Li Qingyun

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Qingyun (李青云)
Alias(es)	Daoist/True Lord Qingyun; Old Ancestor Qingyun; Yuan Li Qingyun; Shang Yun; Shangqing Heaven 292 437 1059 1253 1583
Species/Race	Human; later described as having undergone true-blood purification 1453
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Lingbao Sect leader; founder of the Qingyun lineage; Abbot of South Suppression · Lingbao Temple 102 270 481
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, Daoist temple abbot, sect patriarch, Qingyun Treasure Pavilion proprietor, and Army Lord of the Hengyun Commoner Group 102 1686 1731
Status	Alive 1831
First Appearance	Chapter 2 — Maple Mountain Daoist Temple 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Refining, Third Layer	23	Reached after several days of cultivation aided by the mysterious Daoist effigy; concealed his true state as mere Qi-sensing.
Qi Refining, Sixth Layer	52	Broke through within ten days of secluded cultivation at Lingbao Temple; hid his aura at the first layer.
Qi Refining, Great Perfection	57, 61	Passed the ninth-layer bottleneck after five days of meditation and prepared to enter the sect selection.
Dao Foundation, Second Layer	80	Advanced eight days after obtaining the complete True Furnace Spirit Nurturing Art.
Dao Foundation, Third Layer	80	Reached sixteen days after beginning Dao Foundation cultivation.
Dao Foundation, Fourth Layer	80	Reached after twenty-four days of cultivation.
Dao Foundation, Fifth Layer	80	Reached within a month; his Lightning Seal and Qi Concealment Arts entered the thought-sense level.
Opening Mansion Realm	120	Had become a sect backbone whose strength was comparable to a mortal-world prefect.
Golden Core Realm	157	Condensed a nineteen-zhang Jingxi stream and formed a superior-grade Golden Core after five days of seclusion.
Golden Core, Great Perfection	181	Returned to Linghui Peak having completed the Golden Core Realm.
Nascent Soul Realm	187	Broke through after nine days of seclusion and departed to protect the Qinghe Li clan.
Nascent Soul, Third Layer	202	Reached after two further months of cultivation.
Yin God, Second Layer	227	Advanced during a four-month period of secluded cultivation.
Yang God Realm	254	Had entered the Yang God Realm by the time he returned to the Qinghe Li lineage.
Yang God, Second Layer	270	Cultivation rose quietly after half a year of seclusion.
Yang God, Fourth Layer	279	Expected to reach Yang God Great Perfection within two years.
Yang God, Fifth Layer	280	Began preparing to ascend to the Thunder Emperor divine position.
Yang God, Great Perfection	286	Recognized across You Kingdom as an exceptional cultivator favored by Dao fortune.
Death Gate Realm, Fourth Layer	324	His Death Gate inscriptions and twisted Dao-poem ink reinforced his cultivation and physical defense.
Life Gate Realm	334	Evolved all 108 vital-energy meridians, purified Longevity Qi into Jade True Pure Energy, and received investiture from Elder Ji.
Life Gate, Second Layer	357	Opened two minor heavenly gates using 180 wisps of Heavenly Origin Qi.
Life Gate, Fourth Layer	381	Opened thirty-three and a half minor heavenly gates through repeated spiritual-platform cultivation.
Heaven Gate Realm	411	Immediately perceived the shadow of his past life upon entering the realm.
True Self Realization	457	Entered his past life to experience it fully and complete his understanding of the True Self.
Clear Self Realm	473	Could overpower ordinary Clear Self cultivators and contend with higher realms.
Third-tier Fire Lord	449	Defied suppression from major sects and ascended in the Great Dao sequence space.
Pure Self Realm	500	Completed the Clear Self Realm and triggered an azure Pure Light phenomenon across more than half of You Kingdom’s void.
Sever Self Realm	524	Severed the Void Sky with intent and became invincible in the mortal world.
Sever Self, Great Perfection	526	Reached complete perfection several years after entering the Sever Self Realm.
Sixth-tier Earth God	655	Refined Earth Ancestor’s Qi from a bindings stone and advanced his Earth Method divine position.
Eighth-tier Earth Ancestor	783	Ascended through an “empty shell” identity and left imprints at the ends of multiple Primordial Qi paths.
Guǐ Dao, Seventh Fruit Saint Venerable	784	Publicly held the Seventh Fruit position, while his actual strength could suppress ordinary Eight Fruits Saint Ancestors.
Haotian Position	943	Attained a Super Grade Heavenly Foundation, overturning the Abyss Clan’s earlier contempt for him.
Tree Connecting Realm, Mid-stage	1056	Used the Slaughtering Immortal and Immortal Trapping Swords to kill the Vacuum Realm cultivator Pengshe Tian.
Vacuum Realm, Mid-stage	1156	Revealed by the Abyss Clan’s “Old Master” while confronting clan elites at the Mysterious Profound Secret Ground.
Hua Xuan Realm	1218	Broke through amid a world-shattering phenomenon and became openly estranged from the Abyss Clan’s main lineage.
Half-step Quasi-Saint	1285	Became effectively invincible in the Cosmos and began settling grudges with hostile clans.
Quasi-Saint	1309	Emerged Outside the Void with two major clones and completed the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.
Three-Ring Quasi-Saint	1315	Advanced using the Three Pure Ones’ flow after forcing Akshobhya Buddha to retreat.
Creation Realm, Great Perfection	1476	Refined Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir and Grand Unity Immortal Elixir to reach the ninth layer within a month.
Beyond Tribulation Realm	1512	Used the medicinal power of an Eternal Life Pill to break through from the Netherworld Entry Realm.
Beyond Tribulation Realm, Peak	1534	Consumed the second and third Eternal Life Pills; became the strongest being at the end of the Primordial Beginning.
Half-step Supreme Being	1635	Broke through by means of his innate Mortal Dao rather than the Myriad Universe Eternal Secret Art.
Eternal Life Realm	1700	Achieved Eternal Life on both the native and eternal paths.
Hundred Heng Level	1758	Reached the Hundred Heng Level after a month of closed-door cultivation; his true Daoist might was comparable to Thousand Heng.

Background / History

Early life and exile

Li Qingyun was the Third Young Master of the Marquis Qinghe estate and an illegitimate son within that household. He endured open contempt from figures such as steward Yin Xunshan, yet responded with cold restraint rather than outward anger 2 626.

After being framed by the Cui family, he was exiled to Maple Mountain’s Lingbao Temple. Lu Nanling judged him unpromising because of his lack of cultivation potential, while the Dao Affinity Token afforded him only shallow protection. Li Qingyun nevertheless requested the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art and resolved to pursue cultivation to its end 5 6.

Lingbao Temple cultivation

Li Qingyun began as a disciple with no apparent spiritual roots and limited resources. While meditating, he discovered a mysterious Daoist effigy within his mind that cultivated on his behalf, generated mana, accelerated recovery, and later preserved traces of spells for him to study 8 18 19.

The effigy enabled an extraordinary rise through Qi Refining. Li Qingyun kept his actual cultivation hidden, studied numerous minor spells, purchased later portions of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art, and entered the Lingbao Sect’s inner circle after the sect selection 49 52 61 74.

Southern Border and the Qinghe Li clan

After entering the Lingbao Sect, Li Qingyun established He Lao Dock as a Southern Border Night Watch post. His victories against anomalies and hostile cultivators built his reputation, while his cultivation and temple became the foundation for an independent Li clan force beyond the Five Great Clans 102 107 406.

He later returned to Qinghe County, annihilated the Hejian Cui family, assisted the Marquis Qinghe estate, and took Li Zuo with him to the Southern Border. As Great You declined, he repeatedly acted to protect the Qinghe Li clan from sects, warlords, and cultivators seeking to exploit its weakness 134 189.

Rise as True Lord Qingyun

Li Qingyun’s advance from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, Yin God, Yang God, and beyond made him one of You Kingdom’s defining cultivators. His strength elevated both the Lingbao Sect and the Southern You Li clan, while the imperial court sought his counsel and treated him as a decisive political force 157 166 292.

He founded a lasting lineage through his disciples, distributed cultivation opportunities, and used his Dharma assemblies to strengthen Lingbao Sect cultivators. Even after attaining higher realms, he continued arranging protection for relatives, disciples, and branch temples 481 524 536.

Li Xuanji and the hidden origin

It is later revealed that Li Xuanji, Li Qingyun’s Jade Pure main body, had anticipated Li Qingyun’s reincarnation and hidden in the mind of the Marquis Qinghe estate’s illegitimate son as an “old grandfather.” Li Xuanji intended to possess this incarnation in order to conceal his own qi from an unnamed great terror 626.

Li Qingyun subsequently operated through distinct manifestations, including the Jade Pure main body, the more emotionally expressive Taiqing Body, and the domineering Shangqing Heaven 1026 1253.

Beyond the mortal world

After ascending beyond the mortal realms, Li Qingyun built influence across Langtian Continent, the Ancestral Temple, the Abyss Clan, and the Eternal Myriad Universes. He adopted the identities Yuan Li Qingyun and Shang Yun while cultivating the Mortal Dao, Native Great Dao, and Eternal path 783 943 1583.

As his power grew, he repeatedly defied established clans and Quasi-Saints, destroyed hostile forces, and created the Qingyun Treasure Pavilion and Hengyun Commoner Group as bases for resources, influence, and future survival 1285 1686 1731.

Appearance

Li Qingyun was initially a frail but striking youth. Sunlight around him was described as forming a golden halo over shoulders likened to a spring tree, giving him an impression of vitality and refinement despite his weakness 6.

• Handsome, jade-like features and a calm, mature bearing noted by Wang Muyun 34.
• Wore the Lingbao Sect inner disciple’s black robe threaded with gold after joining the sect 74.
• Often appeared in green robes after reaching higher realms, surrounded by restrained Daoist charm 1323.
• Could manifest a Heavenly Body over four trillion zhang tall when confronting Abyss Clan elders 1093.

Personality

Li Qingyun is restrained, observant, and slow to display emotion. Even when humiliated in his youth, he silently remembered the offense rather than reacting impulsively. His early cultivation was driven by refusal to surrender to an apparently hopeless fate 2 6.

He deliberately conceals his strength, treats information as a strategic resource, and generally avoids exposing abilities before necessary. This caution allowed him to survive Lingbao Temple politics, sect conflict, dynastic collapse, and later clan struggles 52 1133.

His conduct combines loyalty with detachment. He protects the Qinghe Li clan, assists old associates such as Lu Liqian, and provides for his disciples, but he can also be cold, manipulative, and uncompromising toward opponents or those he considers obstacles 406 413 1073. His Taiqing Body is specifically noted for retaining a stronger human touch than his Jade Pure and Shangqing manifestations 1026.

Abilities & Skills

Mysterious Daoist Effigy

A Daoist image within Li Qingyun’s mind is the foundation of his abnormal early cultivation speed.

• Cultivates while he meditates and generates mana on his behalf 8.
• Doubles his already rapid recovery after spellcasting 19.
• Leaves spell traces in its internal space, allowing him to repeatedly study and comprehend techniques 18.
• Accelerated his grasp of Lightning, Illusion, and movement techniques into the Masterful realm 59.
• Does not replace cultivation entirely; his Golden Core breakthrough was achieved through his own complete foundation without its intervention 157.

Lightning Method

Lightning is Li Qingyun’s primary offensive path and the source of many of his divine positions.

• Began with the Thunder Seal and later developed the Lightning Seal Technique to the thought-sense level, allowing lightning to manifest with a thought 18 80.
• Used lightning to kill Opening Mansion Realm opponents in a single strike and to deter Moon Yin Palace and Purple Gold Palace cultivators 142.
• Held the Thunder Emperor divine position by the Death Gate era; his True Meaning Inscriptions and fourth-tier Thunder Emperor authority functioned as both armor and weaponry 280 324.
• Later wielded a fifth-rank Thunder Venerable divine position, granting overwhelming suppressive power within the Inner Scenery realms 416.
• His Nascent Soul advancement enhanced the Thunder Duke’s divine might and granted techniques including Thunder’s Wrath, Thunder’s Domain, Thunder’s Might, and Thunder’s Will 185.

Talisman Crafting

Li Qingyun is a highly skilled talisman maker who used the craft to fund his cultivation.

• Learned all the Scripture Repository’s free miscellaneous spells in less than fifteen minutes 49.
• Crafted and sold thirty middle-grade Ghost-Suppressing Purple Talismans to obtain Dao merits for the True Furnace Spirit Nurturing Art 80.
• Produced ninety Ascension Talismans in one night in Living Ghost Heaven 304.
• His Soul-Nurturing Lamp can preserve a disciple’s soul-fire trace and reconstruct their body if they perish, unless erased by a vastly stronger cultivator 481.

Concealment, illusion, and movement

Li Qingyun consistently uses mobility and deception to offset danger.

• His Qi Concealment Art allowed him to disguise sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivation as the first layer 52.
• Resisted Lu Nanling’s illusionary interrogation and pretended to fall under its influence in order to direct suspicion away from himself 58.
• Mastered Wind Riding and Star Net Steps, later guiding Zhao Keyi in the latter 49 59.
• Uses Soaring Golden Light, Shrink Ground into Inch, and spatial movement to cross distances or depart without warning 157 304 337.
• Performs minor divination when assessing family matters and future risks 437.

Life, death, and transformation arts

After attaining the Life Gate Realm, Li Qingyun gained direct control over vitality and renewal.

• Restored old tea leaves to freshness and regrew a dried leaf into a living tea plant 337 339.
• Purified his Longevity Qi into Jade True Pure Energy during his Life Gate breakthrough 334.
• Disintegrated a Heaven Longevity Talisman carrying four curses after leaving the Bronze Secret Hall 336.
• Used Death Mandate Scrolls to curse named enemies and observe their reactions 357.

Daoist bodies and higher paths

Li Qingyun’s later power is spread across multiple bodies and Great Dao paths.

• Jade Pure main body — Li Xuanji; associated with Li Qingyun’s hidden origin and prior existence 626 1045.
• Taiqing Body — retains stronger empathy for disciples and old acquaintances through its Mortal Dao origin 1026.
• Shangqing Heaven — a domineering manifestation that acted against the River Mother Clan and later developed an immensely strengthened Heavenly Body 1253 1149.
• Mortal Dao — can interfere with memories, cross realms, and suppress multiple Tree Connecting Realm Superior Clans without the Human Dao Lamp 1005.
• Native Great Dao and Eternal path — cultivated concurrently in the Eternal Myriad Universes, allowing him to reach Eternal Life on both paths 1700.

Sword arts and formations

Li Qingyun possesses several high-level sword weapons and formation techniques.

• Used the Slaughtering Immortal Sword and Immortal Trapping Sword to defeat and kill Vacuum Realm opponents 1056.
• Completed the Four Immortal Slaying Swords’ formation after entering the Quasi-Saint Realm, forcing other Quasi-Saints to retreat 1309.
• Used the formation to drive back Akshobhya Buddha 1315.

Alchemy and artifact refinement

Li Qingyun uses alchemy and artifact refinement to overcome resource bottlenecks.

• Refined Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir and Grand Unity Immortal Elixir at extraordinary speed to advance through the Creation Realm 1476.
• Refined Eternal Life Pills to reach the peak of the Beyond Tribulation Realm 1534.
• Reached Level Three secret-artifact mastery and began forging a Level Three furnace 1641.
• Refined bindings stones to extract Earth Ancestor’s Qi and improve his Earth Method 655.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Nightmare Eye Orb — a captured item Li Qingyun sought to have refined into a magical artifact 52.
• Death Mandate Scrolls — curse-bearing scrolls used against powerful enemies 357.
• Soul-Nurturing Lamp — preserves soul-fire traces for possible bodily reconstruction 481.
• Dark Tome — a half-finished Dao Artifact used to overcome a Saint’s will on the Ascension Stage 1131.
• Slaughtering Immortal Sword and Immortal Trapping Sword — sword weapons used to kill Pengshe Tian 1056.
• Four Immortal Slaying Swords — completed into a formation capable of threatening Quasi-Saints 1309.
• Canghai Bell — a level-six Eternal Creation gifted by Yu Xinghai; conceals its bearer’s aura 1705.
• Ancestor Spirit Lamp — his strongest recorded attack and a teleportation tool; used to defeat Tailande and escape a Thirteen Rings Great Sorcerer 1752.
• Qing Nu / Soul Blue Bird — a recreated Dao Artifact-like companion with indestructibility, electric speed, pollution, soul-calling, black-storm, and other abilities 553.
• Qingyun Palace — Emperor Yin’s Heavenly Palace, seized and renamed by Li Qingyun; Spirit Yi serves as its steward 1534.

Relationships

• Lu Nanling — Lingbao Temple registrar who initially dismissed Li Qingyun’s prospects, then offered to accept him as a personal disciple after recognizing his potential 5 58.
• Lu Liqian — Lu Nanling’s daughter and Li Qingyun’s senior sister; he later offered her and Yan Chaoyun a new beginning in Southern You 6 406.
• He Xiao — Li Qingyun’s early roommate and fellow disciple; their contrasting diligence and laziness shaped Li Qingyun’s early temple life 7 18.
• Zhao Keyi — friend and fellow Lingbao disciple who provided an alibi during Lu Nanling’s interrogation; Li Qingyun later instructed her in Star Net Steps 58 59.
• Luo Junding — “Master Luo,” an early mentor who guided Li Qingyun and continued checking on his progress 74 80.
• Mu Yu — Lingbao associate whom Li Qingyun brought to the Southern Border to seek growth and a breakthrough 120 136.
• Li Zuo — Li Qingyun’s eighth brother, later Emperor Wu; Li Qingyun took him to the Southern Border and treated him as the preferred successor of the Southern You Li clan 134 437.
• Li Xiuxuan — Li Qingyun’s seventh sister; despite emotional distance, he remains concerned about her future and potential Dao companion 134 437.
• A’li — Li Qingyun’s eldest disciple, entrusted with his legacy and chosen as a combatant against powerful sorcerers 1026 1813.
• Meng Shan — disciple and trusted intermediary who helps manage matters involving Li Qingyun’s family and lineage 413 437.
• Yuanbao — the Big Black Cat who aided Li Qingyun in his early years; Li Qingyun later helped it obtain a suitable body for its bloodline path 786.
• Miaoxuan — disciple and later peer-level ally; Li Qingyun supports her advancement and assists her future Void Sea entries 279 357.
• Zhu Yuyan — Moon Yin Palace leader and political ally; Li Qingyun entrusted her with Heaven Purification Talismans in exchange for guarding Lingbao Sect after his ascent 363 536.
• Li Xuanji — Li Qingyun’s Jade Pure main body, whose concealed presence and attempted possession are tied to Li Qingyun’s origin 626 1045.
• Bai Yutian — ally who helped him evade Superior Clan pursuit; Li Qingyun later elevated her to second-in-command of Hequ Mountain Heavenly Palace 1045 1149.
• Shang Qin — Shang Clan Eldest Young Lady who assists Qingyun Treasure Pavilion and serves as a bridge to the Shang Clan 1705 1762.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Maple Mountain exile — Begins as an underestimated, spiritually rootless exile at Lingbao Temple and obtains the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art 5 6.
• Rise through Lingbao Temple — Discovers the mysterious Daoist effigy, rapidly advances through Qi Refining, and enters the Lingbao Sect 8 52 74.
• Southern Border Night Watch — Builds He Lao Dock into a Night Watch post, gains fame through anomaly suppression, and establishes a base for his future lineage 102 107.
• Qinghe Li clan protector — Returns to Qinghe, destroys the Cui family’s power, and protects the Li clan throughout Great You’s collapse 134 189.
• True Lord Qingyun — Rises through Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Yin God, Yang God, and the Life Gate, becoming a central force in You Kingdom’s sectarian and dynastic struggles 157 187 334.
• Lingbao patriarch — Expands the Lingbao Sect, trains disciples, establishes foreign temples, and creates a stable succession for his Dao lineage 481 524.
• Ascension and Great Thousand conflict — Enters the Great Thousand, develops multiple Dao paths, and clashes with sects, Dao Lords, and ancient powers 655 784.
• Abyss Clan and Quasi-Saint era — Operates as Yuan Li Qingyun, becomes a Quasi-Saint seedling, rejects Abyss Clan control, and later fights the Twelve Superior Clans 1072 1218 1309.
• Eternal Myriad Universes — Adopts the Shang Yun identity, builds Qingyun Treasure Pavilion, gains military and political influence, and cultivates toward the Eternal Life and Hundred Heng levels 1583 1731 1758.

Notable Quotes

“This humble Daoist always keeps a low profile!” 52

“This seat is not dead. Whoever dares to make a move against the Qinghe Li clan, the deaths of Daoist Friend Wang and the grass-roots king today will be their fate!” 189

“This humble Daoist has no background, no foundation! But the fact that I have reached this point means I am my own background!” 1453