How Does As An Immortal I Only Learn Forbidden Skills Explore Immortality Challenges?

I ran into this on Webnovel a few months back. The title is a bit of a mouthful, but the concept is actually pretty fun if you like protagonists who play the long game. It's about a guy who's become functionally immortal and decides the only thing left to do is collect all the dangerous, world-breaking techniques everyone else is too scared to touch. It scratches that itch for a clever, under-the-radar MC who accumulates power in weird ways. The execution is a mixed bag, though. The early chapters are a blast, watching him secretly master things that would get anyone else executed. But the pacing can really drag in the middle arcs—it falls into that webnovel trap of introducing too many side characters and factions without enough payoff. It's a solid 'read on your phone during a commute' kind of story, but don't expect a tightly plotted masterpiece. I'd say it's worth starting; you'll know by chapter 50 if it's for you.

Alright, looking at 'As an Immortal, I Only Learn Forbidden Skills', the title pretty much lays out the whole deal. The protagonist, Jiang Ming, wakes up in a grim fantasy world with a system that only lets him learn abilities labeled as forbidden, taboo, or heretical. It’s a clever twist on the usual overpowered system trope. From what I’ve read, a major one is something like 'Forbidden Art: Corpse Refining'. It lets him control and strengthen the dead, which obviously freaks out the righteous sects but is incredibly useful in a pinch. There’s also a forbidden body tempering method, I think it’s called something like 'Indestructible Demon Body', which gives him insane physical power at the cost of being seen as a demonic practitioner. The skills aren't just about raw power; they often come with heavy social costs and moral dilemmas, which is where a lot of the story’s tension comes from. He picks up forbidden sword arts that drain life essence and forbidden stealth techniques that allow him to become a shadow—practically undetectable but considered dishonorable. I remember one arc where he learns a forbidden divination skill that lets him peek into fate, but each use supposedly carries a terrifying karmic backlash. The novel really leans into the idea that these powers are shortcuts to strength but they isolate him and paint a target on his back. It’s not just a list of cool moves; the 'forbidden' tag affects how every character interacts with him. The cultivation world in this novel is super rigid about orthodoxy, so every skill he uses is a rebellion. That constant tension between gaining personal power and becoming an outcast is what makes the progression feel weighty, not just another power fantasy.

I wish it was easier to track down. The novel 'As an Immortal, I Only Learn Forbidden Skills' seems to float around on a few of those aggregate translation sites, but it's a real patchwork situation. I found what might be chapters 1-50 on one site, then a big jump to chapters 120 onward somewhere else, with huge gaps in the middle. You really have to dig through search results and see which platforms have the most consistent uploads. The translation quality also varies wildly between sites; some chapters read smoothly, and others are almost unreadable machine translations. I ended up bouncing between three different places just to follow the main plot thread. It's a frustrating way to read, honestly. I keep hoping a more dedicated fan translation group or an official license will pick it up, because the core premise is fun.

In 'Seeking Immortality in the World of Cultivation', immortality isn’t just about endless life—it’s a layered, almost philosophical pursuit. The novel paints it as a paradox: cultivators chase eternal existence, yet the path demands brutal sacrifices. They meditate for centuries, shedding mortal attachments, only to realize immortality isolates them from the warmth of human connections. The prose lingers on the irony—how becoming 'perfect' erases the very emotions that once drove them. The mechanics are equally gripping. Immortality isn’t handed out; it’s wrested from the heavens through grueling trials. Lightning tribulations test their resolve, while inner demons whisper doubts. Some ascend by refining their souls into indestructible jade, others by fusing with celestial artifacts. Yet, even the most powerful cultivators fear stagnation—immortality without growth is a gilded cage. The novel’s genius lies in showing immortality as both a triumph and a haunting void.

You know, a lot of people fixate on the forbidden desire angle—the whole 'you shouldn't but you want to' thing—which is definitely there. But what grabs me more is the sheer loneliness of it all, stretched across centuries. That's where the real heat comes from, oddly enough. Think about it: a being that's seen empires fall and lovers turn to dust. When they finally give in to a passion, it's not just a fling; it's this desperate, aching thing loaded with the weight of all that time. I remember a scene in Anne Rice's 'The Vampire Chronicles' where a character describes remembering the touch of a human lover centuries later with perfect, agonizing clarity. That permanence changes everything. The 'forbidden' part isn't just societal rules; it's a violation of the natural order. You're engaging with a creature that exists outside of life and death, and that danger, that ultimate taboo, is what makes the pulse race. It's a surrender to something older and hungrier than any human law. The coolest explorations I've seen play with power dynamics flipped on their head. The vampire might be physically dominant, but the human holds the fleeting, precious mortality the immortal craves. That tension—wanting to consume and preserve at the same time—is pure fire. It’s less about spooky castles and more about this profound, messed-up intimacy that can only exist when one person is literally timeless.