Daoism Across Cultures: The Global Journey of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Abstract

The increasing global popularity of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation demonstrates the growing presence of East Asian literary traditions within world literature. The research argues that the novel’s global reception is not the result of cultural homogenisation but a dynamic process in which traditional Chinese philosophical thought, including Daoism’s influence, is reinterpreted through modern digital storytelling and transnational fan participation. This study examines how key Daoist principles are incorporated into xianxia world-building, tracing how philosophical concepts are transformed into narrative structures, character development, and cosmological systems. The research investigates how these principles shape the cultivation system, sect hierarchies, ethical conflicts, and protagonists’ journeys toward self-realisation and transcendence. The study considers how culturally specific values become accessible to international audiences while retaining their distinctive cultural identity. The study indicates that cultural hybridity enables readers to negotiate unfamiliar philosophical concepts, cultural proximity fosters emotional and thematic connections across cultures, and participatory fan translation helps extend the novel’s global reach. This combined process has transformed Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation from a contemporary Chinese web novel into a globally recognised literary work. The study concludes that the convergence of Eastern philosophy, digital media, and participatory translation expands the boundaries of world literature by questioning conventional models of literary circulation and demonstrating how culturally rooted narratives can achieve universal resonance in the digital age.