obviously above average, but not in the same league as the excellent novel Lord of Mysteries and Throne of Magical Arcana (both 10 out of 10). P.S : Thanks to Cuttlefish That Loves Diving for writing this book and Larbre Studio for translating it.
I really like this book. not his best work. The ending was a little abrupt. It felt like he finished book 3 of 4. I need a that book 4 darn it.
A beautiful story with a beautiful ending… never give up on your dreams and if your lucky enough to find that one person that makes your life brighter, hold on and do everything in your power to appreciate that person.
this is one of the absolute best stories I've read on this site great character progression the romance/ build up to romance actually feels genuine the combat in detailed and exciting its one of the very few novels i find myself coming back to read again
Cuttlefish is Cuttlefish. Wonderful writing, interesting world, believable characters. I am gratified to have found this writer to be able to catch up on several finished novels they have. This is an interesting mix of contemporary, urban, alternative reality, romance, martial arts, fantasy... a real hodgepodge of genres that probably won't work for everyone. Focus shifts mainly between fighting and romance and both are well written. Honestly, the hardest part in this novel for me was to take a world where kungfu is real seriously. I was more ready to accept planet-sized Cthulhu gods and post-apocalyptic superpowers than this. Thankfully I reached the point where the MC starts getting magic powers which made the fighting scenes more believable for me (hehe) and I'm able to enjoy the story without reservations. Having mentioned the MC - he is less interesting than Klein or Shangjiao (can't be bothered to check the names, hope didn't butcher them) but has a naivete and earnestness to him that fits well with a young martial arts student story. Summary - typical Cuttlefish story, maybe not for everyone, but very well written and well worth the time if you can get into it. An easy recommendation for anyone who likes martial arts, romance or novels different from the usual cultivation claptrap.
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one of the best novels out there with no downsides other than few mistakes in translation in the first couple of chapters, very sad it ended
One of the best stories I read so far. Sadly it ended without further stories. I hope to read it more and hope the couple's children could be the leading figures of the next generation of martial artists in their own stories.
Translation quality fluctuateS wildly and is Very poor in some areas. Descriptions of fights are broken Up with very fragmented english. characters are fine, but overall story progrssion unde goes many major timeSkips.
OnE of my all time favorite novels. Honestly a lot of information given but hastily but it gave the story its own appeal. I do belIeve however that i am biased since i have followed tgis story From thE cery beginning so don’t take my words to heart and read for yourself.
Like my 4th time re reading this. love it every time, still wish it would have explored alittle further a few years down the road.
This may be my favorite romance tagged action novel, not that I have read many martial arts ones. The enjoyability for me is top tier, plus the emotional impacts in certain points of the story are alright. The translation is messy sometimes, and the world feels a little small compared to previous novels I read, but that's ok. Oh, one last thing, Keke > your faves (fight me!).
this novel is good.i hope to read next version. story is intresting i could not help to stop reading more.
Reveal Spoiler Nothing but talking and forum chat. 100 chapters in and it could be condensed to 20 and you wouldn't miss anything. Author is a thief.
One of my favorite webnovels of all time tbh, it just does everything right. Good chracters good fights but maybe a tad bit too detailed for some people’s taste but it does not really bother me, GREAT ROMANCE, one of the best I’ve ever read and overall just a really great story! One thing this novel has is a soul, I can feel the love the author put into every sentence and apart from the rushed ending, I don’t really have anything to complain about. This is a story about passion, love and most of all, youth!
definitely must read, the ending is a bit abrupt, but it's still a very good and not very appreciated novel, Love it so much [img=recommend]
This is one of my favorite story's on here. It's definitely worth the time to read. The martial arts fight scenes are one of the best I have everread in a novel. It's a slow paced novel at the beginning and mid-way. It's a slice of life, so that's tobe expected. The interaction between MC and female lead (the romance part of the novel) is very good and well thought out.I think the novel starts to really get good during the MC's first solo tournament. The only complaint i have is the ending feels abit rushed.
Forgot to rate this but it's really good and I can see why many like cuttlefish that loves diving. 9/10
A nice story that has an intriguing plot., characters one can relate with and exiting moments do th end was a bit rush.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because of the translation errors, the typical mixing up of him/her he/she plus a few others. Otherwise a great story, a little slow at times, but with a well built world, good believable romance(no harem), and steady weak to strong MC. Would love a TV/Netflix adaptation.
Best and Most relatable story and MC out of all the xanxia/wuxia I’ve read. The translations could use some work but despite that it’s really enjoyable read. I really hope there will be a sequel to this Novel.
I really liked the slow and fleshed out romance. However I disliked how the MC’s entire life was centered around a girl. He would quite literally do anything for her including jumping off a cliff 1 week into their relationship. I mean, its kind of realistic for an 18 year old to be that down bad in their first relationship, but at the same time it was hard to read.
Reveal Spoiler CuttleFish That Loves Diving is one of my favorite Chinese writer and since I finished his last completed story and the current one is far from over, I decided to proceed with one of his earliest work, « Martial Arts Master ». So, did this string of excellence date even further back ? The characters are of excellent quality, even if, as it is logical, not everyone has the same depth. The protagonist, Lou Cheng, is a very well made contemporary martial artist, obviously not with the usual callous attitude found in this kind of novel, although he shows ressources of strong willpower and lateral thinking, he has the refreshing normalicy of a modern young adult/student. Outside of martial arts and his passion for his girlfriend/wife, he is a serious, tame otaku as well as a good son and friend. Speaking of his love interest, Yan Zheke is a real deuteragonist in this novel (in fact, if not for her noticeably shorter « screentime », she would be a true second protagonist). She is equally well-written, strong and feminine, remarkably intelligent (often more perceptive than the MC) and driven. The rest of the cast is excellent, with each character having his own flavor, whether it is for the sassy best friend Cai Zongming (who really deserves the nickname « Talker »), the mentor, geezer Shi, the other friends, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke’s parents and grand-parents (all of them likeable and concerned about their descendants’ life, but quite different in their behaviors and backgrounds), the rivals, competitors and antagonists, all of them are finely made, this is definely a big strong point of the book. The setting is also pretty good, in fact I find that it is the one that best answers to the « Magical Realism » definition. It is our contemporary world, but an added level of low-to-mid supernatural abilities. China, America and Japan are all present (although with some liberties, but nothing major) with their real names and other countries are also present, but under different name (Gaul for France, Albion for the United Kingdom …). As for supernatural powers, they are part of the world, almost entirely because of martial arts, but they are not omnipresent (being a martial artist at a significant level is a full time job that relatively few people have the talent for, especially at the higher levels) nor omnipotent (martial artists are powerful, but they can’t go against the might of a state level, well equipped and trained army, even at the « Physical Invulnerability » level). As it is, the setting created here by Cutttlefish That Loves Diving shines because he has made it « credible ». On a side note, there is a patriotic bias of the author, but it keeps quite clear of the obnoxious nationalism found in a lot of Chinese contemporary fantasy novels. The power system is also quite well-made. In fact there are quite a number of them, all linked to martial arts (even distantly) but each with distinct characteristics, strength, weaknesses and cultural background. One is clearly based in the hard body training of Muay Thai, a Japanese one has clear influence of Karate’s Kiai, others in America and Europe are based in Christianism, Satanism, Animism/New Age, and I leave the Egyptian one and the rest to your imagination. The most detailed system is the Chinese one (logical) and it is quite diverse in itself (one sect is Buddhist, another Taoist and pretty much everyone at high level has powers related to one or more elements), unified by the various stage the martial artists go through : Body Refining, Dan Qi (use of Chi), Inhuman (acquisition and /or reinforcement of supernatural abilities) and Physical Invulnerability (relative). The protagonist is a peculiar case, as due to events I won’t spoil here, he includes elements of the mostly abandonned Cultivation system in his martial arts path, which makes him a bit of a trailblazer and is a significant part of the plot. For the plot, sadly it is where it shows that the author was writing one of his early novel. The story is good, but he tried to include too many genres into one. You see, Martial Arts Master is a martial art novel, a sport novel, a romance novel and a cultivation novel, all rolled into one. And while Cuttlefish tries to keep every plot type separated in its own chapters, it is simply too much, even if each element is very good by itself (especially the cultivation and romance parts, which seem natural and believable). Add to that long chapters (good to keep most fights in one chapter) with pacing problems (mostly due to the overwhelming number of tournaments chapters compaired to other types of action chapters), and you get a story that, while being good, very good in some parts, is also rather heavy to digest, forcing the reader to take breaks regularly (which is a pity, as the food scene are very good ; clearly Cuttlefish is a gourmet). The somewhat abrupt ending is, for this reason, appreciated. The translation is pretty good, especially for the description during combat, although with (I may be mistaken) some technique names of the side character change from one chapter to the other. So, in conclusion, Martial Arts Master is clearly an early novel of Cuttlefish That Loves Diving : the characters are excellent, the setting and power system are very good but the plot, although good, is overstuffed and suffers from pacing issues (something the author greatly improved in his next novels). With the few translation problem found there, you got a good story, with some very good parts and some others you really have to push through. Overall, my final verdict is a 7 out of 10. It is obviously above average, but not in the same league as the excellent novel Lord of Mysteries and Throne of Magical Arcana (both 10 out of 10). P.S : Thanks to Cuttlefish That Loves Diving for writing this book and Larbre Studio for translating it.
I really like this book. not his best work. The ending was a little abrupt. It felt like he finished book 3 of 4. I need a that book 4 darn it.
A beautiful story with a beautiful ending… never give up on your dreams and if your lucky enough to find that one person that makes your life brighter, hold on and do everything in your power to appreciate that person.
this is one of the absolute best stories I've read on this site great character progression the romance/ build up to romance actually feels genuine the combat in detailed and exciting its one of the very few novels i find myself coming back to read again
Cuttlefish is Cuttlefish. Wonderful writing, interesting world, believable characters. I am gratified to have found this writer to be able to catch up on several finished novels they have. This is an interesting mix of contemporary, urban, alternative reality, romance, martial arts, fantasy... a real hodgepodge of genres that probably won't work for everyone. Focus shifts mainly between fighting and romance and both are well written. Honestly, the hardest part in this novel for me was to take a world where kungfu is real seriously. I was more ready to accept planet-sized Cthulhu gods and post-apocalyptic superpowers than this. Thankfully I reached the point where the MC starts getting magic powers which made the fighting scenes more believable for me (hehe) and I'm able to enjoy the story without reservations. Having mentioned the MC - he is less interesting than Klein or Shangjiao (can't be bothered to check the names, hope didn't butcher them) but has a naivete and earnestness to him that fits well with a young martial arts student story. Summary - typical Cuttlefish story, maybe not for everyone, but very well written and well worth the time if you can get into it. An easy recommendation for anyone who likes martial arts, romance or novels different from the usual cultivation claptrap.
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one of the best novels out there with no downsides other than few mistakes in translation in the first couple of chapters, very sad it ended
One of the best stories I read so far. Sadly it ended without further stories. I hope to read it more and hope the couple's children could be the leading figures of the next generation of martial artists in their own stories.
Translation quality fluctuateS wildly and is Very poor in some areas. Descriptions of fights are broken Up with very fragmented english. characters are fine, but overall story progrssion unde goes many major timeSkips.
OnE of my all time favorite novels. Honestly a lot of information given but hastily but it gave the story its own appeal. I do belIeve however that i am biased since i have followed tgis story From thE cery beginning so don’t take my words to heart and read for yourself.
Like my 4th time re reading this. love it every time, still wish it would have explored alittle further a few years down the road.