Master Tongtian

Biodata

Name	Master Tongtian (通天教主)
Alias(es)	Demon Saint Tongtian
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Intercepting Teaching (leader); Demonic Path / Netherworld (later)
Occupation/Role	Sage; leader and teacher of the Intercepting Teaching; first Demon Saint
Status	Defeated by Yuanshi Tianzun and described as retiring from the stage of history 366
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Xuanmen Sage	1	Appears as one of the Three Pure Ones and a prospective master for Meng Chen.
Demonic Path practitioner	142	Cultivates the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation to its highest level and manifests overwhelming demonic qi; his eyes turn black under greed, rage, obsession, and hatred.
First Demon Saint	163	Luo Hou appoints him the first Demon Saint of the demonic path, placing demons and devils of the Netherworld under his command.

Background

Master Tongtian was one of the Three Pure Ones alongside Sage Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. When Meng Chen arrived at Kunlun Mountain seeking a master, Tongtian accepted his choice of Yuanshi without hostility and offered future assistance if needed 1.

He established and led the Intercepting Teaching under the creed of “seiz[ing] a thread of life for all beings.” The teaching expanded rapidly, taking in thousands of disciples within ten thousand years before Tongtian stopped recruitment at three thousand. Its rapid growth also brought recurring disciplinary problems that he struggled to punish decisively 11.

Tongtian eventually moved the Intercepting Teaching from Kunlun Mountain to the Eastern Sea. Despite growing estrangement among the Three Pure Ones, he retained nostalgia for their former closeness and supported a Chan–Intercepting marriage alliance between Yellow Dragon and Magu as a means of preserving cooperation 59.

Appearance

After entering the Demonic Path, Tongtian is depicted in a deep crimson cloak, with black eyes and demonic light surrounding him 142. Later, he wears black robes marked by a black demonic symbol on his brow 213.

• Carries the Qingping Sword as his Dao-proving treasure 321.
• His demonic state manifests as boundless sword intent and dense demonic qi 142.
• When wielding the Way of Interception, he merges his form with the Qingping Sword 366.

Personality

Tongtian is naturally warm and approachable despite his Sage status; Meng Chen observes no trace of Sage-like arrogance in him 59. He is deeply protective of his disciples, treating attacks on them as a personal affront and repeatedly intervening on their behalf—even when they are responsible for serious wrongdoing 121 163.

His affection for disciples often becomes favoritism. Daoist Duobao occupies an exceptional place in Tongtian’s heart, and Tongtian attempts to use both Our Lady of Wudang and Meng Chen as pressure to spur Duobao’s growth rather than sincerely supporting Wudang’s succession 60. After Duobao rejects the Demonic Path, Tongtian remains unable to let go of that loss 213.

Tongtian is also highly conscious of status, reputation, and perceived injustice. His fixation on the reputation of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the claim that it could not be broken without four Saints contributes to the collapse of his Dao heart 144. After joining the Demonic Path, he openly rejects his brothers’ ideals, defining his own path as seizing the vitality of living beings rather than teaching and transforming them 163.

Abilities & Skills

Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation

Tongtian’s signature formation and the foundation of his combat style. He cultivated it obsessively and eventually incorporated its operation into his own body 142.

• Generates four overwhelming sword intents even without summoning the Four Immortal Slaughtering Swords or activating the array diagram 142.
• Can manifest independent sword-qi entities with thought and consciousness 144.
• Tongtian transforms himself into the formation’s array spirit in a desperate attempt to reveal its full power 144.
• The formation is broken by Goddess Nüwa and later dismantled by Yuanshi Tianzun’s Pangu True Body 123 144.
• Yuanshi defeats Tongtian with the Intercepting Seven Swords, demonstrating that Tongtian’s own formation cannot withstand the technique at its true level 143.

Qingping Sword and the Way of Interception

The Qingping Sword is Tongtian’s Dao-proving treasure and the weapon through which he displays the Way of Interception 321 366.

• His original Qingping Sword is shattered by Yuanshi Tianzun during their first decisive clash 142.
• Tongtian later reforges the sword after entering the Demon Realm 321.
• He can merge his body and Primordial Spirit into the sword to fully reveal the Way of Interception 366.
• His ultimate sword move, Shatter the Primordial World, is described as more powerful than both the Immortal Slaughtering and Heavenly Slaughtering Sword Formations 366.
• The move is ultimately destroyed by Yuanshi Tianzun after Yuanshi’s second enlightenment 366.

Demonic Arts

After falling into the Demonic Path, Tongtian develops and employs demonic techniques alongside his sword formations.

• His demonic power is fueled by extreme greed, anger, obsession, and hatred 142 145.
• Luo Hou teaches him the Heavenly Slaughtering Sword Formation, which refines Heavenly Dao power and cultivates a Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit 171.
• Luo Hou later withdraws the Heavenly Slaughtering Sword Formation after Qiongxiao and Bixiao provoke him, leaving Tongtian unable to continue studying it 171.
• Meng Chen identifies the Blood Heaven Demonic Art and Heart-Burial Great Art among Tongtian’s techniques, while judging his other abilities inferior to his major formations 321.

Demon Saint Authority

As the first Demon Saint, Tongtian commands considerable influence in the Netherworld and shields Intercepting Teaching disciples from retaliation 163.

• Slays Devil King subordinates sent to punish Lü Yue for devastating plague experiments 163.
• Allows his disciples to cultivate demonic arts without the karmic restrictions they faced in the Primordial World 163.
• Rejoices as several elite disciples reach the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm through demonic cultivation 163.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Qingping Sword — Tongtian’s Dao-proving sword; shattered by Yuanshi Tianzun, then reforged in the Demon Realm 142 321.
• Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation — His principal formation and greatest obsession 142 144.
• Creation Jade Plate fragment — Obtained after killing a demonic cultivator; its flawed nature contributes to Tongtian’s inner-demon crisis and Luo Hou’s influence 134 146.
• Heavenly Slaughtering Sword Formation jade slip — A cultivation method granted, then reclaimed, by Luo Hou 171.

Relationships

• Sage Laozi — Eldest brother among the Three Pure Ones. Laozi repeatedly tries to restrain, save, and reconcile with Tongtian despite their conflict 124 145 147.
• Yuanshi Tianzun — Second brother and Tongtian’s central rival. Yuanshi defeats him repeatedly, first with the Intercepting Seven Swords and Pangu True Body, then decisively in their final battle 142 145 366.
• Ancestor Hongjun — Tongtian’s master. Hongjun extracts Luo Hou’s will from Tongtian, but ultimately accepts Tongtian’s decision to leave Xuanmen 147.
• Luo Hou — Devil Ancestor who manipulates Tongtian through the Creation Jade Plate fragment and demonic formations; later humiliates him and demands that he become a disciple to learn demonic powers 146 171 284.
• Daoist Duobao — Tongtian’s eldest disciple and greatest obsession. Tongtian pours resources and affection into him, but Duobao ultimately rejects Tongtian’s Demonic Path 60 147 213.
• Our Lady of Wudang — Disciple whose bid for authority Tongtian treats partly as a means to pressure Daoist Duobao 60.
• Qiongxiao and Bixiao — Favored disciples whose provocation of Luo Hou causes Tongtian to lose access to the Heavenly Slaughtering Sword Formation 171.
• Meng Chen — Junior nephew whom Tongtian initially receives warmly, but later attempts to use as a pawn in Intercepting Teaching succession disputes; Meng Chen eventually defeats and humiliates him in the Demon Realm 59 60 321.
• Great Dream Demon Saint — An old acquaintance from before Tongtian entered the Demon Realm; their reunion reveals Tongtian’s isolation among both immortals and demons 163.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Intercepting Teaching Leader

Tongtian expands the Intercepting Teaching through broad recruitment, but its disciples’ behavior creates constant friction with the Chan Sect. Though disappointed by their conduct, he frequently avoids disciplining them and prioritizes their protection 11 18.

Succession and Conflict with Meng Chen

Tongtian seeks Meng Chen’s help in elevating Our Lady of Wudang, but Meng Chen recognizes that Tongtian intends to preserve Daoist Duobao’s position by using Wudang as a whetstone. Meng Chen refuses to become a pawn in the Intercepting Teaching’s internal struggle 60.

War with the Chan Sect

After Intercepting Teaching disciples are killed, Tongtian seeks vengeance against Meng Chen and is blocked by several powerful figures protecting him 121. Following the destruction of his Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the deaths of more disciples, Tongtian declares war on Yuanshi Tianzun 123 139.

Fall to the Demonic Path

A Creation Jade Plate fragment and Luo Hou’s influence intensify Tongtian’s inner demons. During his battle with Yuanshi, he reveals that he has entered the Demonic Path and declares himself the foremost Sage of All Heavens 142 146. Ancestor Hongjun removes Luo Hou’s possessing will, but Tongtian accepts his own Dao heart and leaves Xuanmen voluntarily 147.

First Demon Saint

In the Netherworld, Tongtian becomes the first Demon Saint and permits the Intercepting Teaching to flourish through demonic cultivation. His protection of disciples such as Lü Yue accelerates the sect’s growth while devastating the Netherworld’s population 163.

Defeat and Final Battle

Meng Chen later enters the Demon Realm, destroys Biyou Palace, and effortlessly defeats Tongtian, exposing the gulf between their strength 320 321. Tongtian’s final battle is against Yuanshi Tianzun: he fully embraces the Demonic Path and unleashes Shatter the Primordial World, only for Yuanshi’s second enlightenment to destroy the attack and end Tongtian’s role in the conflict 366.

Notable Quotes

“The creed of my Intercepting Teaching is to seize a thread of life for all beings.”
— Master Tongtian 60

“Different paths, no common goal. Their path is to teach and transform All Living Beings; mine is to seize the vitality of All Living Beings.”
— Master Tongtian 163

“What of the Immortal Dao? What of the Demonic Path? In Luo Hou's hands, demonic arts were used to harm All Living Beings. In This Seat's hands, they can Seize a Thread of Life for them.”
— Master Tongtian 142

Trivia

• Tongtian’s disciples later compile idealized biographies crediting him with victories and accomplishments not supported by the recorded events 367.
• He is repeatedly unable to accept that Yuanshi Tianzun, Goddess Nüwa, or Sage Laozi may surpass him in strength, often attributing their achievements to partiality or superior inheritances 145.
• Although he leaves Xuanmen, he retains particular attachment to Daoist Duobao and continues seeking an audience with him after Duobao enters the Demon Realm 213.