Cao Muzi

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Cao Muzi (曹木子)
Alias(es)	Lan Lan; Her Majesty the Queen
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Cao Family; Sea Emperor Trident; Upper House; Wartime Government
Occupation/Role	Bestselling author; Mech Pilot; Commander of the Sea Emperor Trident; Cao Family head; Upper House spokesperson; Empress
Status	Unknown; transformed into a half-Ke Lu Yin cosmic beast after absorbing Heavenly Sacrifice power 460
First Appearance	Chapter 59

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Bookshelf—Fifth Level	196	Forced her way through four levels and entered the fifth, reaching five and a half layers; surpassed Li Nanbei's prior record.
Heavenly Sacrifice empowerment	446	Her aura surged as Tai Er Lan De extracted the Ancient Beasts' life force during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ritual.
Half Ke Lu Yin transformation	460	Tai Er Lan De's infused power caused her body to mutate into a cosmic beast spanning the Bai La Star Region.

Background / History

Cao Muzi is a reborn transmigrator from a technologically advanced universe. In her previous life, she was a noble figure who died as a sacrifice during a political coup. Madam oversaw her Soul Forbidden Art and gave her a second life within the Cao Family, though the circumstances behind this remain unclear to Cao Muzi herself 329.

She demonstrated exceptional intelligence from infancy: she spoke at six months old, retained clear memories from childhood, and was called the “smartest girl in the Empire” by Madam 88. At age three, she promised Madam that she would protect Madam's young son, Ronan. She later treated that promise—and their childhood engagement—as binding 88 187.

By age nine, Cao Muzi had effective control of the Sea Emperor Trident, despite holding only the nominal title of deputy commander while her father served as its uninvolved commander 88. She debuted as an author at sixteen with Gray Pupil, a novel about a mutated superpowered human that became a public sensation 60.

Appearance

Cao Muzi is a young woman of striking, widely remarked beauty. Her public appearance as an author surprised readers, who expected neither her youth nor her commanding presence 96.

• Often presents herself with calm elegance during public events, despite finding the persona exhausting and artificial 97.
• Wore a red, feminine long dress when meeting Ronan at the pavilion 211.
• Wears military uniform while commanding forces and directing major operations 102 441.
• Has a genuine cleanliness obsession, though she considers certain people more unpleasant than blood 172.

Personality

Cao Muzi is fiercely independent, ambitious, and unwilling to accept the restrictions imposed by her family. Her childhood friend Bai Haitang describes her as willful, freedom-loving, and capable of extreme actions when constrained 59. She is also calculating: her literary career, public image, military influence, and political rise were all parts of preparations for a larger plan 329.

In battle and crisis, she is decisive and composed. She prioritizes her soldiers' safety, yet accepts severe risks herself when necessary 102 136. Her preferred combat approach is direct and overwhelming—she would rather smash through a known trap than retreat from it 145.

Behind her pride and abrasive manner, Cao Muzi carries deep concern for those under her command and for Ronan. She struggled emotionally over her losses on Mordo and cried in front of Ronan, who became the first man to see her vulnerable in that way 157.

Her later rule reveals a far harsher side. She pursues authority as a means to protect what she values, but is willing to use manipulation, executions, war, and eventually the Heavenly Sacrifice to secure the power she believes is necessary to save the Empire 172 356 446.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts Cultivation

Cao Muzi possesses exceptionally high martial arts cultivation and employs an overbearing style described as “breaking all techniques with force.”

• Climbed through the Bookshelf by brute force and reached five and a half layers, becoming the strongest recorded participant of the previous fifty years 196 199.
• Her cultivation creates a palpable aura that discourages others from approaching her 194.
• Personally killed Cao Yuzi and his mother during the Cao Family banquet 172.
• Beheaded Chen Sigao after Luo Tiger destroyed the Chen Imperial Family 349.

Mecha Piloting

Cao Muzi is a super-class Mech Pilot whose fighting style emphasizes speed, aggressive maneuvering, and direct confrontation.

• Commanded the Sea Emperor Trident's Azure Blue Mechas during the Mordo incident, personally killing more than 600 Mutated Creatures on the journey from B District to A District 127.
• Rapidly mastered the unfamiliar Source of Frenzy and operated it at full load while escaping Iron-Blood Hunters 144.
• Uses extreme maneuvering and the Light Sword to destroy Iron-Blood Hunters; she killed twelve during the joint battle with Ronan 145 149.
• Actively uses Overload mode when fighting, despite the resulting strain on the mecha's Primal Stone 147 150.
• Her straightforward style contrasts with Ronan's deceptive, adaptable tactics; together, their alternating control made the Source of Frenzy unpredictable enough to eliminate nineteen Iron-Blood Hunters 146 149.

Military Command

Cao Muzi has controlled private military forces since childhood and is an experienced battlefield commander.

• Held the Sea Emperor Trident's real authority from childhood; by age nine, it was effectively her private armed force 88.
• Commands the elite Thousand Army unit, comprising one hundred pilots and mechas capable of land, sea, air, and near-atmospheric operations 102.
• Correctly anticipated Cao Yuzi's use of space pirates as bait and ordered her forces to prepare for battle 102.
• Offered the Cao Family's private army to Lei Su during Ilis's defense against more than 300,000 Mutated Creatures 161.
• Directed the Empire's military during the Heavenly Sacrifice Plan 441.

Political Strategy and Public Influence

Cao Muzi cultivated both genuine popularity and deliberate public exposure to build political power.

• Used her status as a bestselling author to gain broad public recognition before her political rise 323.
• Arranged publicity around her Bookshelf achievement, exposing her identities as an Upper House descendant, author, researcher, and Mech Pilot 200.
• Became spokesperson for the Upper House and effectively shifted public opinion toward Martial Arts Techniques 323.
• Consolidated the Cao Family's military power years before openly taking its leadership 172.
• Ascended the throne, dissolved the Lower House, and established a Wartime Government amid the Insect Clan invasion 356.

Soul Forbidden Art and Transmigration

Cao Muzi's rebirth is connected to the Soul Forbidden Art overseen by Madam.

• Retains memories and extraordinary mental development from her rebirth 88 329.
• Identifies herself and Ronan as unusual “anomalies” in their world due to their shared transmigration 329.
• Her original life and political-coup death shaped her determination to gain enough authority to prevent those around her from being destroyed 329.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Azure Blue Mecha — Standard Sea Emperor Trident combat mecha used during the Mordo incident 127.
• Source of Frenzy — Prototype-like mecha jointly piloted with Ronan; possesses an Overload function, warp capability, Light Sword, and replaceable Primal Stones 144 146 150.
• Thousand Army — Elite Cao Family Mecha force and Cao Muzi's principal military trump card 102.
• Ancient parchment scroll — A document containing secrets of Mordo and its seals; Cao Muzi could read its language because Madam taught her when she was young 127.
• Sword — Used in the executions of Cao Yuzi, Cao Yuzi's mother, and Chen Sigao 172 349.

Relationships

• Ronan / Luo Lan — Childhood acquaintance and fiancé; Cao Muzi promised Madam that she would protect him and later searched for him in Blue Sea and Mordo. Their relationship shifts from childhood bullying and mutual suspicion to intimacy, political cooperation, and eventual conflict over the Heavenly Sacrifice 88 211 329 446.
• Madam — Cao Muzi's benefactor and mentor in the Soul Forbidden Art; entrusted her with protecting Ronan 88 329.
• Bai Haitang — Childhood friend and confidant. He supports her despite being unsettled by her bloody seizure of the Cao Family, and later serves as Minister of Finance under her Wartime Government 59 180 444.
• Cao Yuzi — Wheelchair-bound cousin and rival who repeatedly plotted against her, including the pirate ambush and Mordo trap. Cao Muzi killed him upon returning to Thunder Star 102 172.
• Zhao Pingsheng — Trusted subordinate associated with the Sea Emperor Trident; Cao Muzi considers his presence more reliable than that of other soldiers 136.
• Lei Su — Commander entrusted with Ilis's defense; Cao Muzi placed the Cao Family private army under his command 161.
• Luo Tiger — Ronan's father and a political associate whose Great Sage voting symbol helped Cao Muzi's Upper House campaign; she claims not to know his full plans 314 330.
• Tai Er Lan De — Ke Lu Yin figure from the Hexagram Kingdom who influenced and pressured Cao Muzi into activating the Heavenly Sacrifice 439 450.
• Su Xiao — Ronan's close associate and a target within Cao Muzi's final plan. Su Xiao distrusts Cao Muzi, believing evidence shows Cao Muzi accelerated the Insect Clan invasion 441 444.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Blue Sea and New Moon

Cao Muzi first enters the story as a mysterious bestselling author planning her first public signing. Her Blue Sea tour is a cover for investigating New Moon and confirming Ronan's fate, driven by her childhood promise to Madam 59 97.

She publicly reveals herself at Migratory Bird University, then covertly signs a book for Ronan while he mistakes her for a cleaning lady 96 97. Soon after, she deploys the Sea Emperor Trident toward New Moon, only for Cao Yuzi's schemes to force her retreat toward Mordo 102 103.

Mordo Incident

On Mordo, Cao Muzi leads her surviving forces against Mutated Creatures and investigates Nicholas's seal-breaking ritual. She is trapped in Nicholas's Earth Prison, while eighteen soldiers attempting to rescue her are swallowed by a teleportation gate 127 136.

She later escapes with Ronan in the Source of Frenzy. Their clashing piloting styles become an effective partnership, allowing them to destroy nineteen Iron-Blood Hunters 144 149. Although they part after Cao Muzi breaks down emotionally over her circumstances and soldiers, their encounter leaves a lasting impression on both of them 157.

Seizure of the Cao Family

Returning from Mordo, Cao Muzi confronts her family at a banquet. She kills Cao Yuzi and his mother, reveals that she has controlled the Cao Family private army for years, and openly declares her intent to make the Cao Family flourish under her rule 172.

Her conversation with the Old Madam reveals her ultimate ambition: replacing the Chen imperial line and becoming the Empire's first Empress 172. She subsequently becomes head of the Cao Family 180.

Upper House Campaign and Imperial Succession

Cao Muzi uses her celebrity influence and political networks to become the Upper House spokesperson. While opponents dismiss her as a puppet, her public appeal gives the Upper House an unexpected advantage 323.

After Luo Tiger destroys the Chen Imperial Family, Cao Muzi executes the surviving Chen Sigao, ending the line and clearing the path for her succession 349. With support from major military districts and the public, she ascends the throne, dissolves the Lower House, and forms the Wartime Government 356.

Heavenly Sacrifice

After years of war against the Insect Clan, Tai Er Lan De exploits Cao Muzi's exhaustion and fear of the Empire's collapse. Though Cao Muzi distrusts Tai Er Lan De, she activates the Heavenly Sacrifice after receiving a Strategic Science Department assessment that the Empire has no chance of victory 439 450.

Cao Muzi directs the plan to capture and sacrifice the Four Ancient Beasts, including using Su Xiao as part of the operation 441 445. She insists that gaining power is necessary to save the world, even as the ritual drains the beasts' lives and threatens the Eastern Star River itself 446 458.

Notable Quotes

“My surname is Cao, and my name is Muzi.” 172

“This universe has been passed down for thousands of years, and I heard there hasn't been an Empress yet.” 172

“I need power, Ronan, just like you.” 446

“I am saving this world.” 456

Trivia

• Cao Muzi is three years older than Bai Haitang and Ronan 59 60.
• Her debut novel, Gray Pupil, was published when she was sixteen 60.
• She dislikes the performative gentleness expected of her as a famous author 97.
• She initially concealed her identity from Ronan under the name Lan Lan, claiming to be Cao Muzi's bodyguard and assistant 150.
• She has a habit of thinking about unrelated matters before combat because it helps clear her mind 145.