1. Setting the Scene: Why the Top 10 Annual List Matters
Every year, Qidian releases its Monthly Ticket Annual rankings, which determine the Top 10 most celebrated web novels based on reader support, monthly ticket sales, and overall engagement. Winning a spot here not only grants authors prestige but often results in massive royalties, licensing deals, and multimedia adaptations. These novels set the bar for innovation, storytelling depth, and popularity across genres.
2024’s list showcases a rich blend of urban fantasy, Xianxia, science fiction, and light‑novel style series—demonstrating how Qidian’s ecosystem rewards both tradition‑inspired cultivation stories and modern, genre‑crossing narratives.
2. The Champion: Fate Ring (The Ring of Fate)
Topping the annual ranking is “Fate Ring” (also known as Circle of Destiny, sequel to Lord of Mysteries), rounding out 2024 as the most‑voted work on Qidian.
Why It Dominated:
-
Continuity with a popular IP: The novel builds on the success and established world of Lord of Mysteries, carrying forward its dark‑fantasy and Lovecraftian steampunk aesthetic.
-
Strong reader engagement: Averaging high monthly‑ticket volumes and first‑order counts, it maintained visibility at the very top throughout the year.
-
Narrative depth: Its protagonist Lumian’s journey, combined with tarot‑club intrigue and layered mysteries, resonated with both existing fans and new readers alike.
Its success underscores how powerful sequels—when well‑done—can eclipse even original works in sustained popularity.
3. Runner‑Ups with Strong Momentum
These novels held excellent footing just below the champion, each offering standout themes and strong monthly‑ticket performance.
• Whatever He Asked to Cultivate Immortality (Who Made Him Cultivate Immortality? / Who asked him to cultivate immortality!)
An irreverent, comedic Xianxia tale where protagonist Lu Yang upends traditional cultivation tropes. It amassed average orders surpassing tens of thousands, blending humor with imaginative misadventures.
• Red Heart Patrol (also translated as Scarlet Heart Patrol)
A deeply emotional cultivation epic centered around justice, revenge, and heroism. Despite intense debate in the comment sections, it earned consistent top‑three positions in Xianxia rankings and featured strong, continuous reader support.
• Night Without Boundaries
Chen Dong’s new fantasy entry combined grand-scale worldbuilding with civilization annihilation, time‑space reincarnation, and cosmic stakes. It achieved extremely high first‑order numbers and stayed near the top of monthly ticket lists.
4. Versatile Genre Titles: Sci‑Fi, Urban, and Light Novels
Beyond staple cultivation and fantasy, several diverse entries show how Qidian readers engaged with fresh genres.
• Reincarnation Paradise (Paradise of Reincarnation)
A light‑novel style multiverse adventure: a young hunter travels through worlds based on popular anime and manga, growing his team and power along the way. It placed in the Top 10, noted for tight plot pacing and exciting clashes between worlds.
• Shennong Daojun (also The Dao Sovereign of Shennong, by Shenwei Xiaowei)
Merging agriculture, cultivation, and historical fantasy, this novel features Zhao Xing cultivating both crops and power. Its rise in popularity placed it among the top annual readers’ picks, with long stays in monthly‑ticket top lists.
• High Martial Era
Set in a high‑martial‑arts world where passion, honor, and combat interweave, it captured readers with its classic martial themes and steady progression, earning a spot in the annual top ten.
5. Genre‑Blending & Experimental Works
Several 2024 titles stood out for attempting bold mix‑genre approaches—infusing modern settings, strategic simulation elements, or suspenseful constructs.
• Extradimensional Hotel (also Space‑Time Hotel)
This sci‑fi thriller spins around a mystical hotel that bridges civilizations across time and space. Its mechanical technology, existential stakes, and time‑travel aspects earned fan intrigue and a high ranking in December’s monthly ticket list.
• 1979 Golden Age
A reborn‑into‑past urban novel: the MC returns to historic China and uses future tech and knowledge to reshape his fate. Its nostalgic mix and alternate history elements made it uniquely appealing on the urban front, landing in the top ten.
• Xuanjian Immortal Clan (and Scarlet Heart Patrol, close relative)
Both deeply invested in cultivation but layered with strange tales, character growth arcs, and philosophical stakes—a blend that appealed widely enough to reach annual top positions in multiple overlapping categories.
6. Frontrunners That Nearly Cracked the Top 10
Some notable titles came close, fueled by niche appeal or creative setups. Though outside the strict Top 10, they merit mention thanks to reader buzz and potential future breakthrough.
-
The Genius Club (by Cheng Cheng & Chan): A multi‑century sci‑fi thriller centering on history, suspense, and conspiracy. It earned accolades and significant attention as one of the Qidian “12 Heavenly Kings” authors of 2024.
-
Secrets of the Eternal Puppeteer (Advent of Immortal Truth) by Gu Zhen Ren: Loved by fans as a spiritual successor to Reverend Insanity, it topped fan‑vote popularity contests even if it was narrowly excluded from the annual top list due to recent launch timing.
-
Shrouding the Heavens, Perfect World, Terror Awakening and Battle Through the Heavens: Often included in discussions of Qidian’s all‑time “master pieces” and cited for author Chen Dong’s dominant presence on legacy lists—even if not among 2024’s commercial top ten
7. Analysis & Takeaways: What 2024 Revealed
• Franchise Boosters Win
Sequels to strong IPs dominate. Fate Ring’s success shows readers still invest heavily in well‑built worlds, and bestselling novels can elevate their spin‑offs or successors to new heights.
• Cultivation Is Still King—but with a Twist
While traditional Xianxia still fills the ranks, comedic, subversive, or genre‑blending approaches—like Who Made Him …, Reincarnation Paradise, and Extradimensional Hotel—prove that innovation is rewarded.
• Reader Power Defines Success
The monthly ticket system directly rewards what fans are willing to pay for. Even experimental or cross‑genre novels that gain traction can rise rapidly. Titles like The Genius Club and Secrets of the Eternal Puppeteer show how dedicated fanbases can elevate new works.
• Genre Diversity for Future Growth
Urban, science‑fiction, nostalgic rebirth, and simulation themes made strong inroads in 2024. It indicates that Qidian’s readership is willing to explore outside cultivation, increasing openness to alternative storytelling.
Every year’s Top 10 reflects more than just numbers—it’s a snapshot of evolving reader tastes, narrative trends, and the storytelling modes that capture the imagination. Ninu 2024, familiarity fused with novelty: classics returned stronger than ever; light‑hearted and genre‑mixed plots made noise; and reader engagement ruled the lists. As Qidian continues to support bold storytelling and ongoing series, its annual rankings themselves serve as a mirror: revealing both where Chinese web fiction has come from, and where it’s heading.
