Shen Tingyu

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Born into the distinguished Shen Family, Shen Tingyu displayed exceptional spiritual aptitude from childhood. The empire regarded his developing power with caution, fearing the destruction he could cause if he lost control 25 33.

At twelve, he was sent into Tower No. 1 of the Evil Tower, where exceptionally unruly Type Es and serious criminals faced severe punishments, including electric torture capable of damaging the Spiritual Pool. He survived three years there and eventually secured his freedom by injuring the eldest prince and negotiating entry into the military. An eruption during this period left his Spiritual Pool seriously damaged 41.

He became the Evil Tower’s only graduate to achieve perfect scores across every assessment, interview, and written personality test. After entering Grandis Military Academy, he became a Golden Wing colonel with results far ahead of his peers, eventually rising to admiral. His commander-in-chief continued sending him back to inspect the tower 13 16.

Appearance

• Face: Exceptionally handsome, with sharply defined features and a striking profile 16.
• Hair and eyes: Dark hair and deep-blue eyes; a scarlet tinge appears in his eyes when his violent nature surfaces 22 32.
• Uniform: Wears a black-and-gold military uniform, a military hat, and finely made boots 13 22.
• Usual expression: A mild, courteous smile that can remain in place even while he threatens or injures someone 22 33.

Personality

Shen Tingyu’s public reputation is that of a rational, gentle, well-mannered officer who rarely displays anger outside official business. Beneath that composure, he is ruthless and capable of extreme violence. He suppresses his Type E instincts more effectively than most, rather than lacking them; even the experienced Tower Master cannot fully read his intentions 16 22 33.

He is fiercely territorial and ordinarily dislikes other Type Es. Xu Qingran complicates that hostility: Shen recognizes a similar nature in him, enjoys provoking his temper, and becomes increasingly distracted by his presence. He finds their encounters simultaneously irritating and satisfying 18 30 37 43 49.

Despite his worsening health, he refuses to form a Soul Contract with someone he does not like merely for treatment. He also resists the royal family’s attempts to control him through a compatible partner 26 41.

Abilities & Skills

Mental Power and Spiritual Pool

His unusually deep Spiritual Pool supports both overwhelming combat strength and sustained activity 22 40.

• Drives Mental Power through another Type E’s defenses while striking him physically 22.
• Completes a journey lasting several days while driving and requiring very little rest 40.
• Retains normal use of Mental Power despite his Spiritual Pool injury, although recurring disorder makes maintaining control more difficult 41.

Close-Quarters Combat

Shen combines superior strength with technique, easily overpowering an armed Type E prisoner 22.

• Disarms a concealed-dagger attacker and uses the weapon to pin his hand to the floor 22.
• Immobilizes the prisoner with an apparently effortless wrist hold and breaks several ribs with a kick reinforced by Mental Power 22.
• Has subjected many long-term Tower 2 prisoners to military training; they fear both his physical suppression and mental intimidation 21.

Assessment and Self-Control

His perfect Evil Tower record demonstrates his ability to satisfy formal evaluations while concealing much of his underlying nature 16 22.

• Recognizes Xu Qingran as fearless and as someone who has killed before during their first interrogation 18.
• Explains the answers Xu would need to give to satisfy an interrogator and obtain release 19.
• Recognizes Xu’s punishment-bracelet activity because he used the same method during his own imprisonment 22.

Military Command

Shen commands Golden Wing troops in operations against the Devils and oversees preparations, personnel, and discipline 26 37 47 48.

• Leads nearly half a month of defensive fighting in Aquila, protecting repair crews until a damaged power station can be restored 47.
• Holds negligent defense leaders accountable and orders emergency-response retraining 47 48.
• Handles the records and review information of newly graduated military academy elites joining his command 40.

Spiritual Pool Injury

Equipment / Items

• Special suppressant: Golden-yellow medicine containing gilded flecks; injected to relieve symptoms of his Spiritual Pool injury 41.
• Punishment-bracelet monitor: A handheld device used to track Xu Qingran’s two bracelets during his Evil Tower assessment; returned to the tower chief afterward 22 25.
• Fifth-generation Asteroid: A spherical holographic device linked to his account. Shen Tianyi lends it to Xu Qingran, inadvertently enabling a broadcast through Shen’s announcement account 44 45 47 48.
• Private vehicles: Owns expensive, personally registered vehicles, including a limited-edition hovercar with only fifty examples in the empire 37 44.
• Source Crystal specimen: Keeps a crystal embedded in stone on his desk and uses it to explain the Devils’ energy source to Xu Qingran 42.

Relationships

• Xu Qingran — His assigned Evil Tower examinee, later a houseguest and the focus of growing personal interest. Xu is also tasked by his system with winning Shen over 6 18 31 37 49.
• Shen Tianyi — His five-year-old nephew and fellow resident. Shen presents Tianyi as Xu Qingran’s officially matched partner and warns the child to keep his distance from Xu 30 32 36.
• Xie Nanjun — A confidant aware of his damaged Spiritual Pool. Coordinates requests for medicine and urges him to consider a therapeutic Soul Contract 40 41.
• Tower Master — An administrator who witnessed his imprisonment and departure. Their repeated meetings develop into familiarity, though the Tower Master never fully trusts or understands him 16.
• Lu Cheng — A Silver Dragon officer who distrusts him after witnessing his cruelty. Shen continues treating Lu courteously despite knowing what he saw 33.
• First Prince — His commander-in-chief, who sends him on Evil Tower inspections. Shen previously injured the eldest prince while bargaining for freedom 13 41.
• Shen Family elders — Seek to influence his matching arrangements. Shen openly challenges their efforts to encourage a relationship between him and Xu Qingran 48.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Xu Qingran’s Evil Tower Assessment

During an inspection, Shen accepts the Tower Master’s invitation to act as an interrogator and meets Xu Qingran. Intrigued by Xu’s fearlessness but hostile toward his potentially similar soul type, he recommends stricter discipline and has him monitored 16 18 19.

After reviewing Xu’s strong initial results and threatening written answers, Shen sends him to Tower 3’s survival arena despite the tower chief’s warning that someone could die. Shen himself had previously entered that arena without its protective wristband 25 26.

The Disputed 99% Match

Shen learns that a soul-matching result gives him and Xu Qingran 99% compatibility. He rejects its plausibility: his previous matches had not reached ten percent, and he believes no suitable soul partner exists for him. A contact warns that the royal family could use the result to force a marriage and Soul Contract, thereby restricting him 26.

He arranges for Xu to leave the Evil Tower and live at his home for a year pending retesting. However, he introduces Shen Tianyi as the matched family member rather than himself. The system, which helped manipulate the sample registrations, briefly fears it confused the two men’s shared initials, “STY” 27 29 31 32.

The Shen Family later publicly identifies Tianyi—not Shen Tingyu—as Xu’s 99% match. The supplied events leave the discrepancy unresolved 50.

Living with Xu Qingran

Shen accompanies Xu to Grandis University and does not intervene when Xu retaliates against students who destroyed his work. Instead, he asks when Xu will finish because they still have other places to visit 37 39 40.

Their private encounters test Shen’s territorial restraint. He allows Xu into his bedroom, but reacts strongly to his exposed Spirit Mark, explaining that displaying it to another person of the same type constitutes a challenge. Xu nevertheless sleeps in his bed, leaving Shen unusually distracted 41 42 43.

Aquila Defense and the Livestream Incident

After two northern Aquila power stations are destroyed, Shen suspends a planned clearing operation and leads defensive fighting against the Devils. Back at headquarters, his disciplinary meeting is interrupted when Xu’s cooking livestream automatically broadcasts through Shen’s account 46 47.

Xu answers his call with “Darling,” intensifying speculation about their relationship. Shen tells him to end the broadcast, then confronts a family elder over the family’s matching plans 48.

Returning home earlier than expected, Shen gives Xu a new fifth-generation Asteroid, sets it up, creates a separate livestream account, and exchanges contact details with him. Despite this increasing involvement, he remains convinced that their original compatibility result is wrong 48 49.