Zhou Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhou Xuan (周璇)
Alias(es)	City God Zhou 430
Species/Race	Ghost; her former body was refined into a Blood Corpse and later became a Vengeful Corpse vessel 15 166 214
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Zhou Family; City God's forces; later serves as a strategist under Xia Yitian's side 327 2489
Occupation/Role	City God, ghost-force commander, and strategist 166 327 2490
Status	Active 6144
First Appearance	Chapter 6: “Ambush” 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Dao Seeking Stage	214	Reached the peak of the Dao Seeking Stage before her capture by the Yang Family and Zhu Yuping. 214
Late-stage Blood Corpse	214	Zhu Yuping refined her captured body into a Blood Corpse, intending to nurture it toward Corpse King status. 214
Late-stage Ghost General	167	Her soul was extraordinarily powerful after death, directly reaching late-stage Ghost General strength. 167
Ghost King	166	Revealed as a Ghost King capable of effortlessly controlling Xia Yitian's forty-nine ghost generals. 166
Peak mid-stage Ghost King	491	Her strength matched Xia Yitian's and showed signs of an imminent breakthrough to late-stage Ghost King. 491

Background

Zhou Xuan was a gifted Zhou Family novice who mastered the family’s Ghost Summoning Technique at a young age. She saved an abused child by extracting and destroying the soul of an important Maoshan successor, provoking the Righteous Path lineages despite the disciple’s malicious intent. When those lineages spread accusations against her and repeatedly targeted her, Zhou Xuan retaliated against those who obstructed or plotted against her. 15 888

Unable to withstand pressure from several orthodox Daoist families, the Zhou Family Head planned to surrender her. Her collateral-branch parents warned her in time, allowing her to flee and hide in Xiao Yi Hamlet, where she married Zhang Yidan without revealing her background or abilities. 15 888

The Righteous Path later cursed her parents, driving Zhou Xuan to return to her maiden home to save them. She walked into a trap, was tortured and killed alongside her parents, and was transformed into a Blood Corpse. Her soul was refined after death and later sealed, making reincarnation impossible. 6 15

Her fate drew Zhou Ying—her grandmother, known as the Old Demon Zhou—back into the conflict. Zhou Ying retaliated against the Daoist lineages, eventually escaping with Zhou Xuan’s Walking Corpse after part of her own soul was sealed in the Blood Cloud Coffin. 15 214

Appearance

Zhou Xuan initially appears ordinary, but her eyes are described as carrying a lightning-like intensity. Following her transformation and rise in the underworld, she is notably cold and expressionless. 166

• Her soul was bound to a Vengeful Corpse body after her death. 166
• She previously concealed herself with a human-skin mask. 214
• Her demeanor can shift sharply around Zhou Ying, where she becomes emotional and childlike. 459

Personality

In life, Zhou Xuan was fiercely righteous, hated evil, and openly criticized the orthodox Daoist lineages. She acted decisively when protecting others and retaliated harshly when threatened. 15 888

Her torture and transformation left her cold, vengeful, and difficult to trust. She is willing to employ intimidation, kidnapping threats, assassinations, and large-scale warfare to pursue her goals, particularly the rescue of Zhou Ying and revenge against the noble Daoist families. 166 332 428

Despite her hostility toward Xia Yitian, Zhou Xuan secretly opposed him in part to divert stronger enemies’ animosity away from him, acting under Zhou Ying’s instructions. She admits to selfish motives but maintains that her opposition also protected his rise. 891

Abilities & Skills

Zhou Family Ghost Summoning Technique

Zhou Xuan inherited a highly advanced form of the Zhou Family’s Ghost Summoning Technique, described as second only to Zhou Ying’s among the family’s practitioners. 166

• Can command and control ghostly entities far below her level with ease. 166
• Took control of Xia Yitian’s forty-nine ghost generals without difficulty. 166
• Taught Xia Yitian Ghost Summoning Dao methods, greatly accelerating his progress from Fierce Ghost to Ghost General. 208

Ghost King Power

As a Ghost King, Zhou Xuan possesses overwhelming spiritual pressure and combat ability against lower-ranked ghosts. 166

• Can kill multiple late-stage Ghost Generals with a single sweep. 166
• Her presence commands reverence from nearby ghost generals. 166
• Was considered nearly unmatched among Ghost Kings of her tier. 429

Ghost God Descends

Zhou Xuan can invoke Ghost God Descends, a powerful combat technique used during direct confrontations with Xia Yitian. 429

• Provides a major surge in combat power. 429
• Was powerful enough that Xia Yitian relied on several enhanced Ghost King-level allies to confront her. 429

Military Command and Administration

Zhou Xuan built and commanded major Yin Soldier forces in the underworld, later demonstrating skill in managing subordinates and maintaining loyal followers. 166 327 2490

• Recruited troops and ghost generals while seeking to rescue Zhou Ying. 166
• Fielded forces numbering in the thousands, including siege equipment and corpse soldiers. 327 428
• Relied on Ruan Qiushui as a principal strategist in large-scale engagements. 413 429
• Was later entrusted with liaison and strategic responsibilities within Xia Yitian’s wider faction. 2489 2519

Equipment

• Human-skin mask — Previously used to conceal her identity and appearance. 214

Relationships

• Zhou Ying — Grandmother; Zhou Xuan’s central motivation is rescuing her from the Blood Cloud Coffin and avenging the injustices done to their family. 15 166
• Zhang Yidan — Husband during her period of hiding in Xiao Yi Hamlet. 6 15
• Zhang Tiansi / Little Nephew — Son; Zhou Xuan repeatedly risks military and political losses to secure his safety. 166 429 430
• Xia Yitian — Cousin and frequent adversary. Their relationship is defined by mutual suspicion, repeated conflicts, and the later revelation that Zhou Xuan’s opposition partly shielded him from greater enemies. 166 428 891
• Ruan Qiushui — Trusted strategist and confidante who commands Zhou Xuan’s forces and reveals the hidden purpose behind Zhou Xuan’s actions toward Xia Yitian. 413 891
• Li Poxiao — Rescued Zhou Xuan from an underworld prison; their relationship was initially described as ambiguous, though later accounts place her within his family. 551 2489
• Li Muqing — Daughter; Zhou Xuan is protective and demanding toward her. 6129 6130

Story Role / Major Arcs

Persecution and Transformation

Zhou Xuan’s defense of a child ignites the feud between the Zhou Family and the Righteous Path. Her eventual capture, torture, and conversion into a Blood Corpse become the catalyst for Zhou Ying’s devastating retaliation against the Daoist lineages. 15 214

Rise as a City God

After becoming a Ghost King, Zhou Xuan operates from the City God’s mansion, recruits troops, and seeks to investigate the Blood Cloud Coffin. She offers Xia Yitian the Zhou Family’s ghost-summoning methods and a Yin Yang Token in exchange for his help against the noble Daoist families. 166

War with Xia Yitian

Zhou Xuan repeatedly clashes with Xia Yitian over troops, territory, Zhou Ying’s rescue, and the treatment of Yin Soldiers. Her forces attack Tian Yi Cave Mansion with 5,000 troops, but Zhang Tiansi’s capture forces her to negotiate and withdraw from Dalong County. 428 429 430

Hidden Protection

After Zhou Xuan and Ruan Qiushui are captured, Ruan reveals that Zhou Ying instructed Zhou Xuan to oppose Xia Yitian publicly, reducing the pressure placed upon him by more powerful enemies while he was still weak. Xia Yitian re-evaluates their conflict and spares her. 891

Later Strategic Service

Zhou Xuan later serves alongside Ruan Qiushui as a strategic commander under Xia Yitian’s side. Her leadership ability, loyal followers, and experience managing underworld forces make her a valuable political and military figure. 2489 2519

Trivia

• Zhou Xuan’s actions against Xia Yitian were so convincing that he regarded her as fickle and treacherous until Ruan Qiushui revealed the truth. 891
• Her son’s repeated attempts to assassinate Xia Yitian became a recurring source of conflict between the cousins. 290 414 430
• Despite her severe public demeanor, she cries and acts spoiled in front of Zhou Ying. 459