The Demon Hunter 3

As a young boy, Meng Chuan witnessed demons murder his mother, and he's spent every moment since training to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. That's the emotional core driving Cang Yuan Tu, and by season 3, the stakes have only gotten heavier. The Cangyuan Realm is a world where humanity is locked in an ongoing war against demonic forces, and Meng Chuan is deep into refining both his body and his soul techniques through a cultivation system that actually feels layered and thought-out. This isn't just "power up, punch harder" — there's real Daoist and Buddhist philosophy woven into how the martial arts work, which gives the training arcs more weight than you'd expect. The season picks up with Meng Chuan pushing himself further than before, facing threats that test not just his strength but his principles. If you've been watching Douluo Dalu or Tales of Demons and Gods and want something with a slightly more grounded, serious tone, this fits that space well. It also scratches a similar itch to Martial Universe in terms of the cultivation progression and world-building. Shenman Entertainment handles the animation for this ONA, and the historical fantasy setting looks solid. Fair warning though — you'll want to watch the first two seasons before jumping in, because the character development builds on itself in ways that matter.