Laozi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Laozi and his younger brothers, Yuanshi and Tongtian, were formed from Pangu’s Primordial Spirit. When Hongjun announced his first sermon, Laozi was the first of the three to set out. At Zixiao Palace, he claimed one of six meditation cushions and questioned Hongjun about the Dao and the path to Sainthood. Hongjun subsequently accepted all three brothers as disciples 51 54 57 58.

Appearance

Laozi has the appearance of an old man 94 122.

• White hair tied in a topknot and a white beard 122.
• Wears a simple Daoist robe when visiting the Demon Race’s Heavenly Court 122.
• Approaches Chang’e in shabby clothes, leaning on a rotten stick, but leaves his face undisguised 132.

Personality

Laozi prides himself on being Pangu’s rightful heir and the foremost of the Three Pure Ones. Early on, he and Yuanshi consider themselves above other cultivators and pass Fuxi and Nuwa without speaking. He is also sensitive to challenges to his standing: Jieyin’s doubts about his plans for Chang’e strike him as an affront 54 62 131.

Although Laozi cultivates Wuwei, he interprets it as letting matters follow his own wishes rather than avoiding contention. He diligently seeks the Dao but reacts bitterly when opportunities elude him, particularly when Fuxi and Nuwa interfere with his plans for Sainthood 72 97.

Abilities & Skills

Dao and Divine Abilities

Laozi cultivates the Dao of Wuwei and possesses a range of divine abilities as a Sage 97 131.

• Water mirror: Reveals Chang’e’s life among the Human Race to the other Sages 131.
• Perception alteration: Attempts to make Chang’e believe she loves Hou Yi by affecting her primordial spirit. The technique works only on cultivators below the Daluo Golden Immortal realm and fails against her restored primordial spirit 132.
• Great Liberation Buddha Light: Quickly learns a Buddhist Dao technique from Jieyin and uses it to erase part of his heart demon’s Qi 192.
• Deduction: Attempts to peer into the Heavenly Dao with Yuanshi, but its course is obscured. Laozi is also described as unskilled at calculating Chang’e’s circumstances 130 151.

Pill Refinement

Laozi refines spiritual pills and has taught others with their help. Hongjun later instructs him to use pills to fill gaps in the western earth veins’ origin during their restoration 165 217.

Equipment & Items

• Taiji Diagram — Used to suppress the Taiji Sect’s Fortune. It can subdue magic treasures and suppress chaotic currents; Laozi also uses it to stabilize the earth veins’ origin 98 144 217.
• Horsetail whisk — Waved when he produces a water mirror for the Sages 131.
• Jade Disc of Good Fortune and Mountain-Driving Whip — Entrusted to him by Hongjun for the restoration of the western earth veins 217.

Relationships

• Hongjun — Laozi’s teacher. Hongjun guides his path to Sainthood and later assigns him a role in supporting the Demon Race 58 94 120.
• Yuanshi — His younger brother and frequent ally. They seek Hongjun’s guidance together and jointly oppose Nuwa 94 136.
• Tongtian — His youngest brother. They are initially close, but Tongtian’s objections to the scheme against Di Jun’s sons and his departure from the Sages’ meeting disappoint Laozi 73 120 122.
• Xuandu — His Human Race disciple. Xuandu accepts him as master after hearing about his pill refinement and later spreads the Taiji Sect’s teachings 96 149.
• Fuxi — A longstanding rival. Laozi blames him for taking his opportunity to enlighten the Human Race and later finds his schemes repeatedly frustrated by him 72 172.
• Nuwa — She founds the Human Sect just as Laozi attempts to establish it. He and Yuanshi later intercept her when she tries to protect the Human Race 96 136.

Story Role

The path to Sainthood

Fuxi teaches the Human Race the Dao Scripture, taking the opportunity Laozi expected to use to enlighten humanity and become a Sage. Laozi reacts so violently that he spits blood and collapses; he and his brothers then ask Hongjun for help. Hongjun replies that an opportunity is not necessarily the only one 72 73.

Hongjun later directs Laozi to take Xuandu as a disciple and establish the Human Sect. Laozi succeeds in taking Xuandu, but Nuwa founds the sect before he can finish declaring it. Returning to Hongjun, Laozi learns that he can still establish a sect using his own inherited Merit. He founds the Taiji Sect on Kunlun Mountain and attains Sainthood 94 96 98.

The Witch-Demon Tribulation

Hongjun assigns Laozi to support the Demon Race. Laozi enters its Heavenly Court and offers Di Jun and Taiyi his backing. He also attempts to arrange a relationship between Chang’e and Hou Yi, but his effort to manipulate Chang’e’s feelings fails; his connection to the Human Race is subsequently severed 120 122 132 134.

Laozi tells Di Jun and Taiyi that weapons made from Human Race flesh and blood can pierce Witch Clan bodies. When Nuwa moves to protect humanity from the approaching Demon army, Laozi and Yuanshi intercept her. Nuwa later confronts Laozi over his role in the planned slaughter 136 140.

The Human Race and the Heavenly Court

After the Witch-Demon War, Laozi spreads his sect’s teachings. He and Yuanshi try to identify the Human Race’s future Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, but find the Heavenly Dao obscured 149 151.

Following a Heavenly Court defeat by the Human Race, Laozi proposes a plan involving the foretold war god Yang Jian. When the Four Saints discover that Fuxi has manipulated their schemes, Laozi advocates direct war. During the ensuing campaign, he uncovers Human Race soldiers completing a great array beneath the East Sea coast 165 172 181.

Later events

Laozi joins the Sages against the Outside-Heaven Demons’ heart-demon kings and tests Buddha Light against his own heart demon. He later recommends Duobao to Jieyin and Zhunti as a recruit for their planned Buddhist Sect 191 192 195.

When Fuxi takes the Lingming Stone Monkey as a disciple, Laozi and Yuanshi challenge him, only to be immobilized by a single word. Despite his rivalry with Fuxi, Laozi later reads the Dao Scripture and finds parts of it useful for reference, though its cultivation path is incompatible with his own 200 213 214.

Laozi helps restore the western earth veins and receives Merit for the work. During the later merging of the Great Dao Rivers, he advances to the Great Dao Sage Realm 217 273.