Tongtian

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tongtian (通天教主)
Alias(es)	Tongtian Sect Master; Tongtian Sage; Shangqing Senior
Species/Race	One of the Three Pure Ones, formed from Pangu's primordial spirit 297
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Founder and Sect Master of the Intercepting Sect; one of the Three Pure Ones 377 378
Occupation/Role	Sage, sword and array cultivator, master of Golden Turtle Island
Status	Active; continues overseeing disciples on Golden Ao Island 1130
First Appearance	Chapter 78

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Primordial Unity Grand Dao / Grand Luo Golden Immortal	669 (revealed)	By severing his past self, Tongtian directly advanced and found a route beyond conventional Three Corpses Severance. He later used this attainment in becoming a Sage. 669
Heavenly Dao Sage	377, 378	Established the Intercepting Sect with the Qingping Sword and Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation suppressing its fortune; shared part of the resulting sect merit with Wu Tian. 377 378
Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal	840, 841	Severed his future self and relinquished his Sage position, then re-established Primordial Unity at a stronger level. 840 841
Half-step into the Heavenly Dao	843, 867	Following his renewed attainment, Tongtian judged himself stronger than when wielding the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and half a step into the Heavenly Dao. 843 867

Background / History

Tongtian was born as one of the Three Pure Ones from Pangu's primordial spirit. He possessed a natural affinity for both Sword Dao and Arrays Dao. When the Twenty-Four Grade Creation Green Lotus divided, he obtained the Qingping Sword; he also possessed the Heavenly Falling Mysterious Pennant. Dao Ancestor Hongjun later bestowed the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation upon him, declaring it “Unbreakable Without Four Saints” once fully activated. 78

He first established a meaningful connection with Wu Tian when Houtu asked him to provide Arrays Dao insights in exchange for peacefully releasing the Three Pure Ones. Tongtian readily condensed his accumulated understanding into a jade pendant and gave it to Wu Tian. Later, he exchanged the Eight Nine Mystical Art for Wu Tian's Martial Path insights, regarding Wu Tian as a person of character. 146 298

After Yuanshi condemned his growing closeness with Wu Tian, Tongtian left Kunlun Mountain and sought Wu Tian's guidance on attaining the Grand Dao without relying solely on sect-establishment merit. Wu Tian proposed a path of severing past, present, and future selves. Tongtian eventually adopted this dangerous method, severing his past self and using its attainment as part of his route to Sagehood. 361 363 669

Tongtian founded the Intercepting Sect, opened Shangqing Heaven in Chaos, and declared that all beings with affinity could enter his sect regardless of origin. As conflicts between the Intercepting Sect and Chan Sect escalated, he left Kunlun, discovered Golden Turtle Island in the East Sea, and made it his sect's new home. Biyou Palace was relocated there alongside his disciples. 378 386 401

Personality

Tongtian is straightforward, emotional, and strongly motivated by reciprocity. He willingly shared his Arrays Dao knowledge with Wu Tian, but later felt deeply burdened by the karmic debt incurred from Wu Tian's guidance; he refuses to accept benefits without considering how to repay them. 146 364

He teaches without discrimination and generally avoids forcing outcomes on others. His willingness to accept disciples of any background contrasts sharply with Yuanshi's preference for carefully selected disciples. He leaves his students' advancement to their own opportunities while remaining fiercely protective when they are directly threatened. 378 492 826

Though initially reluctant to break openly with Taiqing and Yuanshi, Tongtian ultimately values his disciples and personal Dao more than preserving a brotherhood he considers irreparably broken. He is willing to take extreme risks against himself—including severing his Sage position—to pursue a path beyond the Heavenly Dao's constraints. 669 839 867

Abilities & Skills

Sword Dao and Arrays Dao

Tongtian is recognized as unparalleled in swordplay and highly accomplished in Arrays Dao. His combat style centers on devastating sword intent, formations, and supreme killing treasures. 146 178

• His sword qi could entangle Taiyi and force the Chaos Bell to continuously dispel it. 178
• The Qingping Sword serves as a personal symbol of Tongtian; its presence is treated as equivalent to his arrival. 675 685
• He can manifest an incarnation through the Qingping Sword and send it across space independently. 664
• After regaining Primordial Unity, his sword attacks incorporated time-and-space laws, enabling strikes against past and future. 843

Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation

Hongjun bestowed the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation upon Tongtian. Its full activation was stated to require four Saints to break. 78

• The formation consists of the formation diagram and four swords, releasing fierce sword qi over a wide area. 699
• Tongtian used it to suppress the Intercepting Sect's fortune after founding the sect. 377
• He deployed it against the Western Sect when enraged by its interference, leaving Sage Jieyin unable to retaliate effectively alone. 699
• The formation was eventually broken during the Investiture of the Gods conflict; Tongtian later declined Taiqing's attempt to return it. 833 867

Severing the Three Selves

Following Wu Tian's unconventional guidance, Tongtian developed a cultivation path based on severing his past, future, and present selves rather than relying only on Three Corpses Severance. 363 669

• Past self — Severing it elevated him directly to Primordial Unity and created a separate Past Tongtian. 669
• Future self — He sought to sever it both to strengthen himself and to break the predicted defeat of the Intercepting Sect. 669 670
• Present self / Sage position — When Primordial Violet Qi resisted his attempt, Tongtian used the Six Souls Banner with his own name inscribed to forcibly abandon his Sage position. 839
• The process required Taiyi, Dijiang, and Zhu Jiuyin to stabilize the surrounding time and space; Wu Tian protected him from Hongjun's interference. 834 840

Sect Leadership

As master of the Intercepting Sect, Tongtian accepts disciples by affinity rather than bloodline, species, or social standing. 378

• He personally transformed the Three Heavens and accepted them as disciples after recognizing their karmic connection to him. 386
• He entrusts disciples with different methods and allows their progress to depend on their own fortune. 492
• He closely monitors the fortunes of his direct disciples, immediately investigating when Holy Mother Gold Spirit's aura disappeared. 664
• He instructed his disciples to avoid creating karma in the Human Race while they listened to Wu Tian's teachings. 530

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Qingping Sword — Tongtian's personal sword, acquired from the divided Creation Green Lotus; capable of serving as an incarnation and symbol of his presence. 78 664
• Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation — A supreme killing formation bestowed by Hongjun, comprising the formation diagram and four swords. 78 699
• Heavenly Falling Mysterious Pennant — One of Tongtian's early spiritual treasures. 78
• Six Souls Banner — Used with Tongtian's own name inscribed to forcibly sever his Sage position. 839
• God-Slaying Spear — A supreme killing treasure gifted to Tongtian by Wu Tian after the loss of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation; it ultimately accepted Tongtian as its wielder. 1057

Relationships

• Wu Tian — Fellow Daoist, benefactor, and eventual ally. Their relationship began with an exchange of Arrays Dao and Martial Path insights, developed through Wu Tian's guidance on Tongtian's self-severance path, and became an alliance against the other Heavenly Dao Sages. 146 298 363 669 670
• Taiqing — Eldest brother among the Three Pure Ones. Taiqing often attempted to mediate Tongtian's disputes with Yuanshi, but their relationship fractured after Taiqing helped break the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation. 366 834 867
• Yuanshi — Second brother and ideological rival. Yuanshi opposed Tongtian's closeness with Wu Tian and disapproved of the Intercepting Sect's indiscriminate recruitment, leading to the brothers' eventual rupture. 361 386 834
• Taiyi — A later ally who helped create the time-and-space conditions needed for Tongtian to sever his future self. 834 840
• Holy Mother Gold Spirit — One of Tongtian's four direct disciples. Tongtian reacted immediately to her disappearance during the Investiture of the Gods period and entrusted her with the Qingping Sword. 660 664 668
• Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao — The Three Heavens, whom Tongtian transformed and accepted as disciples after recognizing their master-disciple affinity. 386
• Duobao — Tongtian's eldest direct disciple. Tongtian remains concerned with Duobao's opportunities and future advancement even after their sect's defeat. 889
• Zhao Gongming — An Intercepting Sect disciple whose presence contributed to tensions between Tongtian and Yuanshi, though Tongtian did not blame him for the conflict. 405

Story Role / Major Arcs

Investiture of the Gods Preparations

Tongtian accompanied Taiqing to consult Wu Tian when the Heavenly Dao Saints discussed the approaching Investiture of the Gods Kalpa. Later, after Holy Mother Gold Spirit's disappearance lured him to Chaoge, Wu Tian revealed a deduction in which Tongtian's disciples would die and be listed in the calamity. 591 664 666

Tongtian refused to preemptively attack Taiqing and Yuanshi based only on a future deduction. Instead, he asked Wu Tian to help him sever his future self, believing this could alter the predicted outcome while advancing his own Dao. 668 669

Protection of the Intercepting Sect

When the Three Heavens faced lethal danger, Tongtian intervened personally and condemned the other Sages for attacking his disciples despite the mercy they had previously received. 826

He arranged for Wu Tian to place fallen Intercepting Sect disciples within the Human Dao or Earthly Dao rather than allowing them to enter the Heavenly Dao through the Investiture of the Gods. 670

Severing the Future Self

During the decisive conflict, Tongtian allowed Taiyi and the Ancestral Witches to apparently attack him while they actually helped isolate time and space for his self-severance ritual. Taiqing and Yuanshi eventually recognized that Tongtian had forged a new path beyond the Three Corpses method. 833 834

After Hongjun attempted to stop him, Tongtian used the Six Souls Banner to abandon his Sage status, severed his future self, and re-established Primordial Unity as a stronger Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal. 839 840

Aftermath and Conquest of Chaos

Tongtian rejected Taiqing's offer to return the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, refusing to let a belated favor restore their broken brotherhood. 867

After the conflict, Wu Tian entrusted Tongtian with the God-Slaying Spear, recognizing that Tongtian's direct and sharp temperament suited a supreme killing treasure. Tongtian accepted it with the intent to continue conquering Chaos. 1057

Notable Quotes

“Fellow Daoist, you are truly a man of character!” 298

“How can I do nothing?” 668

“I, Tongtian, finally have a supreme treasure!” 1057