High Priest

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Mo Fei (莫非) 451
Alias(es)	High Priest; Dawn Tower High Priest 451 466
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Dawn Tower
Occupation/Role	High Priest of Dawn Tower; architect of its Abyss-related plans
Status	Deceased; expended himself as the burning sparks powering the Longshan sacrifice 869
First Appearance	Chapter 12: “Watch Me”

Background / History

Mo Fei grew up in an orphanage. After the apocalypse began, he and his companions endured starvation and repeated life-or-death crises. He awakened an unstable danger-precognition ability that helped the group avoid threats, though each use initially required prolonged recovery. 848

At some point, Mo Fei obtained black-flame methods recorded in a human-skin manual and learned to use the Heart of Black Flame as a medium. He temporarily entered the Abyss, captured low-level Abyss creatures, and copied their abilities onto humans. This allowed him to grant power to his companions and formed the foundation of Dawn Tower. 868

The power came with irreversible costs. Mo Fei, the Four Great Priests, and the Tower Masters were gradually assimilated by black flame; cracks spreading across their bodies and darkened fingernails marked this fusion. 848 A Yue supplied Mo Fei with Abyss materials and the Heart of Black Flame, becoming a lasting influence on both his memories and his determination to open the Abyss. 18

Having seen fragmented visions of worldwide destruction, continental convergence, monsters, and alien threats, Mo Fei concluded that humanity needed a second evolution. He sought to open the Abyss entrance so its aura could empower survivors before catastrophe overwhelmed them. 18 123

Appearance

Mo Fei usually concealed his identity behind a signature silver mask and deep-purple priestly robes. His continued use of black flame progressively destroyed his body. 12 561

• Beneath the mask, he was described as breathtakingly handsome, with an almost demonic beauty in firelight. 122 869
• Black cracks covered his exposed skin; in severe areas, bone and sinew showed through. 12 122
• His hands leaked magma-like black flame through dense fissures. 12
• In his final period, his hair turned completely white, his body wasted to a skeletal frame, and everything below his waist had melted into flowing black lava. 506 533
• He later became unable to stand without assistance and relied on a wheelchair or Vermilion Bird’s support. 12 506

Personality

Mo Fei was calm, analytical, and deeply secretive. He preferred indirect plans, information control, and calculated bargains to open confrontation; even his conversations with Jiang You often became negotiations in which each side concealed its true objectives. 12 451 532

He could be ruthless when necessary. He tortured Gu Mingshi for information about the Abyss Project and repeatedly arranged schemes around Jiang You, including attempts to exploit September and the Scorching Sun. 509 606 Yet he accepted failure with unusual composure when it still moved events toward his broader goal. 606

Despite his manipulations, Mo Fei sincerely wanted to preserve “the seeds of Great Xia” and create a future in which humanity could survive. He framed this as both a promise connected to A Yue and his own desire to become “a good person.” 123 869

Abilities & Skills

Precognition Shard

Mo Fei could see incomplete fragments of the future, especially impending dangers and potential outcomes.

• His visions helped Dawn Tower anticipate opportunities and dangers, contributing to its rise as one of the major bases. 133 848
• He foresaw catastrophic geological changes, monsters, and humanity’s potential need for accelerated evolution. 18
• His foresight was incomplete rather than absolute; he could not see the full context of events. 868
• Jiang You’s future was especially difficult for him to scry, appearing blurred and fleeting. 659
• Each use worsened his black-flame erosion, eventually leaving him with only a few remaining uses. 582 659

Black Flame Ability Granting

Using the Heart of Black Flame and Abyss methods, Mo Fei could copy traits from captured Abyss creatures onto humans.

• He temporarily entered the Abyss and captured low-level creatures for use as ability sources. 868
• The process made random Abyss mutation into a targeted, one-way transfer of abilities. 868
• Dawn Tower’s Priests and Tower Masters received their powers through this method. 848
• Repeated use accelerated black-flame assimilation until the recipient eventually melted into black flame. 18 848

Ritual Knowledge and Sacrificial Planning

Mo Fei spent years seeking the Abyss entrance and preparing the conditions to open it.

• He identified Longshan and its altar as central to opening the Abyss entrance. 659
• He gathered Dawn Tower’s Priests and Tower Masters as ritual participants, knowing they would die in the process. 144 435
• He arranged for Yan Chi to lead the final ceremony because Yan Chi was the only suitable successor to complete the sacrifice. 869
• His own dissolved body became the sparks and black lava that fueled the ritual. 869

Strategy and Information Control

Mo Fei used surveillance, intermediaries, rumors, and carefully limited disclosures to direct Dawn Tower’s actions.

• He recognized Jiang You from her fire seed despite her disguise and inferred her motives from how she exposed it. 451
• He deliberately had September deliver the Heart of Black Flame to Jiang You, having foreseen that she would need it. 532 868
• He spread news concerning the Abyss, Jiang You, and Hope Base across distant survivor settlements to shape the wider political situation. 403
• He sought Forbidden Island through Jiang You’s movements and alliances rather than confronting the danger directly. 396 644

Equipment / Items

• Silver mask — Mo Fei’s identifying mask and usual means of concealing his face. 12 122
• Heart of Black Flame — Abyss-linked medium used in his ability-granting process. 18 868
• Mercury pool — Used while managing the deterioration caused by black flame. 122 621
• Chess set — He frequently played chess during tense negotiations and while directing Dawn Tower’s schemes. 12 606 918

Relationships

• Jiang You — A wary ally and frequent adversary. Mo Fei aided her pursuit of the Abyss entrance, but also manipulated her movements to advance his own plans; both recognized the other as dangerous and calculating. 12 451 606
• A Yue — The woman who supplied him with Abyss materials and the Heart of Black Flame. Mo Fei’s nostalgia for her and his wish to fulfill their shared ideals drove much of his conduct. 18 123
• Vermilion Bird — His devoted attendant and one of Dawn Tower’s Four Great Priests. She supported him physically, followed him like a shadow, and grieved as black flame consumed him. 12 122 621
• Yan Chi — Mo Fei’s chosen successor for the Longshan sacrifice. He concealed Yan Chi’s role until the ceremony, allowing Yan Chi to publicly appear as the High Priest. 849 869
• September — A Dawn Tower subordinate involved in Mo Fei’s plans concerning the Heart of Black Flame and Jiang You; she also revealed the cost paid by Dawn Tower’s empowered members. 122 532 848
• Tower Master Qi — A loyal Dawn Tower Tower Master who carried out Mo Fei’s directives and understood that the Tower’s personnel were participants in a fatal plan. 122 144
• Gu Mingshi — A former White Dragon Base leader whom Mo Fei tortured for information on the Abyss Project. 509

Story Role / Major Arcs

Search for the Abyss Key

Mo Fei first assists Jiang You because both seek the key to opening the Abyss entrance. He reveals that he encountered Wen Yu in A Yue’s illusion and offers limited cooperation while withholding crucial details. 12

Heart of Black Flame Negotiations

He bargains with Jiang You over the Heart of Black Flame, offering to erase her crystal-core debts and predict three future matters if she safeguards it for him. He explains that black-flame power can grant abilities but inevitably erodes its users. 18

Dawn Tower’s Abyss Plan

Mo Fei discloses his belief that the apocalypse is tied to the Abyss and that humanity must evolve through its aura to survive a larger coming disaster. He positions Dawn Tower against the approaches taken by Hope Base and Number Nine City. 123 144

Decline and Escalation

As black flame consumes him, Mo Fei becomes increasingly frail but remains active in political and strategic operations. He negotiates with Jiang You, helps Dawn Tower seize influence in Tingfeng City and the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and pushes to open the Abyss entrance before the spreading miasma destroys more life. 506 533

The Longshan Sacrifice

Mo Fei identifies the Longshan altar’s need for sacrifice and brings Dawn Tower’s Priests and Tower Masters into the final plan. Knowing he cannot personally lead the ceremony to completion, he secretly makes Yan Chi his successor and turns his own remaining existence into the ritual’s falling sparks. 659 869

Notable Quotes

“I want to preserve the seeds of Great Xia.” 123

“If both chances are used, dying for a worthy cause is also a good end.” 659

“I once had a ridiculous ideal... to be a good person.” 869

Trivia

• Mo Fei preferred being called “High Priest” despite knowing Jiang You recognized his real name. 451
• His silver mask became so iconic that Jiang You initially doubted the severely deteriorated man before her was the High Priest at all. 12
• Although Yan Chi publicly appeared as the High Priest during the final sacrifice, Vermilion Bird stated that Mo Fei was “everywhere” in the sparks falling from Yan Chi’s robe. 869