An Ying

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Reputation on the Evil Shadow Continent

An Ying earned the title Thief Saint through years of impersonation. His disguises were supported by practiced acting: he believed that behaving openly and confidently concealed flaws better than furtive behavior 1116.

He was notorious for impersonating other Holy Sons and provoking disputes, once nearly starting a war between several Evil Spirit tribes. Although his direct fighting strength ranked poorly among the Holy Sons, his ability to become almost any living creature made him exceptionally difficult to guard against 1142 2237.

Infiltration of the Three Continents

An Ying entered the Blazing Sun Continent carrying the Phantom Evil Spirit Clan’s Hand of the Evil God. Warned that using Evil Spirit power could expose him to a supreme expert, he initially relied on physical strength before copying a villager named Zhang Daquan 1116 1117.

His early disguises repeatedly placed him in danger. As a guard leader, he was caught with the county magistrate’s wife, beaten, and imprisoned alongside the vengeful Shen Laowu. Despite this, he assured the Evil Lords that his intelligence-gathering mission was proceeding safely 1124.

After copying the Eighth Rank cultivator Yang Zheng, An Ying unknowingly inherited the identity of a compromised spy. Tantai Jing captured and tortured him, but he concealed his true identity until his transformation cooldown ended, then escaped as a mouse. Further disguises led to arrests, beatings, and abduction before he finally reached the Haotian Mountain Range 1127.

Failed Operations in Vast Heaven Holy Land

An Ying intended to impersonate a core disciple, recover the Evil God Relics, and escape. He left the Hand of the Evil God outside the Holy Land as a concealed return route to the Evil Shadow Continent 1126 1128.

His infiltration instead drew him into the sect’s activities. Disguised as Wei Buhui, he endured the Dark Moon Clan’s literal heart-and-lung-baring brotherhood ceremonies. As Zhao Zhihui, he became overwhelmed by Civil Engineering Department work 1136 1141.

When relic theft proved unsuccessful, he turned to provoking conflict. He copied Zheng Yu and planned to kill Holy Son Chu Cheng, framing Martial Emperor City. White Tiger and Liu Bo instead drew him into an exhausting overnight session of striking Chu Cheng with spiked clubs 1142.

Zang Ling reported him, and the Hand of the Evil God was stolen. Unable to return home, An Ying decided to impersonate the Holy Land’s prodigies and commit atrocities in their names. His first attempt as Chu Xinghe produced only a tiny imitation of Purple Lightning Flash that could not penetrate a city guard’s defenses 1153.

The Evil Spirit Hero

An Ying’s destructive intentions repeatedly produced beneficial results. His appearance as Ma Liang in the Great Luo Kingdom exposed the imperial family’s crimes, saved infants, and helped clear Ma Liang’s name 1163 1164 1166 1176.

He then copied Ouyang Ling and distributed what he believed was poison throughout the plague-stricken Yuyang Kingdom and neighboring countries. Rather than causing mass deaths, the medicine cured the plague and saved tens of millions of people 1167 1172 1175 1176.

These deeds earned him the name Evil Spirit Hero. The Grand Elder ordered continued surveillance but instructed the sect not to capture him hastily. An investigation confirmed that his plague treatment contained no hidden scheme 1176.

During a later return to the Holy Land, An Ying also helped check accounts and stopped Zang Ling from escaping. His growing reputation eventually became evidence cited by the Evil Lords that their people could genuinely contribute to the Three Continents 1182 1516 1676.

Imprisonment in the Land of Bewildered Spirits

While transformed into Feng Fei, An Ying experimented with teleportation arrays and attempted to leave the Holy Land’s territory. He instead arrived in the central region of the Land of Bewildered Spirits, collected treasures from its ruins, and became trapped when his array failed 1183 2142.

He survived by copying Chu Xinghe. The borrowed Body Cultivation power helped replenish his spiritual power, while a portion of Chu Xinghe’s fortune protected him from the region’s dangers. He eventually abandoned his ambition to fight Chu Xinghe and resolved to join the Holy Land instead 2141 2142.

An Ying tried to attract rescue by displaying an imitation Haotian Sword Casket and Haotian Battle Intent. Chu Xinghe initially refused to rescue him, fearing that his arrival would only strengthen the sect further 2142.

When they finally met, An Ying offered collected treasures and declared his ambition to replace Ma Liang as Chu Xinghe’s foremost confidant. Rather than leave immediately, he followed Chu Xinghe deeper into danger, reasoning that surviving together would help secure his acceptance 2226 2227.

Buddha Domain and Star Sea Abyss

An Ying’s disguises continued to create problems in the Buddha Domain. As a yellow flower, he evaded Venerable Wrathful-Eyed Bodhi but was subsequently collected and pounded in a mortar. Copying a Bodhi Realm cultivator gave him Mental Power without the knowledge needed to use it, leaving him vulnerable to the original cultivator’s pursuer 2237 2238 2261.

On Floating Immortal Island, he demonstrated a more consequential application of his art: adjusting his attributes to acquire incompatible inheritances. He collected every inheritance there, intending to bring them to the Holy Land and surpass Ma Liang 2277 2279.

Inside the Star Sea Abyss, An Ying impersonated Brother Playing You to gather intelligence. He discovered that the captured prodigies’ souls had been taken to the lowest level and inferred that they were intended for a ritual involving the Ancestor of Primal Souls 2293.

During the Origin Ancestor’s possession attempt, the possession runes attached to An Ying instead of Chu Xinghe. Little Buddha interpreted this as a heroic sacrifice, although An Ying’s actual movement had been motivated by escape. His unusually strong soul prevented the Origin Ancestor from immediately consuming him 2299 2317.

Joining Vast Heaven Holy Land

After the Origin Ancestor’s death, the remaining power inside An Ying formed the Calamity Divinity Seed. Its backlash nearly killed him. He therefore sought protection beside Chu Xinghe, whose fortune could counter part of the danger 2314 2316 2317.

An Ying returned with the Haotian Sword Casket, World Seal, the prodigies’ souls, and the Origin Ancestor’s treasures. He presented the treasures as a pledge of allegiance. Elder He detected that his loyalty was driven by self-preservation, but Chu Xinghe defended him, and the Grand Elder permitted him to remain 2315 2317.

His new life brought relentless work. His transformations allowed the Civil Engineering Department to assign him tasks that other disciples could not perform. After his Martial God breakthrough, the Grand Elder made his departmental position permanent 2325 2326.

An Ying subsequently tried to undermine Ma Liang and escape his workload, but his schemes continued benefiting the sect. His calamity power upgraded the Sword Tomb’s treasures, earned him additional Artifact Refining Palace duties, and helped establish a reputation strong enough to make Ma Liang genuinely fear losing his position 2332 2339 2340 2344 2347.

Personality

An Ying combines extravagant ambition with exceptional psychological resilience. He repeatedly frames humiliation as a temporary obstacle before his inevitable comeback. Even torture, imprisonment, and prolonged isolation fail to destroy his ability to recover and plan again 1127 1136 1183 2292.

His confidence does not translate into a willingness to fight hopeless battles. He prefers deception, escape, and overwhelming weaker opponents, withdrawing when the odds turn against him. In the Star Sea Abyss, however, he recognizes that merely fleeing will not earn the trust or status he wants and chooses to gather useful intelligence 2281 2293.

His early reputation as a hero sharply contrasts with his intentions: he genuinely seeks massacres and revenge while repeatedly saving lives. His eventual allegiance is also initially conditional—he wants protection until he can control his Divinity and regain independence 1161 1167 1177 2317.

An Ying nevertheless recognizes qualities in Chu Xinghe that his former environment lacked. Chu Xinghe’s determination to protect his companions surprises him, while his accomplishments convince An Ying that status must be earned rather than granted 2279 2294.

Abilities & Skills

Thousand Illusions Phantom Art

The Phantom Evil Spirits’ innate ability performs actual copying rather than a visual illusion. An Ying’s mastery is described as unmatched in his clan’s history, surpassing even what the Phantom Evil Lord can reproduce 2237 2277 2279.

• Copies living forms: Can imitate people, animals, insects, and plants he has seen 1127 2237.
• Copies cultivation and abilities: A transformation changes his apparent power as well as his appearance, replacing detectable Evil Spirit power with the copied target’s power 1116 1117.
• Conceals his identity: His disguises repeatedly evade Holy Land experts, including Elder He before the latter possesses the Fate Divinity 2237.
• Functions without Spirit Power: Its innate nature allows him to transform even when ordinary spiritual power is unavailable 2141.
• Full-transformation cooldown: Changing into another complete form normally requires a one-day interval 1116.
• Restricts his available power: While transformed, he cannot freely use his original strength; doing so breaks concealment or exposes Evil Spirit power 1116 1118.
• Does not guarantee full combat strength: Copying Ma Liang does not provide the real Soul-Devouring Banner, and his early Chu Xinghe imitation cannot reproduce Chu Xinghe’s power adequately 1153 1158.
• Does not supply unfamiliar understanding: He can copy a Buddha Domain cultivator’s Mental Power but cannot use it without understanding its operation 2261 2306.

Attribute Conversion and Inheritance Storage

An Ying can partially transform his power’s attributes without changing his entire appearance. By matching an inheritance’s original owner perfectly, he makes it recognize him as its existing master rather than a new recipient 2277 2278 2279.

• Converts between different attributes and power patterns to satisfy inheritance requirements 2277.
• Avoids the usual discomfort and uncontrolled circulation associated with receiving inheritances 2278 2279.
• Stores absorbed inheritances without activating them immediately and can pass them to others 2279.
• Potentially allows him to switch among offensive, ranged, and healing powers in his original form; this is presented as his theoretical strongest combat method 2279.

Calamity Divinity

A top-tier, law-type Divinity formed from the Origin Ancestor’s remaining power and shaped by An Ying’s calamity-filled life. Full mastery would allow him to control calamities affecting others 2314 2316 2317.

• Incomplete and dangerous: His initial cultivation cannot suppress the seed, causing potentially lethal backlash 2316 2317.
• Fortune countermeasure: Copying Chu Xinghe supplies some protective fortune; staying near the real Chu Xinghe offers further refuge 2317.
• Treasure enhancement: Infuses spirit treasures with a rare calamity attribute that strengthens them without rebounding on their owners 2339.
• Repeated upgrades: Even his attempts to mishandle treasures in the Artifact Refining Palace improve their quality instead of destroying them 2344.

Infiltration, Escape, and Analysis

• Confident impersonation: Treats calm, open behavior as essential to maintaining a disguise 1116 2232.
• Prison escape: Repeatedly uses small-animal transformations to escape confinement once his cooldown ends 1127.
• Intelligence gathering: Uses an enemy identity to investigate the Star Sea Abyss’s soul collection 2293.
• Deduction: Reconstructs the likely purpose of the soul-gathering ritual from limited clues, earning Chu Xinghe’s recognition 2293 2294.
• Interrogation knowledge: Identifies why ordinary pain-based methods fail against a cultivating Star Ghost, drawing on his own extensive experience as a prisoner 2281.

Soul Strength and Mental Endurance

• His soul is strong enough to resist the Origin Ancestor’s immediate consumption during possession 2299.
• Star Ghosts entering his memories become overwhelmed by experiences he has already survived 2290 2292.
• The Origin Ancestor is likewise horrified by those memories; their later reunion leaves both visibly shaken 2299 2351.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Hand of the Evil God — Originally carried for communication with the Evil Lords and passage back to the Evil Shadow Continent. It can merge into his body, but cannot acknowledge a master. Its theft leaves him unable to locate it or use his intended return route 1116 1127 1128 1153.
• Land of Bewildered Spirits treasures — Loot collected from ruins and corpses, including storage rings. He offers these treasures to Chu Xinghe and later retrieves additional caches for the Holy Land 1183 2226 2323.
• Haotian Sword Casket — Retrieves Chu Xinghe’s actual casket after the Origin Ancestor’s defeat and returns carrying it 2315 2317.
• World Seal — Recovers it alongside the sword casket and presents it with his pledge of allegiance; it is not established as his personal weapon 2316 2317.
• Origin Ancestor’s treasury — Plunders the accumulated Star Ghost treasures and hands them over to Vast Heaven Holy Land 2316 2317.

Relationships

• Chu Xinghe — Former target of impersonation and revenge, later his protector and senior brother. An Ying seeks to become his foremost confidant and relies on his fortune to survive the Calamity Divinity’s backlash 1153 2226 2317.
• Ma Liang — Rival for the position of Chu Xinghe’s number-one confidant. An Ying’s repeated contributions eventually make Ma Liang take the competition seriously 2226 2329 2347.
• Phantom Evil Lord — Clan leader and defender who initially rejects accusations of An Ying’s defection. He later celebrates An Ying’s reputation, only to be stunned by his allegiance to the Holy Land 1167 1516 2317.
• White Spirit Evil Lord — Encourages his infiltration mission and holds out the prospect of recognition as the entire Evil Shadow Continent’s Holy Son if he succeeds 1124.
• Zang Ling — Fellow evil spirit whom An Ying condemns for surrendering. Zang Ling reports An Ying, while An Ying later prevents Zang Ling’s escape 1153 1179 1181 1182.
• Grand Elder — Initially chooses surveillance over immediate capture, later approves An Ying’s admission and makes him a permanent Civil Engineering Department disciple 1176 2317 2326.
• Elder He — Detects the self-serving motives behind An Ying’s allegiance through the Fate Divinity, but accepts that his actions deserve consideration 2317.
• Shen Chun — Resents An Ying for compromising the sect’s security and opposes accepting him 2317.
• Little Buddha — Companion in the Buddha Domain and Star Sea Abyss. Comes to recognize An Ying’s abilities and praises his apparent sacrifice against the Origin Ancestor 2277 2299.
• Ouyang Ming — Recognizes the equipment-enhancing value of An Ying’s calamity power and secures his assistance for Artifact Refining Palace research 2339 2340 2344.
• Origin Ancestor — Attempts to possess him but cannot quickly consume his soul. The ancestor’s remaining power becomes the source of An Ying’s Divinity Seed 2299 2314.

Notable Quotes

“When in disguise, act openly and confidently!” 2232

“No matter what unexpected event you encountered, remember not only to stay calm, but to go up and ask what had happened!” 2232

“I'm taking that position as Senior Brother Xinghe's number one confidant!” 2329

Trivia

• An Ying jokes that he should be called “Prison Ying” because his disguises keep ending in confinement 1141.
• His early good deeds earn him supporters in both Dark Moon Palace and the Civil Engineering Department before he formally joins the Holy Land 1176.
• His ability to collect and redistribute inheritances earns him the comparison to a living library 2279.