Old Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yuan Shouzhen (袁守真) 316
Alias(es)	Old Yuan; Master
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yuan Cultivation Society
Occupation / Role	Tier A explorer; Vital Energy cultivator; creator of the Body Tempering Art; Luo Jun's master 29 200
Cultivation	Foundation Establishment Realm; formerly reached the great completion of the Heart Refining Realm 340
Status	Alive 932
Age	At least 100 years old 501
First Appearance	Chapter 15

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Heart Refining Realm, Great Completion	Before Ch. 340	At his peak, he could challenge Ascension experts using the Body Tempering Art and Gathering Origin Protective Qi. Damage to his Meridians later prevented him from maintaining that level of cultivation. 340
Foundation Establishment Realm	Ch. 340	Despite his reduced realm, his control of Vital Energy and solidified Gang Qi remain feared even by Peak and Ascension experts. 340
Purple Mansion Return of the Edge, evolved state	Ch. 931	His ability had developed significantly beyond its former peak, allowing him to absorb Behemoth's attacks and reflect their full force back through a barrier. 931

Background / History

Yuan Shouzhen was once a renowned Vital Energy prodigy. His innate talent and spiritual aptitude were exceptional, with a base Vital Energy capacity more than twenty times that of an ordinary cultivator. After cultivating the seven-layer Body Tempering Art to its full effect, he was acknowledged as having the greatest Vital Energy reserves in the cultivation world before Luo Jun appeared. 316

He developed the Body Tempering Art as a cultivation method capable of multiplying a practitioner's potential with every Body Refinement breakthrough. His former proud disciple was the only person known to have endured its side effects and continued cultivating it successfully, but that disciple later died—an event Yuan still recalls with anger and regret. 30

At his peak, Yuan reached the great completion of the Heart Refining Realm and could contend with Ascension experts through his immense reserves, technique, and Treasure Tools. His Meridians were later damaged, leaving him restricted to the Foundation Establishment Realm despite retaining his knowledge and combat experience. 340

During an early Chaos Mission, Yuan personally entered the Chaos World after Luo Jun was accidentally dragged into it due to a Yuan Cultivation Society operation. Unable to clear the mission for Luo Jun directly, he taught him Vital Energy and used his dangerous external-force breakthrough method to open Luo Jun's Meridians. 15 16

Luo Jun formally became Yuan's disciple after learning the risks and conditions attached to the Body Tempering Art. Yuan then subjected him to severe daily training involving Mechanical Puppets and the Trial Stone Steps. 29 31

Appearance

Yuan is an elderly-looking man with a distinctive M-shaped hairline: the center of his scalp is bald while the hair around the sides remains thick. 677

• Often addressed as an old man or “Old Yuan.”
• His appearance is deceptive; he remains a combatant capable of overwhelming high-level cultivators. 309
• When preparing for serious combat, he equips multiple Treasure Tools, including a circlet, magic robe, staff, crystal ball, necklace, and his Eight Trigrams Finger Tiger. 308 330

Personality

Yuan is proud of his achievements in Vital Energy cultivation, particularly the Body Tempering Art and Gathering Origin Protective Qi. He is candid about the danger of his methods: when offering Luo Jun an externally forced breakthrough, he openly estimated the success rate at only one in three. 16 340

As a master, he is demanding but deeply protective. He pushes Luo Jun through punishing training, worries over his disciple during Chaos Missions, provides breakthrough resources, and repeatedly tells Luo Jun to prioritize his own safety. 31 55 199 502

Yuan carries lasting regret over his past failures, his damaged cultivation, and his deceased disciple. He later admits that he would pay any price to correct those failures, even if it meant betraying the Main World. 30 344 932

Abilities & Skills

Body Tempering Art

Yuan created the Body Tempering Art, a dangerous cultivation technique that dramatically improves physical potential through Body Refinement breakthroughs.

• Uses an external-force method to open Meridians and force a breakthrough; its estimated success rate is roughly one in three. 16
• A failed attempt can inflict fatal backlash on an ordinary person. 16
• Each successful layer can increase potential by up to 100%; Yuan achieved the full increase through all seven layers. 199 309
• Yuan used the art on Luo Jun before formally accepting him as a disciple, believing Luo Jun's physique could survive the side effects. 30
• Its true killing move is Gathering Origin Protective Qi. 340

Gathering Origin Protective Qi

A secret technique that compresses and solidifies Gang Qi into a dense, crystalline protective and offensive state.

• Completely solidifies flowing Gang Qi, greatly increasing its density and force. 340
• Requires extraordinary Vital Energy reserves and extremely precise control. 340
• Allowed Yuan, while in the Heart Refining Realm, to challenge Ascension experts. 340
• His damaged Meridians prevent him from maintaining a stable Gathering Origin state without external assistance from a necklace. 340
• Yuan taught Luo Jun to synchronize with his aura and use the technique. 340

Purple Mansion Return of the Edge

Yuan's evolved signature ability absorbs hostile force and returns it to its source.

• Can absorb and store an opponent's attacks without visible strain. 931
• Reflected Behemoth's accumulated Impact Force through a barrier, defeating the Primordial Giant Beast in a single counterattack. 931
• Historically countered physical attacks, spells, curses, and mental-control abilities by turning them back on their users. 932
• Wan Guiyuan's Myriad Aspects Return to Origin is a known counter to this ability. 932

Martial Combat

Yuan is an exceptionally experienced close-combat cultivator despite his current Foundation Establishment Realm.

• Defeated Rolf, a top-tier Martial Combat fighter, with a single punch. 309
• Retained Peak-level combat power even while undertaking Tier A Chaos Missions. 502
• His Protective Qi Strength was described as flawless during his arena battle against Luo Jun. 312
• He can rapidly assess an opponent's potential, cultivation, and combat limits. 199 521

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Eight Trigrams Finger Tiger — Mythic Treasure Item worn as a pair of golden finger tigers engraved with the eight trigrams: Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. It simulates eight natural phenomena, including gravity, wind blades, thunder light, and stone armor. 308 313
  • Its Qian Hexagram grants Yuan a resurrection effect. 314
  • Its Vital Energy consumption is extremely high; Yuan had not used it since his injury. 308
• Gathering Origin necklace — Assists Yuan in stabilizing his compressed Gang Qi due to his damaged Meridians. 340
• Escort Spirit Talisman — Legendary-grade talisman Yuan gave Luo Jun to support a realm breakthrough. 199
• Death-avoidance Treasure Tool — An unnamed item possessed by Yuan that can avert death under some circumstances. 501
• Soundproof Barrier — Used when discussing sensitive Yuan Cultivation Society matters with Luo Jun. 500

Relationships

• Luo Jun — Disciple. Yuan saved Luo Jun's life in the Chaos World, taught him Vital Energy, accepted him as a disciple, and remains fiercely protective despite Luo Jun's rapid growth beyond his expectations. 15 29 315 500
• Wan Guiyuan — Longtime peer and one of the three companions who entered an ancient ruin with Yuan in the past. Wan's Myriad Aspects Return to Origin is the principal counter to Yuan's Purple Mansion Return of the Edge. 717 932
• Gold Emperor — Old acquaintance and former sparring partner. The two retain mutual familiarity and respect despite their differing paths. 717 932
• Ling Xin — A younger cultivator Yuan watched grow up. He trusts her character and coordinated with her to assist Luo Jun. 535 539
• Su Manchen — Yuan's daughter. After the death of Yuan's first wife, he married Su Manchen's mother; the family later separated before reconnecting through their work in the cultivation world. 501
• Yuan Lingmin — Granddaughter whose Heavenly Eye can perceive death omens. Her warning about Yuan's impending mission death prompted Luo Jun to join the mission. 501 502
• Wu Yingjie — Yuan's eldest disciple and the genius he never forgot. Yuan considered him the world's greatest genius before meeting Luo Jun. 945
• Heather — Former Ningdong Academy student whom Yuan taught after she was sent to Dawnland to study. 715

Story Role / Major Arcs

Luo Jun's Initiation

Yuan meets Luo Jun in the Chaos World after the Yuan Cultivation Society's failed Polluter-capture operation implicates an innocent bystander. He teaches Luo Jun Vital Energy, forces open his Meridians through the Body Tempering Art, and later accepts him as a formal disciple. 15 16 29 30

Devil Training

Yuan trains Luo Jun through repeated combat against Mechanical Puppets and ascents of the Trial Stone Steps. He conceals their master-disciple relationship from the academy, recognizing that its exposure would attract unwanted attention. 31 32

Utopia Pyramid Incident

Yuan disappears in [Utopia] alongside Holy See explorers and becomes trapped within the Amgilla pyramid. Brainwashed by the pyramid's arena system, he fights Luo Jun and is defeated; after reviving, he learns that his disciple has reached the unprecedented eighth layer of the Body Refinement Realm. 282 312 315

Yuan assists the survivors against the pyramid's challenges, warns them about Karruth's Incarnation, and later investigates Luo Jun when he suspects Karruth may have taken over his disciple's body. 323 330

Later Guidance and Protection

After returning to Ningdong, Yuan protects Luo Jun from the consequences of the Hell Creek Family incident and expresses astonishment at his disciple's Foundation Establishment Realm Eighth Layer. He also identifies Luo Jun's Gang Qi as unusually pure and without the personal characteristics normally found in cultivators. 499 500

During a later Tier A Chaos Mission, Yuan and Luo Jun scout an infected maze together. Yuan is injured by infiltrators but continues supporting the team despite the danger. 502 521 531

Empire Captivity and Rescue

Yuan is captured in the [Empire] and suffers severe pollution that causes scales, horns, and a tail to emerge. Luo Jun rescues him, removes his shackles, and uses a purification Skill Card to stabilize his condition before sending him back to the Main World. 677 693 715

Tournament Return

Yuan demonstrates the evolved Purple Mansion Return of the Edge during a later challenge, effortlessly defeating Behemoth by reflecting its own attacks. In conversation with Luo Jun and the Gold Emperor, he reveals that regret over past failures has driven many of his choices. 931 932

Notable Quotes

“This technique of completely solidifying Gang Qi is the true Killing Move of my Body Tempering Art!” 340

“With your master here, the trouble won't fall on your head.” 500

Trivia

• Yuan's external-force breakthrough method has only an estimated one-in-three success rate. 16
• Before Luo Jun, Yuan was considered the cultivator with the greatest Vital Energy capacity in the world. 316
• He once entered an ancient ruin alongside Wan Guiyuan, the Pope, and the Gold Emperor; the other three later achieved Feather Transformation, while Yuan was left crippled. 717
• He used an aluminum pot as a Legendary mental-protection helmet while reading the Supreme Handbook. 682