Sky Soaring

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Sky Soaring (昂霄)
Alias(es)	True Lord Sky Soaring Sun Obscuring; Ling Xiao 293 1518
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sacred Sect (formerly a Sacred Sect True Lord) 520 875
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; former Great True Lord; Dao Lord 875 1496
Status	Active; a Dao Lord besieged over the Ancestral Dragon's Primordial Spirit 1496 1518
First Appearance	Chapter 293

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Late Golden Core True Lord	438	Encountered Guangming Buddha's Son in the Netherworld while pursuing White Wax Gold and a means to interfere with the Real World.
Late Golden Core; Five Elements Perfection	503	His Chen Earth Reversal and Supreme Fruit Position formed the foundation of his Five Elements Perfection.
Enhanced Late Golden Core	520	Pulled Sand-In-Metal Earth into the Netherworld, producing a qualitative surge in his aura.
Golden Core Middle Stage	748	Emerged from the Netherworld after shedding layers of shadow; his aura fell below Late Golden Core.
Golden Core Perfection	1045	Broke through after reaching the Netherworld Lord Hall.
Peak Great True Lord; Five Elements Perfection	1085	Emerged from the Netherworld with his Five Elements Perfection revealed and destroyed Hongyun.
Peak Late Golden Core	1150	Regained control of Quzhi amid the Void Darkness Light Sea's dark-side storm.
Dao Lord, Third Layer	1496	Inscribed his Great Dao upon the Other Shore's Third Layer and became the first cultivator to become a Dao Lord without a Dao Lord's intervention.

Background / History

Sky Soaring attained the Dao through Great Forest Wood, then entered the Netherworld to pursue a higher path. He developed his Five Elements foundation through Chen Earth Reversal and concealed the resulting changes with an immense Perception Barrier capable of deceiving even Great True Lords. 481 503 721

He prepared multiple means to affect the Real World from the Netherworld. These included a Chongguang Dao Abomination Avatar, fragments of consciousness, hidden Grotto-Heaven remnants, puppets, and the stolen body of Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva. 293 313 518 520

During the struggle over Overseas, Sky Soaring used the opening of the Netherworld gate to attempt to seize Long Flowing Water. His Chongguang Avatar remained within the Dragon Palace while another body waited behind the gate, revealing the scale of his advance preparations. 293

After his identity was exposed by True Lord Clear Serene Flying Snow, he abandoned secrecy and launched a lightning campaign. He deployed the Retribution Dharma Outer Body to hold off several True Lords, seized Sand-In-Metal Earth, and pursued White Wax Gold as his next target. 520 521

Sky Soaring's plans repeatedly clashed with Lu Yang's. Although Lu Yang exploited knowledge from previous lives to dismantle several contingencies, Sky Soaring recognized the danger early, advanced his timetable, and repeatedly found alternative routes through the traps arranged against him. 520 724 738

Following the collapse of Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva's control and the failure of the Chongguang Dao Abomination against Hongyun, Sky Soaring emerged from the Netherworld at reduced cultivation. He nevertheless retained freedom to act in the Human World and continued pursuing Covered Lamp Fire, the Five Elements Fruit Positions, and a path beyond the Netherworld. 748 756

He later attempted to elevate the Netherworld by inverting life and death across Immortal Pivot. The plan drew the intervention of several Great True Lords and Dao Lords; Sky Soaring responded by severing the Netherworld's reincarnation power to secure the Dharma Power Dao Lord's aid. 875 876 1025

After the Netherworld path became untenable, he negotiated with Lu Yang for a new Dao Path, trading his True Lord cultivation in Great Forest Wood for information concerning Tribulation. He subsequently chose to pursue Tribulation and the Other Shore rather than return to the Netherworld. 1098 1101 1102

Sky Soaring eventually endured Tribulation, completed his Dao, and ascended to Dao Lord without any Dao Lord arranging his breakthrough. Si Sui's transcendence strengthened his foundation enough for his Great Dao to reach the Other Shore's Third Layer. 1496

Appearance

Sky Soaring generally conceals his body within rolling smoke. His visible features are usually limited to a pair of narrow, composed eyes and pale hands, making his form appear inhuman rather than merely disguised. 707 748

• Azure robes, long boots, a jade belt, and pale hands have been seen when his smoke concealment was partially stripped away. 769
• He appeared in green robes while using Xiaohai True Person's body. 728
• He later appeared seated in azure robes beside a manifested Great Forest Wood. 1518
• His face remained smoke even when half-illuminated during his Fruit Position Ascension Ritual. 1025

Personality

Sky Soaring is methodical, suspicious, and exceptionally willing to act before his opponents can complete their preparations. When he recognized Lu Yang's attempt to slowly corner him, he revealed his own trump card early rather than accept a prolonged disadvantage. 519 520

He is confident in both his cultivation and contingency planning, often treating danger as a problem to be calculated rather than avoided. Even after realizing that Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva and other hidden arrangements had been exposed, he chose to endure, preserve his final trump card, and wait for the enemy's objective to reveal itself. 725 738

His ambition is tied to a refusal to accept the limits imposed on Lower Cultivators. During his life-and-death inversion scheme, he openly questioned whether the figures above truly allowed cultivators of the Real World to seek the Dao. 875

Abilities & Skills

Perception Barrier

Sky Soaring's signature technique conceals people, objects, plans, and even historical information from perception.

• Concealed the truth of Chen Earth through a ritual backed by Great Forest Wood and his own methods, deceiving Great True Lords across the world. 721
• Allowed his bodies and avatars to operate unnoticed, including his theft and control of Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva. 518 519
• Can reconstruct past scenes for investigation; Sky Soaring used a partial Perception Barrier to trace events even when Karma had been severed. 829
• Can make his existence effectively illusory to surrounding phenomena, allowing him to move through the Two Extremes Life-Death Profound Light without disturbing it. 756
• Covered Lamp Fire could reveal Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva and break through the weakening barrier. 748

Five Elements Dao Fruit

Sky Soaring combines the Five Elements Fruit Positions into a Dao Fruit, with Great Forest Wood as the core.

• His known Five Elements foundation includes Great Forest Wood, White Wax Gold, Sand-In-Metal Earth, Covered Lamp Fire, and Long Flowing Water. 975
• Chen Earth Reversal enabled his Five Elements Perfection and compensated for the imbalance in his Fruit Position combination. 503 994
• Seizing Sand-In-Metal Earth significantly strengthened his aura and advanced his larger Five Elements design. 520
• His own Grotto-Heaven, built around Great Forest Wood and the other four Fruit Positions' mysteries, was forged into the Floating Light Realm Sea Great Immortal Art. 1091

Quzhi / Empty Attainment Great Dao

Quzhi is Sky Soaring's hidden Empty Attainment Great Dao, built around changing opposing states.

• Its fundamental mystery can alter the two sides of all things. 994
• He used it to reverse the relation of life and death, attempting to make death the condition for cultivation throughout Immortal Pivot. 875
• It allows him to adjust the Gold Nature of his Fruit Positions, turning Sand-In-Metal Earth's sparse earth qi into an image capable of bearing Great Forest Wood. 994
• Sky Soaring used Wall Earth to extend this Great Dao farther into the Netherworld. 876

Avatars, Possession, and Puppetry

Sky Soaring maintains numerous bodies and remote instruments to act across realms.

• Refined Chongguang's Dao Abomination into an Avatar capable of freely traveling the Real World and standing invincible beneath True Lords. 313
• Controlled Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva from within, using the body to access Pure Land resources and Buddhist methods. 519 741
• Used Xiaohai True Person as a puppet body to investigate Gantang Circuit and refine the Coastal Bright Light Pot. 721
• Forcefully possessed Xiao Shiye and used him to enter the Law Refining Secret Realm. 552
• Attempted to refine the Primordial Dao Abomination into an Avatar, only for an elderly cultivator to trap his divine-soul fragment inside it. 730

Netherworld Authority

Sky Soaring's long residence in the Netherworld gave him unusual control over its gates, power, and undead lineages.

• Opened and stabilized Netherworld gateways to seize or draw in Fruit Positions. 293 519
• Used the Netherworld's might to demote the status of True Lords in Immortal Pivot, making them disappear before entering the expanded Netherworld. 876
• Developed a residence whose Complete Five Elements, Supreme-rank Dao Fruit art could evade the Netherworld's detection of the living. 975
• Created a Netherworld Emissary with five soul-targeting divine abilities and detailed knowledge of undead cultivation. 1121

Dharma Combat

Sky Soaring can contend directly with multiple high-level cultivators while dividing his attention across separate schemes.

• Used the Retribution Dharma Outer Body, a Purple Qi puppet with divine powers above those of most True Lords. 520
• Held off True Lord Clear Serene Flying Snow and other attackers while drawing Sand-In-Metal Earth into the Netherworld. 520
• Used the Distinct Image Zen Forest to suppress Pure Land Bodhisattvas while simultaneously interfering with Chongguang and Suo Huan. 741
• Concealed a sword strike from Gangxing Budao True Lord for use against Lu Yang. 523
• His Floating Light Realm Sea Great Immortal Art stores concealed attacks, erases injuries, and renders conventional defense ineffective. 1091

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Retribution Dharma Outer Body — A Purple Qi puppet deployed as Sky Soaring's combat proxy against multiple True Lords. 520
• Coastal Bright Light Pot — A treasure refined through Xiaohai True Person using Long Radiance Precious Light Cave Heaven, lake water, and a family's materials. 721
• Chongguang Dao Abomination Avatar — An Avatar created from Chongguang's failed Golden Seeking; it could travel the Real World and was intended as a decisive trump card against Hongyun. 313 748
• Attaining-Enlightenment Hidden Profound Residence — His Netherworld residence, protected by a Complete Five Elements, Supreme-rank Dao Fruit art. 975
• Netherworld Emissary — A living undead creation gifted to Lu Yang; it was later transformed into the Sky Soaring Netherworld Scripture. 1121

Relationships

• Lu Yang — Long-term rival, occasional bargaining partner, and mutual source of suspicion. They made a deal involving Fire in the Sky, Covered Lamp Fire, Long Flowing Water, and Ji Earth Dao cultivation; later, Sky Soaring exchanged his Great Forest Wood cultivation for a potential new Dao Path. 524 1098
• Radiant World Exchange Light True Lord / World Honored One — An ally and higher figure connected to Sky Soaring through City Top Earth and the Karmic Net. The World Honored One protected him during his Netherworld ascension attempt and later advised him on seeking Tribulation. 1025 1101 1102
• True Lord Clear Serene Flying Snow — Major opponent who exposed Sky Soaring's true name to the world's True Lords and opposed his seizure of Sand-In-Metal Earth. 520
• Hongyun / Heavenly Fortune Radiant Light True Lord — Rival for Covered Lamp Fire. Hongyun's power exposed Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva and disrupted Sky Soaring's Chongguang Dao Abomination plan. 725 748
• Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva — Stolen body and key Pure Land contingency. The Bodhisattva eventually broke free of Sky Soaring's control and returned to the Pure Land. 518 748
• Suo Huan — A pawn and contingency in Sky Soaring's design to seize Long Flowing Water; Sky Soaring later considered Suo Huan's exposure a major threat to his plans. 293 738
• Tian Qiu — A subordinate Sky Soaring took in; Tian Qiu remained wary of Sky Soaring's weakened state after his clash with Lu Yang. 831 833
• Si Sui — Ally whose transcendence strengthened Sky Soaring's foundation during his Dao Lord ascension. 1496
• Mu Changsheng — An enemy whose soul recognized Sky Soaring as the person responsible for taking it and placing it within the Law Refining Secret Realm. 552

Story Role / Major Arcs

Overseas and the Netherworld Gate

Sky Soaring entered the conflict over Overseas from behind the Netherworld gate, attempting to seize Celestial River Water and Long Flowing Water through a web of avatars, the Dragon Palace, and Suo Huan's sacrifice. 293

Seizure of Sand-In-Metal Earth

After recognizing that Lu Yang was arranging a trap against him, Sky Soaring launched a lightning war. He exposed himself, used the Retribution Dharma Outer Body to withstand multiple True Lords, and successfully drew Sand-In-Metal Earth into the Netherworld. 519 520 521

Conflict with Hongyun and Lu Yang

Sky Soaring pursued Covered Lamp Fire while being repeatedly misled by Lu Yang's schemes involving Hongyun, Yuantu, Karma, and Dao Abominations. His control of Dragon-Serpent Shadow Bodhisattva and Chongguang's Dao Abomination failed during Hongyun's return, forcing Sky Soaring out of the Netherworld. 724 725 748

Netherworld Ascension Attempt

He attempted to establish a dead-centered cultivation order by inverting life and death, then descended deeper into the Netherworld to prove his Fruit Position. Dao Lords intervened, while Sky Soaring strategically cut the Netherworld's reincarnation cycle to gain support from the Dharma Power Dao Lord. 875 876 1025

Pursuit of Tribulation and Dao Lord Ascension

Unable to return to the Netherworld, Sky Soaring changed his objective to Tribulation. He contacted the World Honored One, used Quzhi and the Light Sea's Dark Side to draw the attention of the Other Shore, and ultimately completed his Dao without a Dao Lord's arrangement. 1101 1149 1150 1496

Notable Quotes

“Since it has come to this, then come! Let us see whose methods are superior!” 738

“What attitude do those great figures in the sky truly hold toward Lower Cultivators like us? Do they truly permit us to seek the Dao?” 875

“What is wrong with the Sacred Sect? Can't the Sacred Sect have good people too?” 875

Trivia

• Sky Soaring concealed his true appearance so thoroughly that even an afterimage in a Heavenly Remnant Consciousness remained shrouded in smoke. 707
• He has lived for tens of thousands of years. 867
• His Perception Barrier was not merely concealment: at its highest application, it could make his existence fail to register to surrounding phenomena. 756
• Lu Yang's later travel through the Karmic Net revealed that he had used the Heart Demon Art to influence Sky Soaring into deciding to establish the Netherworld in order to help him. 1022