Xuan Ming

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xuan Ming (玄冥) 369
Alias(es)	Black Nascent Soul; black-robed figure 369 733
Species/Race	Unstated; initially exists as a disembodied black Nascent Soul before receiving a forged body 369 445
Affiliation	Lin Feng's blood-contract ally; defender of Ancient Night City against Sky Curtain City; later a member of Purple Cloud Palace 369 757 953 1007
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, secret-technique instructor, artifact refiner, and occasional protector of Lin Feng; later also refines ghost generals and performs rites to guide departed souls 369 446 538 932 996
Cultivation	Early Demigod Realm 1007
Residence / Cultivation Sites	Frequently stays at Shadow Pavilion; later cultivates in the Reincarnation Hall of Purple Cloud Palace 931 996 1000
Status	Active 769 780 1007
First Appearance	Chapter 369

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Deity Transformation Realm	407	Cultivates beneath the stars, causing sealed memories to loosen and advancing from his Nascent Soul state.
Late Body Integration Realm	446	After merging with his newly forged body, his aura rapidly rises through Deity Transformation and Void Refining to late Body Integration; its ultimate endpoint is not stated.
Mahayana Realm	449	Lin Feng judges that Xuan Ming has entered Mahayana after he easily drives off two Mahayana-stage demonic beasts.
Tribulation Transcending Realm	538 539	Repels Tian Can, withstands an ascension tribulation, and ascends to the Immortal Realm.
Mid-stage Dao Ancestor Realm	734	Recovers to his former peak after returning to the Asura Battlefield and resumes his pursuit of the Reincarnation Fruit.
Late-stage Dao Ancestor Realm	752	Refines the Reincarnation Fruit with Lin Feng accelerating the process through the Law of Time; continues advancing toward the Emperor Realm.
Emperor Venerable Realm	953	Explicitly identified as an Emperor Venerable while joining Lin Man, Ding Yun, and Azure Water Golden Toad against Xuan Ming Emperor Lord. The intervening breakthroughs are not detailed in the available account.
Late Emperor Lord Realm	1007	Breaks through with Lin Feng's assistance in Chaos Space, using accelerated time and chaos qi to strengthen his foundation and deepen his reincarnation power.
Early Demigod Realm	1007	Reaches early demigod during the century-long period of collective cultivation that greatly strengthens Purple Cloud Palace.

Background / History

Fragmented memories and reincarnation

Xuan Ming first appears as a black Nascent Soul with incomplete memories. He constructs the name “Xuan Ming” from those residual memories, suggesting that it may carry significance from his past. His true origin remains unrevealed, though he possesses knowledge of the Immortal Realm and its Golden Tadpole Script. 369 446 448

He later reveals that he had previously failed to obtain the Reincarnation Fruit and was forced to reincarnate. Old Man Green Snake had also ordered him hunted while he was severely injured, making Sky Curtain City one of his longstanding enemies. 733 757

He originally discovered the fruit's location while fleeing pursuers in the Asura Battlefield. Recognizing its familiar aura, he remembered the site and returned after escaping, but his first attempt to obtain the fruit failed. 735

Before his ascension from the Canglan Domain, Xuan Ming states that he has recovered most of his cultivation and memories, including the reason for his presence there and the identity of his enemy. He does not disclose all of those details to Lin Feng before departing. 538 539

Alliance with Lin Feng

Trusting his intuition, Xuan Ming chooses to follow Lin Feng. The two form a blood contract by merging drops of vital blood into a pair of blood talismans, establishing a subtle connection between them. 369

Their alliance begins as a mutually beneficial arrangement: Xuan Ming provides rare techniques, information, and stealth support, while Lin Feng helps collect materials for a new physical body. Over time, Xuan Ming comes to regard Lin Feng as a trusted friend rather than merely a useful partner. 369 405 445 752

Although he repeatedly notices Lin Feng's extraordinary cultivation speed, Xuan Ming does not attempt to seize or interrogate him for its secret. Lin Feng regards this restraint, together with Xuan Ming's protection and gifts, as evidence of his sincere goodwill. 539

Their association continues into Purple Cloud Palace, where Xuan Ming fights alongside Lin Feng's family and companions. Lin Feng later supports his recovery and advancement with chaos qi, resources, and accelerated cultivation in Chaos Space. 953 956 1007

Appearance

Before regaining a body, Xuan Ming is a small black Nascent Soul with obsidian-like eyes. He later transfers his Nascent Soul into an artificially forged body and is commonly seen in black robes. 407 445 747

• Initially manifests as a black Nascent Soul. 369
• Has obsidian-like eyes that respond to starlight and awakening memories. 407
• His forged body resembles an imposing, bearded middle-aged man and bears a strong resemblance to his Nascent Soul. 445
• Emits seven-colored radiance when his Nascent Soul fully merges with his forged body. 445
• Often conceals himself beneath black robes in the Asura Battlefield. 733 757
• Later appears beneath a black hood while wielding the Underworld King Halberd; his soul body and eerie green soul fire visibly weaken under severe damage during the battle against his Emperor Lord namesake. 953

Personality

Xuan Ming is straightforward, curious, and visibly expressive; Lin Feng notes that his emotions and minor schemes are easy to read. He is eager to demonstrate his usefulness, particularly when searching for treasures or providing techniques that impress Lin Feng. 369 370

Despite his initially casual demeanor, Xuan Ming takes debts and promises seriously. He solemnly acknowledges that Lin Feng's efforts to gather body-forging materials place him in Xuan Ming's debt, and he repeatedly repays that trust through protection, instruction, and direct intervention in dangerous battles. 445 538 746

He is exceptionally persistent in pursuit of the Reincarnation Fruit, enduring severe injuries, sacrificing an arm, and even planning further reincarnations after an initial failure. 745 746

His later bearing is often stern and restrained, but he shows indulgent affection toward Lin Chen. When the child's prank ruins a nearly completed ghost general, Xuan Ming identifies the culprit but ultimately responds with a shake of his head rather than uncontrolled anger. 932

Xuan Ming refuses to accept superior lineage or rank as grounds for denying his identity. When Xuan Ming Emperor Lord demands exclusive ownership of their shared name, he rejects the claim and stakes his right to the name on the outcome of battle. 953 955

His understanding of reincarnation also gives him unusual composure in the face of fear. He regards death and calamity as possibilities within the changing order of existence, maintaining that the purpose of his path is to ferry living beings through suffering rather than merely avoid it. This conviction later finds practical expression in his austere life of meditation and funeral rites for mortal villagers. 977 996

Abilities & Skills

Law of Reincarnation

Xuan Ming's principal power is the Law of Reincarnation, a Supreme Law that he uses for suppression, destructive attacks, and reversing an opponent toward a weaker past state.

• Uses Karma Fire to kill 108 Grand Unity Realm cultivators operating Sky Curtain City's war drums. 757
• Can bind opponents with Netherworld Chains. 769 770
• Uses a reincarnation-based killing move to regress the Great Desolate Ape King from late-stage to mid-stage Dao Ancestor Realm. 769
• The regression technique heavily depletes both his Immortal Spiritual Energy and soul power. 770
• His reincarnation-related secret techniques can provide a means of survival through renewed cultivation. 746 792
• Manifests a Reincarnation Disc, whose intricate workings convey the cycles of life and death and the recompense of good and evil. Its subtlety allows him to contend temporarily with Reincarnation Venerable's deeper cultivation and more developed “great reincarnation.” 985
• Uses the Reincarnation Disk and Light of Reincarnation during funerary rites to guide departed souls onward and accumulate merit. 996
• Gains deeper insight into the Way of Reincarnation and “Avert Calamity” through his battle with the Omen King. 978
• Further strengthens his reincarnation power while advancing to late Emperor Lord under Lin Feng's guidance. 1007

Spatial movement and concealment

Xuan Ming possesses highly refined spatial and stealth techniques, making him particularly effective at infiltration, reconnaissance, escape, and acquiring guarded treasures.

• Enters the void to evade attacks and move through dangerous areas. 369 734
• Uses spatial Spiritual Power to bypass flowing fire and retrieve Ten Thousand Year Ice Souls. 369
• Remains undetected while spying on a meeting of Deity Transformation cultivators. 405
• Teaches Lin Feng the Netherlight Technique, an aura-concealment art. 369
• Later gives Lin Feng the broader Netherlight Art, including the Bone-Changing Disguise Technique. 413
• Uses a ghost path secret art to secretly swap and transfer the Qingyang Demon Sect's true treasury resources through space, leaving a decoy for Qingmingzi to carry away. 928

Refinement and esoteric knowledge

Xuan Ming possesses advanced knowledge of body forging, formations, artifact refinement, and Immortal Realm writing.

• Directs the forging of his own physical body using rare materials, complex runes, and seven silver needles to transfer his Nascent Soul. 445
• Uses a recovered refining method and heavenly tribulation lightning to temper Lin Feng's butcher knife into a Profound Heaven Supreme Treasure. 446
• Can read Golden Tadpole Script, allowing Lin Feng to understand Immortal Realm cultivation methods. 446 447
• Leaves Lin Feng a storage bag containing high-level materials and extensive knowledge of formations, puppets, alchemy, and cultivation techniques. 538 540
• Teaches Lin Feng the Spiritually Connected Artifact Refining Technique, which Lin Feng uses with Ten Thousand Year Ice Souls to enhance his Ice Soul Flowing Wind Wings. 370
• His departing gifts include the Formless Divine Demon Scripture, a cultivation method that permits the absorption and conversion of varied energies and cultivation in different environments. 540
• Refines Netherworld Ghost Generals and performs their spirit awakening. The process requires concentration: Lin Chen's Dream Illusion Pollen interrupts one awakening and extinguishes the creation's soul flames. 932

Combat techniques

Although initially more suited to support and evasion than direct offense, Xuan Ming becomes a formidable combatant after regaining his body and recovering his cultivation.

• Cloud Transformation Palm — launches numerous palm imprints and leaves a lingering gray energy that prevents wounded Mahayana demonic beasts from regenerating. 449
• Can severely injure a late-stage Dao Ancestor Realm cultivator with a single palm strike. 757
• Uses purple-black law power to suppress enemy attacks and repel law-infused ice cones. 733 769
• Fights the Azure Water Golden Toad in a prolonged battle, ultimately sacrificing an arm to kill it before it revives. 735 745 746
• Instantly kills the Moonwatch Sect's early-stage Emperor Venerable patriarch, returning with his severed head before the patriarch can effectively respond. 924
• Combines his ghost path cultivation with the Underworld King Halberd, merging his movement with a deathly pale streak of ghostly light to attack. With his companions creating an opening, the halberd's soul fire penetrates Xuan Ming Emperor Lord's ghostly defenses and inflicts a small wound on his divine soul. 953
• Uses disruptive attacks and exchanges of injuries to obstruct a stronger opponent while coordinating with allies. Against Xuan Ming Emperor Lord, these tactics help four Emperor Venerables sustain resistance despite the realm disparity. 953
• Channels his remaining ghost Dao origin and fighting spirit into the Underworld King Halberd during his final assault in the dispute over his name. 955

Resistance to fear and illusions

Xuan Ming's insight into reincarnation allows him to remain composed when confronted with visions of his deepest fears. The Omen King shows him Purple Cloud Palace's destruction, the deaths of those he cares about, and Lin Feng's fall, but he recognizes these scenes as only possible outcomes within impermanence and refuses to let them disturb his mind. 977

Notable Items

• Jade longsword — Used while attempting to cut the Reincarnation Fruit from its tree. 735
• Seven silver needles — Used to establish a connection between his Nascent Soul and his newly forged body. 445
• Storage Bag — Left to Lin Feng before Xuan Ming's ascension; contains valuable materials and Immortal Realm knowledge. 538 540
• Underworld King Halberd — His weapon in the battle against Xuan Ming Emperor Lord; carries soul fire and receives his ghost Dao origin during his final assault. 953 955
• Reincarnation Disk — Used in reincarnation-law combat and rites for departed souls. After the siege of the Nine Heavens, its radiance has faded and it requires renewed nurturing. 985 996 1000
• Transferred treasury ring and sealed jade box — Receives a storage ring containing 120 billion emperor crystals and a jade box holding the Qingyang Demon Sect's finest Fourth Heaven treasures through a covert spatial transfer. 928

Relationships

• Lin Feng — Blood-contract ally and later close friend. Xuan Ming teaches him techniques, helps refine his butcher knife, saves his life, and receives Lin Feng's aid in forging a body and refining the Reincarnation Fruit. Their alliance continues in Purple Cloud Palace, where Lin Feng supports his recovery and eventual advancement to early demigod. 369 445 446 538 752 956 1007
• Fire Dragon — Assisted Lin Feng in subduing the Fire Dragon and later reunites with him as an old acquaintance. 448 747
• Old Man Green Snake — Former pursuer and enemy from Sky Curtain City. Xuan Ming accuses him of cultivating an evil art that absorbs other cultivators' law power. 757
• Azure Water Golden Toad — Guardian of the Reincarnation Fruit and Xuan Ming's major obstacle. After their battle, Xuan Ming later intervenes to protect the injured toad from the Great Desolate Ape King. They subsequently fight together against Xuan Ming Emperor Lord as companions of Purple Cloud Palace. 735 746 769 953
• Dong Xuan — Ally in Tianyuan City's defense; Xuan Ming suppresses demons while she prepares the Dragon Phoenix Flying Rings. 780
• Lin Man and Ding Yun — Fellow Purple Cloud Palace combatants. Together with the Azure Water Golden Toad, they repeatedly cover Xuan Ming and create openings for his attacks against his Emperor Lord namesake. 953
• Lin Chen — Lin Feng and Dong Xuan's mischievous son. Lin Chen visits Shadow Pavilion and ruins a ghost general's spirit awakening with Dream Illusion Pollen; Xuan Ming's response reveals restrained affection beneath his stern demeanor. 931 932
• Xuan Ming Emperor Lord — A distinct Seventh Heaven cultivator and enemy who claims exclusive entitlement to the name “Xuan Ming.” Their confrontation becomes a battle over identity, with Xuan Ming rejecting the Emperor Lord's reliance on lineage and status. The Emperor Lord is dead by the following account of the battle's aftermath. 953 955 956
• Omen King — Opponent who attempts to shake him with visions of personal and collective catastrophe. Xuan Ming's reincarnation philosophy allows him to withstand the psychological assault. 977 978
• Reincarnation Venerable — Reclusive elder of Reincarnation Valley and a rival practitioner of reincarnation. Their clash pits the elder's deeper cultivation against Xuan Ming's more intricate understanding of the law. 985

Story Role / Major Arcs

Secret Realm alliance

After forming a blood contract with Lin Feng, Xuan Ming explores the flowing-fire cavern with him, retrieves several Ten Thousand Year Ice Souls, and offers to help obtain the Universe Cauldron. He later finds the cauldron before Lin Feng successfully refines it. 369 378

He also shares the Spiritually Connected Artifact Refining Technique after witnessing Lin Feng's formation mastery, enabling further improvements to Lin Feng's treasures. 370

Forged body and departure

With Lin Feng's help, Xuan Ming creates and inhabits a new physical body. The successful transfer triggers a powerful heavenly tribulation and restores much of his former strength. After helping Lin Feng obtain the True Spirit Body Refining Scripture and temper his butcher knife, Xuan Ming departs to resolve personal matters. 445 446 449

Ascension and return

Xuan Ming returns in time to save Lin Feng from Tian Can, injures the Tribulation Crossing Realm expert, and then undergoes his own ascension tribulation. Before ascending, he leaves Lin Feng a storage bag of precious materials and knowledge. 538 539 540

He later returns to the Asura Battlefield to pursue the Reincarnation Fruit once more. Following an initial failure against the Azure Water Golden Toad, he joins Lin Feng at Ancient Night City and ultimately refines the fruit with Lin Feng's assistance. 733 746 752

Defense of Ancient Night City and Tianyuan City

Xuan Ming takes the lead against Sky Curtain City's invasion, exposing Old Man Green Snake and overwhelming several enemy cultivators with Karma Fire and the Law of Reincarnation. 757

He later battles the Great Desolate Ape King, enduring its ultimate attack before regressing its cultivation through Reincarnation Regression. He also aids Dong Xuan in suppressing five demons before she deploys her Emperor Weapon. 769 770 780

Purple Cloud Palace operations and daily life

As a Purple Cloud Palace combatant, Xuan Ming decisively eliminates the Moonwatch Sect's patriarch during the palace's campaign of submission. He also conducts a covert treasury transfer involving the Qingyang Demon Sect, securing its true resources while other participants carry a decoy or serve as a rear guard. 924 928

He frequently stays at Shadow Pavilion, whose lingering nether death energy discourages ordinary disciples from approaching. Lin Chen's protective items allow the child to enter its vicinity and disrupt Xuan Ming's refinement of a Netherworld Ghost General, adding a domestic interlude to his otherwise serious cultivation and military responsibilities. 931 932

Battle over the name Xuan Ming

During the confrontation with the Seventh Heaven's Emperor Lords, Xuan Ming joins Lin Man, Ding Yun, and Azure Water Golden Toad to relieve pressure on Lin Feng. Their opponent, Xuan Ming Emperor Lord, becomes enraged at sharing a name with a lower-realm Emperor Venerable and threatens to torture his soul. Xuan Ming refuses to yield his identity and attacks with the Underworld King Halberd. 953

The four companions coordinate their attacks and defenses, allowing Xuan Ming to wound the Emperor Lord's divine soul and repeatedly obstruct him despite severe injuries. The Emperor Lord eventually invokes his Ghost Emperor true form and launches a colossal ghost claw that exceeds their ability to withstand it. 953

In the subsequent fighting, Xuan Ming seizes an opening while his namesake is disoriented and commits his remaining ghost Dao origin to a final halberd assault. By the next account, Xuan Ming Emperor Lord has died, while Lin Feng provides the surviving Xuan Ming with chaos qi and abundant resources for recovery and cultivation. 955 956

Reincarnation trials and service to mortals

Against the Omen King, Xuan Ming withstands visions of Purple Cloud Palace's destruction and the deaths of those closest to him. His understanding of reincarnation prevents the images from shaking his resolve, and the battle deepens his insight into “Avert Calamity.” He suffers the lightest injuries among the companions described during their recovery. 977 978

He later confronts Reincarnation Venerable in a contest of reincarnation laws. Although his opponent has greater cultivation and gradually gains the upper hand, Xuan Ming's more subtle reincarnation disc allows him to resist. He regards the encounter not only as a struggle for survival but also as a contest to vindicate his understanding of the Way of Reincarnation. 985

Outside battle, he leads an austere life in the Reincarnation Hall, chanting scriptures and meditating. He also visits mortal villages to conduct funeral rites, guide departed souls to their next lives, and accumulate merit. After the siege of the Nine Heavens, he continues chanting while nurturing his depleted Reincarnation Disk. 996 1000

Collective advancement to demigod

Lin Feng opens Chaos Space to his allies and uses accelerated time, chaos qi, and personal guidance to strengthen their foundations. Xuan Ming advances to late Emperor Lord alongside several companions, gaining greater mastery of his reincarnation power. By the end of the century-long cultivation period, he has reached early demigod, contributing to Purple Cloud Palace's greatly increased collective strength. 1007

Notable Quotes

“I've finally returned here. I failed last time, which is why I had to reincarnate. This time, I will succeed!” 733

“From now on, let's just call each other friends. No need for ‘Senior’ and such!” 752

“The victor lives. The defeated dies. Only the survivor has the right to bear this name!” 953

“The battle over this name ends today! Xuan Ming is mine!” 955

“If I fear the calamities of the future, how can I ferry all living beings across theirs?” 977

Trivia

• Xuan Ming's name is assembled from his fragmented residual memories rather than recalled in full. 369
• Daoist Sansuan is unable to meaningfully divine Xuan Ming's fate, suggesting that a technique or treasure conceals him from divination. 748
• He is distinct from the Seventh Heaven's Xuan Ming Emperor Lord; the shared name becomes an explicit source of conflict rather than evidence that they are the same person. 953
• Despite Shadow Pavilion's dangerous nether death energy, Lin Chen can approach it using a jade pendant made by Lin Feng and a Heart-Cleansing Sachet that Dong Xuan asked Lin Man to make. 931
• His later practice combines reincarnation-law cultivation with scripture chanting, funerary rites, and the accumulation of merit among mortals. 996

---