Chen Shi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chen Shi (诚实) 3
Alias(es)	Little Chen Shi; Little Ten; Child Scholar; Chen Jieyuan; Scholar Chen; True King of Great Ming; Heavenly King Chen 3 94 190 581 701
Species/Race	Human; resurrected eight years after his death by Chen Yindu 259
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Chen family; Great Ming/New Xiang Imperial Court; Golden Ao Island; Heavenly Court 515 581 754
Occupation/Role	Top Scholar; Historical Compiler of the Hanlin Academy; True King; Heavenly King and commander of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals 310 515 694 701
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 3: “Honest and Kind” 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Divine Embryo Realm	3	His shrine is exceptionally stable—surpassing some Spirit Transmutation cultivators—despite being empty and vulnerable to collapse.
Saint Embryo body	46	Develops a body capable of crossing fifteen zhang instantly; within that range, his physical speed and strikes exceed ordinary spells.
Golden Core Realm	94	Reveals Golden Core cultivation while setting an eighty-four-zhang record with the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword.
Fourth-Revolving Golden Core	155	His white Golden Core turns profound and then black after “returning essence to nourish the brain.”
Nascent Soul Realm, Great Completion	273	Reaches great completion while cultivating the Xiao Lang Emperor Chapter Art; his unusually solid, enlarged soul complicates Spirit Transmutation.
Spirit Transformation Realm	284	His rapid cultivation reaches Spirit Transformation, alarming the Fuzheng Pavilion.
Body Integration Realm	360	Can enter and disperse Body Integration, merging his cultivated aspects into a combat form.
Great Ascension Realm	537	Refines Grand Pure Purple Qi until his Void Realm, Primordial Spirit, and body integrate as one.
Heavenly Immortal Realm	578	His immortal essence becomes unsealed and circulates freely; its depth is comparable to that of ordinary True Immortals.
Golden Immortal Realm	622	Revealed as a Golden Immortal, though his incomplete status limits how much Heavenly Dao power he can mobilize.

Background

Chen Shi was once celebrated as the Child Scholar: a peerless child granted an Innate Dao Embryo by a True God and ranked first across fifty provinces. He was too young to recognize the greed surrounding that gift. His Divine Embryo was later stolen, he died, and Chen Yindu resurrected him eight years afterward. 44 259 451

After his resurrection, Chen Yindu did not directly teach him cultivation. Chen Shi learned reading and writing from Scholar Zhu, then entered the True King’s Tomb alone and obtained the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art, beginning his cultivation path through self-study, talismans, and the tomb’s stone tablets. 259

The theft of Shen Yusheng’s Divine Embryo and the silencing of Tian Huaiyi’s death gave Chen Shi a personal stake in opposing the noble families’ abuses. He views those incidents as proof that powerful families can erase common people without consequence. 125

Appearance

As a youth, Chen Shi is tall and well-proportioned, with eyebrows and eyes strongly resembling Chen Yindu’s. He has been described wearing a clean but faded red Confucian Daoist robe, a golden crown, and a simple hairpin; he also later wears a black Daoist robe with white lapels and a red sash chosen by Chen Tang. 269 473

• His ordinary appearance can be radically altered by cultivation, including skeletal Underworld forms and giant, multi-headed transformations. 214 360
• His physical shrine manifests behind his head as a hazy shrine of light. 3
• His early shrine was empty despite his Divine Embryo Realm cultivation. 3

Personality

Chen Shi openly presents himself as honest and sincere, explaining that his name means “sincere” and “real.” He is notably blunt with villagers and officials alike, often saying exactly what he believes rather than offering a safer answer. 3 190

He is compassionate toward exploited people, particularly those harmed by noble families, Underworld powers, and corrupt institutions. He protects companions, helps refugees, teaches cultivation without hoarding knowledge, and risks himself to rescue even relatively new allies such as Peng Ju. 266 347 352 436

That compassion exists alongside a dangerous combat instinct. When threatened, Chen Shi assesses his surroundings as weapons, remains ready to kill even while negotiating, and can become ruthlessly vengeful. His experiments with demonic methods and “absolute divinity” have further exposed a calculating side willing to manipulate others through altered Primordial Talismans. 125 202 347 758

Family matters deeply to him. Though Chen Tang initially rejected him and Wu Qingyu could not recognize him, Chen Shi persisted in seeking a home with them and in protecting them from the Western Capital’s factions. 267 268 320

Abilities & Skills

Righteous Qi and Body Refinement

Chen Shi’s foundational art is the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art. He gathers starlight, sunlight, and moonlight to temper his body, forge his Saint Embryo and Dharma Body, and sustain unusually long-term cultivation. 10 194

• Uses the Seven Refinements of the Big Dipper to temper bones, heart, blood, muscles, skin, true qi, and spirit. 38
• Refined true blood and strengthened internal organs enough to break Fu Shank’s Spirit Snake Talisman. 34
• Practices the Big Dipper Tian Shu Steps and six related footwork techniques for explosive close-range mobility. 46
• Favors close combat; the Tianpeng Demon Subduing Great Law further enhances this style. 114

Talisman Arts and Adaptive Spellcasting

Chen Shi is an exceptional talisman master who can draw talismans without conventional tools and derive unfamiliar spells from their underlying principles. 122 170

• Comprehends water, fire, wood, earth, metal, and sword-qi applications from basic elemental talismans. 170
• Reproduces effects resembling guarded family arts without having learned the families’ cultivation methods. 170
• Teaches tailored techniques to other scholars after assessing their dispositions and cultivation paths. 266
• Uses Primordial Talismans to activate Spiritual Powers with extreme speed. 752
• Can improve or tamper with Primordial Talismans, including those of powerful divine beings. 758

Immortal Techniques and Spiritual Powers

The Xiao Lang Emperor Chapter Art allows Chen Shi to activate diverse spells through a single Immortal-grade cultivation method. His comprehension, talisman foundation, and access to the True King’s Tomb enable him to master techniques that normally require separate circulatory methods. 279

• Uses Heaven and Earth Transformation to evade hostile domains. 416
• Employs Spiritual Powers including Heaven and Earth Return Heart, Green Tablet Suppressing the World, Ten Suns Violating the Dipper, and Primordial Chaos Divided. 752
• Uses the Great Desolation Ming Dao Collection as a balanced method capable of cultivating multiple paths without an obvious weakness. 575
• Can analyze cultivation methods, locate their flaws, and modify their operation. 591 668 730

Dao Field and Transformations

Chen Shi’s Dao Field is based heavily on Yin and Yang principles. It has expanded through his comprehension of the Yin Yang Sun Moon Ring and can be used for suppression, transformation, and large-scale protection. 421

• Expands into a giant, three-headed form through Blood Essence when overwhelmed in battle. 214
• Develops the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Six Transformations into sixty-four Ghost and God Domains. 394
• Uses Yin Yang Qi to transform ghost races into human forms resembling the people of Great Shang. 460
• Can create Dao Bodies and deploy multiple avatars in battle. 737

Blood Lake True Scripture

While trapped in the Underworld without a physical body, Chen Shi discovers the Blood Lake True Scripture. It forges a Blood Lake Hell behind his head to nourish the Primordial Spirit. 347

• Absorbs enemies’ Blood Essence to strengthen his soul and cultivation. 347
• Can absorb bloodline powers, temporarily manifesting abilities such as Shepherd Ghost’s defensive bone patterns. 348
• Its speed and destructive potential are immense, but Chen Shi recognizes its sinister, demonic implications. 348

External Dao Purification

Chen Shi can identify, study, and resolve external Dao contamination through his understanding of cultivation techniques and Spiritual Powers. 608 730

• Treats soldiers contaminated by the external Dao rather than abandoning them. 730
• Continues refining external Dao influences in Western Penglai to prevent corruption. 694
• Shares cultivation methods with allies and subordinates, including techniques for enduring and repairing damage. 629

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• West King’s Jade Seal — Given to Chen Shi by Prince Xiao; used to confer divine titles, including Little Jujube’s appointment as Black Mountain Lord. 74 135
• Yin Yang Qi Bottle — Suppresses dangerous Grand Pure Purple Qi during cultivation. 537
• Heaven Measuring Iron Ruler — Contains sequential Immortal techniques, including the Sixth New Talisman. 387
• Heavenly Net Blood-Transforming Divine Blade — A powerful blade whose demonic nature can distort Chen Shi’s judgment and killing intent. 432 433
• Short halberd — Used to impale Shopkeeper Qiu against Yudu’s city wall. 214
• Firearms cache — Maintained for emergencies and used during the effort to rescue Peng Ju. 352

Relationships

• Chen Yindu — Grandfather and resurrector. Chen Yindu’s legacy, cultivation, and attempts to secure Chen Shi’s future shape much of Chen Shi’s path. 39 74 259
• Chen Tang — Biological father. He initially viewed Chen Shi as a monster and withheld affection, but gradually accepts him; their reunion becomes openly affectionate. 259 626
• Wu Qingyu — Mother. Her catatonia following Chen Shi’s presumed death intensifies his desire to remain with and protect his family. 267 268
• Scholar Zhu — Teacher who taught Chen Shi literacy and remains a trusted source of guidance. 44 259
• Li Tianqing — Closest friend and cultivation companion. They share techniques, study one another’s methods, and support each other through personal setbacks. 180 341
• Black Pot — Loyal canine companion who travels with Chen Shi, understands unusual situations, and remains one of his closest confidants. 321 551
• Created Being Xiao Wu — Chen Shi’s “Fifth Uncle,” a powerful creation of Chen Yindu who helped care for him in childhood. Their bond is affectionate but unstable due to Xiao Wu’s violent nature and Chen Shi’s fear of losing his humanity. 139 292 734 758
• Fairy Xiaoduan / Xiaoduan — Intimate companion and consort. Their relationship grows from mutual protection and distrust into affection and shared cultivation. 460 694
• Houtu Huangdiqi — Adoptive mother and powerful patron who supports Chen Shi despite Heavenly Court accusations against him. 630 768
• Peng Ju — Underworld ally whom Chen Shi chooses to rescue after Peng Ju is captured for knowing the Blood Lake True Scripture. 347 352

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Return of the Child Scholar — Reemerges after death and resurrection, develops the Three Lights Righteous Qi Art, and seeks answers about his stolen Divine Embryo. 44 259
• Conflict with Xinxiang’s noble families — Kills powerful opponents, challenges the Zhao and Li families’ abuses, and pursues justice for Shen Yusheng and Tian Huaiyi. 34 125
• Scholar and examination journey — Becomes Gongzhou’s top provincial scholar, leads recommended scholars through dangerous territory with the Ten Absolute Array, and later serves as a Hanlin Academy Historical Compiler. 190 266 310
• Western Capital family crisis — Confronts the capital’s factions while using himself as leverage to protect Chen Tang and Wu Qingyu. 267 320 322
• Underworld campaigns — Learns the Blood Lake True Scripture, rescues Peng Ju, investigates his own corruption, and develops Body Integration. 347 352 360 361
• True King of New Xiang — Takes the throne, builds a new court, and gathers rogue cultivators, officials, Prince Xiao, and the Divine Machine Battalion around his cause. 502 515
• Earthly Immortal Realm and Heavenly Court — Ascends into the immortal world, becomes a Heavenly King, commands Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, and leads forces toward the Huaxia Ancestral Court. 574 694 701
• Primordial Talismans and absolute divinity — Advances toward the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm while his pursuit of perfect divine calculation risks turning him into someone capable of controlling allies and enemies alike. 758

Notable Quotes

“My name is Chen Shi. The teacher who taught me said that ‘Chen’ means sincere, and ‘Shi’ means real. Everyone in the village calls me Little Chen Shi. I never lie!” 3

“I’m not taking precautions; I’m ready to kill at any moment.” 125

“On the path of cultivation, we are all Fellow Daoists. There is no distinction between high and low among us. I was once a scholar in Xinxiang!” 683

Trivia

• Chen Shi’s early shrine was stable enough to surpass some Spirit Transmutation cultivators, yet it was empty and at risk of collapse. 3
• At the Golden Core stage, he and Li Tianqing both reached the one-hundred-mile spiritual-distance limit in only four days of training. 180
• He once stated that he had four hundred and eighty-seven years of lifespan remaining. 194
• When Zhou Qianying asked why his Nascent Soul was so large, Chen Shi answered, “It’s from reading books.” 258