Li Chang'an

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Li Chang'an (李长安)
Alias(es)	Li Fan; Li Tai'an
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Rogue Cultivator; Azure Mountain Lineage; Ancient Cultivation Sect; ruler of Great Yan
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; Talisman Master; Alchemist; Divination Master; Artifact Forging Grandmaster; puppet master
Status	Alive
First Appearance	5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation / Mid Qi Refining	21	Broke through after months of cultivation.
Sixth Layer of Qi Refining	142	His cultivation was noted during Su Yuyan and Jiang Yuerong's visit.
Eighth Layer of Qi Refining	163	Revealed while pursuing and killing Foundation Establishment cultivator Wu Lianshan.
Foundation Establishment	181	Successfully established his foundation using Zheng Qingqing's refined Foundation Establishment Pills and his own spiritual item.
Mid Foundation Establishment	209	Broke through after cultivating the Five Elements Spirit Light Escape to Minor Achievement.
Late Foundation Establishment	271	Revealed his cultivation to the Mu Family.
Golden Core	279	Successfully formed an Immortal Golden Core, drawing recruitment attempts from major factions.
Mid Golden Core	315	Emerged from seclusion after advancing; his fourth-order divination breakthrough followed.
Nascent Soul	500	Successfully formed a Nascent Soul and consolidated his greatly increased strength.

Background / History

Li Chang'an began as an unremarkable rogue cultivator with a Low-grade Spirit Root. He pursued cultivation through careful resource management, talisman drawing, divination, and a deliberate refusal to depend on powerful clans. After eliminating two rogue cultivators for the Zheng Family, he settled his obligations to them and began dealing with the family as an independent rogue Talisman Master 8.

His early advancement made him valuable to Clear River Market’s Zheng Family. Zheng Qingqing repeatedly offered marriage and guest-elder arrangements, but Li Chang'an refused to become tied to the clan. He instead negotiated a favorable supply contract for talismans, retaining the right to end it unilaterally 20 21 47 59.

Over time, he established Azure Mountain as his cultivation base and expanded his strength through puppets, spiritual beasts, arrays, body refining, alchemy, sword formations, and carefully cultivated identities. He rose from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, then Golden Core and Nascent Soul, while remaining outwardly understated and frequently concealing his full abilities 181 279 500.

After defeating Yan Shanhe and the enfeoffed Nascent Souls of Great Yan, Li Chang'an seized Yan Emperor Palace and proclaimed himself Great Yan’s master 528.

Appearance

Although over thirty during his early career, Li Chang'an appears as a warm and scholarly youth of eighteen or nineteen due to cultivation and the preserving effects of his Wood-element methods 86.

• Warm, gentle demeanor with a scholarly air.
• Described as resembling a pale scholar who has read countless books 86.
• His bearing after Foundation Establishment is elegant, understated, resilient, and weathered “like an evergreen Ancient Wood” 181.
• Retains a notably youthful appearance even after many years of cultivation 183.

Personality

Li Chang'an is cautious, pragmatic, and fiercely independent. He avoids binding arrangements with clans and sects unless they clearly serve his long-term cultivation, repeatedly declining marriage alliances, guest-elder positions, and faction recruitment 21 47 271 279.

He presents himself as humble, polite, and professional, particularly when dealing with allies and business partners. Beneath that exterior, he is highly vigilant: he conceals his true attainments, prepares extensively for danger, uses divination to avoid unfavorable outcomes, and employs disguises or puppets to operate indirectly 10 48 179 226.

Li Chang'an is also ruthless when threatened. He killed Wang Er after obtaining the Spirit Eye, tortured Chu Mu for information, refused Mei Siniang’s demand to release Liang Ying, and converted defeated enemies into puppets or souls under his control 29 61 65 315.

Despite this, he values old friends and repays kindness. He assists Xu Fugui, Su Yuyan, the Mu Family, and the Zheng Family when their interests align with his own, and he visits the graves of people who supported him, including Chen Huilan 123 279 470 511.

Abilities & Skills

Divination

Li Chang'an uses daily divination and Hexagram Images to assess danger, locate opportunities, and guide his decisions.

• Detects auspicious, neutral, ominous, and greatly ominous outcomes.
• Foresees assassination attempts, poisoning, ambushes, and profitable opportunities 48 61 97.
• Advanced to Tier 2 divination after several years of cultivation 191.
• Reached fourth-order divination through sudden enlightenment.
• Can confuse profound mechanisms and kill without leaving a trace at fourth order 315.

Talisman Drawing

Talisman drawing was Li Chang'an’s first major professional skill and a foundation of his wealth, combat strength, and reputation.

• Drew High-grade Talismans early in his cultivation career 5.
• Became a Mid-grade Talisman Master and supplied the Zheng Family monthly 47 48.
• Achieved over a ninety-percent success rate for First-tier High-grade Talismans while in the Borrowing Method State 48.
• Produced High-grade Talismans including the Jade Sword Talisman 142.
• Later gained major insights into the Way of Talismans in the Ink White Secret Realm 526.

Alchemy

Li Chang'an developed from an alchemy inheritor into a high-level alchemist.

• Received a High-grade First Tier alchemy inheritance from Zheng Qingqing 86.
• Obtained Dan Chenzi’s alchemy insights and reached Second-tier Alchemy 190.
• Reached Tier 2 Mid-grade Alchemy after three years 191.
• Received a Tier 3 Mid-grade Alchemy Legacy and became a Quasi-Tier 3 Alchemist 211.
• Demonstrated Tier 4 Alchemy by refining a Tier 4 pill during an assessment trial 470.

Puppet Crafting and Control

Li Chang'an employs puppets for battle, espionage, infiltration, and the manipulation of rival factions.

• Purchased a puppet for 68 Spirit Stones at auction, beginning his puppet-crafting path 24.
• Crafted defensive puppets using Earth-Splitting Pangolin materials 47.
• Used puppets and the Shadowless Net to capture a black-clad cultivator 50.
• Turned Golden Core cultivator He Qianshan into a puppet 260.
• Controlled multiple Golden Core puppets to infiltrate Mandarin Duck Valley and Hundred Beasts Sect 301.
• Refined Qin Hong and Mu Yan into Wood Seed Puppets 315 320.

Sword Dao

Li Chang'an cultivates the Heaven Grade Greater Wood Sword Formation and later develops formidable sword-formation control.

• Obtained the Greater Wood Sword Formation legacy; entry requires the Nine Swords Formation, while Minor Achievement requires twenty-seven Precious Swords 210.
• Reached Minor Success and controlled twenty-seven strands of Sword Qi 211.
• Controlled thirty-six Spirit Swords 233.
• Increased his formation from thirty-six to forty-five Sword Qi after enlightenment 254.
• Uses sword formations and Sword Qi Talismans capable of threatening Golden Core cultivators 241.

Body Refining

Li Chang'an supplements his cultivation with body refining, allowing him to remain dangerous even when mana is restricted.

• Began body refining through painful initial training 59.
• Reached Second-tier Body Refining before fighting Wu Lianshan 163.
• Completed the seventh body-refining level and reached late Tier 3 physique 352.
• Completed body refining to Tier 4 Fourth Layer, far exceeding his cultivation realm in physical strength 488.
• Defeated True Lord Black Dragon in a magic-forbidden region where mana was suppressed 488.

Concealment and Escape Techniques

Li Chang'an prioritizes survival, mobility, and keeping his capabilities hidden.

• Learned the Thousand Faces Divine Art to alter his aura 29.
• Cultivated the Shadow Refining Formless Art to Great Accomplishment, concealing both body and aura even from his contracted spiritual beasts 226.
• Acquired the Earth Grade Five Elements Spirit Light Escape and cultivated it to Minor Achievement 209.
• Operates through multiple false identities, disguises, puppets, and controlled bodies 256 301.

Artifact Forging

Li Chang'an eventually became a high-level artifact refiner.

• Received Liang Xuan’s Fourth-Order Artifact Refining Legacy after saving Xiang Heng 370.
• Advanced to Tier 4 Low-grade Artifact Forging and became a fourth-tier Artifact Forging Grandmaster 370.
• Reached Tier 4 Mid-grade Artifact Refining 432.
• Successfully repaired the Dragon Emperor Sword using the Myriad Heart Stone after Cang Hong failed 432.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Green Wood Sword — Ancient sword linked to Azure Wood Heavenly Lord’s legacy; its awakened Sword Spirit revealed that the complete sword is needed to access the legacy 500.
• Soul Honoring Banner — Demonic-path treasure used to command souls and preserve defeated enemies’ souls 165 263.
• Spirit Eye — Treasure capable of gathering Spiritual Energy and eventually transforming into a small-scale Spirit Vein 29.
• Mirror Flower Water Moon Formation — Defensive formation installed at his residence 175.
• Myriad Refinement Azure Origin Armor — Tier 5 armor with the Azure-Clad Boy as its Artifact Spirit 538 539.
• Profound Spirit Turtle Shell Armor — Tier 4 Low-grade armor gifted by Wang Yianian 340.
• Quasi-fifth Rank Talisman Brush — Obtained from the Ink White Secret Realm 526.
• Soul Suppressing Talisman — Required by True Lord Hanshan to save his dao companion’s soul 511.
• Cold Wind Stone Eyes — Ten specimens acquired after surviving Cold Wind Cave 511.

Relationships

• Zheng Qingqing — Zheng Family Eldest Miss, long-term ally, business partner, and eventual intimate companion. She aided his Foundation Establishment by refining pills for him; later chose to follow him without binding him to the Zheng Family 47 181 190 191.
• Su Yuyan — A girl Li Chang'an saved in the past who regards him as “Big Brother Li.” She repeatedly supports and defends him, including against Foundation Establishment cultivators 87 175.
• Xu Fugui — Hometown friend who admires and trusts Li Chang'an. Li Chang'an later advises him on Foundation Establishment 5 21 123.
• Chu Daniu — Hometown friend and early associate; introduced Li Chang'an to artisan circles and remains concerned for his welfare 5 9 33.
• Pei Yingyao — Powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator who publicly proved Li Chang'an’s innocence and later treated him as someone connected to her lineage 112 169.
• Ye Hao — Fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator and ally against the Yellow Crane Mountain lineage; invited Li Chang'an into the Destroying Crane Alliance 188.
• Chen Qianya — Talisman Master and daughter of Chen Yuanshan. Their relationship is encouraged by her father, though Li Chang'an remains reserved 58 86.
• Chen Huilan — Su Yuyan’s master and an elder who valued Li Chang'an despite his poor Spirit Root; he later fulfills his promise by visiting her grave after forming his Golden Core 183 184 279.
• Liang Xuan — Fourth-tier Artifact Forging Grandmaster who granted Li Chang'an a fourth-order legacy in gratitude for saving Xiang Heng 370.
• Zi Xi — Purple Cloud Sect Saintess who offered him guest-elder status, later supplied cultivation resources and support through her master 271 279 320.
• Ye Qingqiu — Young disciple who chose Li Chang'an as her master because she felt an inexplicable closeness to him; he began teaching her sword arts 557 558.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rise in Clear River Market

Li Chang'an establishes himself as a rogue Talisman Master, gains the Zheng Family’s favor, and develops a profitable but independent relationship with Zheng Qingqing. His growing talisman skill attracts both allies and enemies, including Zheng Jinbao and Zheng Lingfeng 8 20 47 61.

Black Wind Mountain Conflict

After repeated threats against him, Li Chang'an uncovers Black Wind Mountain’s interest in capturing him. He rescues Zheng Songhe and Zheng Ling'er, kills Liang Ying, and gradually eliminates Black Wind Mountain’s leadership 48 50 65 103.

Azure Mountain and Foundation Establishment

Li Chang'an establishes Azure Mountain as his base, expands his network, strengthens his body-refining and puppet paths, kills Wu Lianshan, and finally reaches Foundation Establishment with support from Zheng Qingqing and Su Yuyan 163 181.

Golden Core Rise

He acquires high-level legacies, builds influence through alchemy and puppetry, infiltrates rival sects, and forms an Immortal Golden Core despite his Low-grade Spirit Root 211 254 279 301.

Southern and Western Region Manipulation

Using puppets and false identities, Li Chang'an infiltrates Golden Core factions, turns rival sects against one another, destroys Mandarin Duck Valley’s foundation, and eliminates old enemies such as Liu Haichao 301 313 467.

Nascent Soul and Great Yan

Li Chang'an reaches Nascent Soul, awakens the Green Wood Sword’s Spirit, acquires further array and artifact legacies, and eventually defeats Great Yan’s ruling powers to become the master of Great Yan 500 526 528.

Trivia

• Li Chang'an’s Low-grade Spirit Root is repeatedly underestimated by others, even after he achieves Foundation Establishment and Golden Core 59 142 279.
• He consistently refuses marriage arrangements and clan entanglements, even when they offer substantial cultivation resources 20 48 340.
• He considers stable cultivation preferable to needless fighting, despite repeatedly becoming involved in deadly conflicts 97.
• Li Chang'an has a habit of preparing for worst-case scenarios before dangerous journeys or confrontations 179.