Grand Ancestor Tai

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Grand Ancestor Tai (泰祖)
Alias(es)	Tai; Old Ancestor Tai; Gu Tai; Overbearing Grand Ancestor Tai
Species/Race	Dragon Turtle
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Dragon Turtle Clan; Profound Yellow / Profound Wilderness Realm
Occupation/Role	Dragon Turtle Old Ancestor; former interim wielder of the Mountain Armor; instructor and protector of Su He
Status	Active
First Appearance	300

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dragon Turtle egg bearing the Tai Hexagram	354	His unhatched egg contains the Tai Hexagram’s Dao Rhythm, which Su He’s Little Tai Hexagram absorbs.
Complete Tai Hexagram and Black Tortoise spirit snake	396	Has mastered the complete Tai Hexagram and condensed the spirit snake of the Black Tortoise True Form, initially concealing both.
Suppressed true power revealed	570	Reveals that spirit snakes had been suppressing his cultivation; casually repels the Sealed Emperor Ancestor and extinguishes the Great Sun.
Past Body merged	626	Emerges from the River of Time after merging with his Past Body, gaining a new form and deeper understanding of the River of Time.
True Tai manifests	670	Appears in the River of Time as his true self, defeats two Primal Venerable Clan Immortal Venerables, and reveals his long-running efforts against Yuan.

Background / History

In the Primordial Era, Tai existed as an unhatched Dragon Turtle egg for millions of years. The egg carried the Tai Hexagram, and Dragon Turtle elders such as Nether Ancestor contributed True Blood toward its hatching. 354

During his younger years, he was associated with the Ascension Drum before it developed an artifact spirit; the drum remembers him using it as a turtle basking stone before leaving it at Return Gazing Mountain. 581

Tai later became one of the decisive powers opposing Yuan. The Phoenix Ancestor recalls that he repeatedly slew Yuan despite Yuan having merged with a shattered world and gathered that world’s resentment, power, and hope. 647 After the death of a Dragon Turtle close to him, Tai hunted Taoties for millions of years and annihilated their tribe. He subsequently established blood ties and kinship as laws among Dragon Turtles, making clan members instinctively treat one another as family. 693

By Su He’s era, Tai is regarded as the Dragon Turtle Clan’s greatest protector. He holds the Mountain Armor when the clan lacks a leader, appears only rarely, and is widely considered the strongest being in the All Heavens and Myriad Realms, with the Sealed Emperor Grand Ancestor as his only acknowledged equal. 558 561

Appearance

Grand Ancestor Tai usually appears as an ancient, wizened Dragon Turtle with dim or clouded old eyes. His manner can seem befuddled or sleepy, but his gaze becomes sharp whenever danger threatens his clan. 283 300

• Colossal Dragon Turtle true form capable of occupying half the starry sky. 300
• Clouded, aged eyes that can abruptly regain clarity. 300
• A Black Tortoise spirit snake concealed on his back. 396
• In later battles, suppresses his own cultivation through spirit snakes. 570

Personality

Tai alternates between an unassuming, elderly demeanor and overwhelming authority. He may ignore calls, feign confusion, joke with juniors, or become absorbed in gossip, yet he is fiercely protective whenever Dragon Turtles are threatened. 283 611

He is candidly greedy in his younger years, habitually claiming that valuable objects are “destined” for him. His pursuit of the Primal Venerable Clan’s Divine Temple draws multiple Immortal Venerables into pursuit, even after he spends two supreme treasures merely to move it. 610

Despite his teasing and bluntness, Tai is a patient planner and teacher. He guides Su He toward consolidating his foundation rather than rushing cultivation, personally demonstrates combat, and alters the laws of Spirit Mountain to make room for Su He’s future Boundary Monuments. 577 611 621

Abilities & Skills

Immense Dragon Turtle Power

Tai’s raw strength is extraordinary even among ancient powers.

• Defeated the Sealed Emperor Palace’s Old Ancestor Heavy with a single strike upon appearing. 300
• Repelled the Great Self-Mastery Bodhisattva and closed a passage to the Star Sea with ease. 509
• Can swat the Great Sun, imprison opponents within an unfolded world, and contend directly with the Sealed Emperor Grand Ancestor. 569 570
• Is described as capable of surpassing the other great powers and potentially advancing to the Heavenly Emperor or Nether King realms had Yuan not discovered him. 569

Tai Hexagram

Tai possesses and mastered the Tai Hexagram, including its Main Trigram and Guest Hexagram.

• His egg contained the Tai Hexagram’s Dao Rhythm. 354
• Merged the returning Guest Hexagram into the Main Trigram. 378
• Concealed the complete Tai Hexagram alongside his Black Tortoise spirit snake. 396
• Later thanks Su He for the Tai Hexagram and treats its recovery as significant. 417

Black Tortoise True Form

Tai possesses the Black Tortoise True Form and its associated spirit snake.

• Advanced this true form while in seclusion within a seal to avoid being targeted. 330
• Uses spirit snakes to restrain his own cultivation and conceal his true strength. 396 570

Mountain God Seal and World Manifestation

Tai employs direct, overwhelming techniques rather than elaborate displays.

• Countered the Great Self-Mastery Bodhisattva’s Great Buddha Seal with a Mountain God Seal. 329
• Manifested a world beneath the Sealed Emperor Grand Ancestor to imprison him. 569
• His Mountain God Seal’s collision with the Imperial Seal annihilated countless stars. 569

Combat Instruction

Tai teaches a practical combat philosophy centered on simple, effective violence.

• Takes over Su He’s body to confront Yuan and demonstrate true combat. 621
• Advises Su He to discard unnecessary complexity: use whatever kills most effectively and feels most natural. 621
• Fights by directly biting through Yuan’s Demon Banners, demonstrating the principle through action. 621

Time and Consciousness

Tai can operate through separated consciousnesses and navigate the River of Time.

• A consciousness housed in the Mountain Armor survives in an earlier era, though it cannot leave without drawing the world’s suppression. 611
• Enters the era’s Spirit Mountain through Su He and reads memories from Boundary Monuments. 611
• Takes control of Su He’s body with a wisp of consciousness to fight Yuan. 621
• Merges with his Past Body after traveling the River of Time. 626

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mountain Armor — Dragon Turtle Clan supreme treasure, normally usable only by the Clan Leader; Tai temporarily wielded it while the clan had no leader. 558
• Bronze Bell — Acquired with his kasaya and bell hammer; used to awaken the world. 600
• Kasaya — A temple treasure that seals and isolates, including from vague detection by a giant dragon. 600
• Bell Hammer — Originally enormous but decayed to a small disc; regrows into a new hammer every hundred years. 600
• Primal Venerable Clan Divine Temple — Stolen by Tai because he felt it had a connection to him, though he could not initially use it. 610

Relationships

• Su He — Clan descendant, eventual Clan Leader, and student. Tai protects him, offers him the Clan Leader position, and later teaches him combat directly. 300 561 621
• Su Hua Nian / Tantai Immortal Venerable — Su He’s wife and Tai’s “granddaughter-in-law”; her past life once beat Tai, a story that embarrasses him. 283 417
• Bai Ling — Tai promises Su He the Clan Leader position if Su He finds Bai Ling and has another Dragon Turtle descendant. 300
• Dao Master — Tai’s disciple; Tai scolds him harshly but personally instructs him during the battle against Yuan. 621
• Phoenix Ancestor — Knew Tai when he was young and recalls chasing and bullying him; later witnessed his power against Yuan. 647
• Sealed Emperor Grand Ancestor — A long-standing rival who considers Tai his equal; their confrontation reveals Tai had been concealing much of his strength. 546 569 570
• Great Self-Mastery Bodhisattva — Enemy whom Tai overwhelms, blocks from entering the heavens, and eventually seals. 509 522
• Yuan — Tai’s central adversary across repeated conflicts; Tai manipulates events to contain Yuan until the time is right to confront him. 621 647 670
• Gu Tai — Tai’s younger-era identity; initially a greedy but gifted Dragon Turtle who later becomes Grand Ancestor Tai. 588 600 621

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sealed Emperor Palace conflict

Tai manifests as a projection when Su He is pressured by an ancient presence. He defeats Heavy, frightens the Third Prince into fleeing, and openly supports Su He’s place within the Dragon Turtle Clan. 300

Star Sea and Tai Hexagram

Tai battles the Great Self-Mastery Bodhisattva and Primal Venerable Clan forces in the Star Sea. He later reveals that his seclusion inside a seal was meant to protect himself while advancing his Black Tortoise True Form. 329 330

Clan Leader succession

Tai explains that the Dragon Turtle Clan Leader must bear dangerous secrets that may attract Yuan’s attention. He directs Su He to accept the Mountain Armor and merge with the Clan Leader’s Dao Body. 561

Battle against the Sealed Emperor Ancestors

Tai stalls the Sealed Emperor Grand Ancestor while Ya Ya completes her ascension, then reveals his suppressed strength by extinguishing the Great Sun and replacing it with one he had collected 730,000 years earlier. 569 570

River of Time mentorship

Through the Mountain Armor and later direct possession, Tai becomes Su He’s most immediate instructor. He assists Su He across eras, teaches him combat, and accompanies him for two thousand years of training in the River of Time. 611 621 624

Final struggle against Yuan

Tai appears as his true self in the River of Time, defeats pursuing Primal Venerable Immortal Venerables, and reveals that Bai Yin reincarnated three times to break Yuan’s curse on the Dragon Turtle Clan. 670

Trivia

• Tai once offered Su He the Clan Leader position on the condition that Su He find Bai Ling and produce another Dragon Turtle descendant. 300
• Su Hua Nian’s past life, Tantai Immortal Venerable, once beat Tai; the revelation caused widespread laughter among the Dragon Turtles. 283
• Tai “ate” the secrets stored in the Mountain Armor because he was bored while confined within it. 611
• He calls valuable objects “destined” for him, a habit particularly prominent during his younger years. 610
• Dragon Turtles consider Tai’s presence an absolute assurance of safety: “Phoenix Ancestor is the oldest, Grand Ancestor Tai is the strongest.” 682