Top 15 Xianxia Novels in 2026

Xianxia follows Daoist cultivation frameworks where characters progress through defined realms toward immortality. The appeal is in systematic progression and clear power hierarchies. You know roughly what to expect: sect politics, breakthrough moments, increasingly powerful opponents. The question is whether individual entries do something interesting within those constraints.

The better xianxia novels manage actual character development alongside power accumulation. They give protagonists motivations beyond just getting stronger and create stakes beyond just the next fight. The weaker ones cycle through opponents without building anything larger. These fifteen have earned reader ratings suggesting they handle that balance reasonably well.