storygirl I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. You're saying cultivation is akin to the witches, trolls, and fairies of the western world, but it's the eastern counterpart? I somewhat agree.
Where I digress is that eastern cultivation stories have much more rigid sets of common rules and plot sequences. I've seen fairies and witches made completely different. You can get Disney witches and fairies, or you can get the very grim, dark kind. There's much more room for differentiation and "twisting" of a classic idea. As for cultivators, they all are basically the same with much less variation. Unlike witches, where there are also sorcerers, enchantresses, mages, wizards, necromancers, etc., there aren't any variation forms for cultivators. Maybe, martial artists? But those can be non-magical too, so it doesn't quite work.
My point is, I'd like to see something more out of the box. Cultivation stories fit too much into a common mold. And thus, the plots of many stories seem to be very similar. However, this is just based off my own observation which is still a small sample of many stories out there.
As for transmigration, once again, many stories fall into similar sequences. For example, FL goes into a body who was previously abused, so she gets revenge with the help of some prince who now falls in love her new strong attitude and face-slaps some white lotus concubine/princess, mean mom/stepmom/aunt/empress and other schemers. This is in a historical setting, but it's easily translated into modern with CEO as prince and white lotus as a rich scheming girl rival, sister, or friend.
Of course, transmigration can lend to different types of stories. And I don't hate transmigration. I just have yet to sufficient examples that divert from the above examples. In fact, transmigration is more broad than cultivation, so I suspect it's easier to put a "twist" on.
What I agreed with is that fairytale retellings are popular today. Cultivation seems to be like that in the eastern world. It just would be nice to seeing something completely different or twisted in such a way that feels very original and fresh. I'd like something that blows my mind and furthers my imagination beyond what's already been done. Of course, this is a very high task to ask.