Yang Ling

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yang Ling (杨凌) 2068
Alias(es)	Daoist Master Jialing; Yang Jialing; High True Master of the Daoist Sect 2132 2331
Species/Race	Reincarnated Daoist cultivator; a Lost Soul from the ancient era 2200
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Daoist Sect; Tianyu Ancient Village 2195 2200
Occupation/Role	Great Elder of Tianyu Ancient Village 2195
Status	Active 2574
First Appearance	Chapter 2068

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Ninth Tier	2110	Had only recently entered the Ninth Tier, yet could wield a Taboo Weapon long enough to overwhelm the Mountain Ghosts.
Fourth Step of the Divinity Staircase	2200	Detected Jiang Qiao's stealthy intrusion despite the latter's superior cultivation and enhanced concealment.
Sixth Step of the Divinity Staircase	2297	His Replicant's baseline strength was stated to perfectly match Yang Ling's, reaching the sixth step; Divine Descent could temporarily push the copy close to the ninth step.
Demigod Realm — temporary restoration	2324	Summoned and merged with his sealed Demigod self through a talisman-based Divine Descent, briefly recovering his former realm.

Background / History

Yang Ling originated from the Daoist Sect during the era of his homeland's supernatural civilization. As a High True Master, he witnessed the sect at its historical peak and knew the prophecy that its lineage would end after 384 generations. His Dharma name was Yang Jialing, as a member of the sect's 173rd “Jia” generation. 2132 2331

During the Great Escape, Yang Ling fought terrifying Evil Spirits in the void. He was severely injured and resorted to reincarnation, eventually undergoing multiple reincarnations. He later awakened in a comparatively underdeveloped Small World, where he concealed his true strength for more than thirty years while waiting to recover. 2076 2195

At some point after the middle of the Nether Era, Yang Ling reached Demigodhood. Divine contamination forced him to seal the polluted segment of his own River of History, cutting off his connection to that period and causing his cultivation to fall. The act contained the pollution, but prevented him from permanently returning to the Demigod Realm unless it could be cleared. 2200 2324 2326

During the Small World's crisis, Yang Ling emerged from hiding to protect survivors and oppose Fengyin Mountain's Mountain Ghosts. His use of a Taboo Weapon brought him into contact with Jiang Qiao, whom he initially mistook for a Daoist Sect disciple because of his Thunder Magic. 2076 2109

Much later, Jiang Qiao located Yang Ling in the Supernatural World, where he had become Tianyu Ancient Village's Great Elder. Their shared past in the River of History eventually convinced Yang Ling that Jiang Qiao truly possessed Daoist Sect inheritance, and the two became close allies. 2195 2200 2220

Appearance

Yang Ling's current reincarnated vessel appears to be a pale young man in his early twenties. 2110

• His ordinary demeanor conceals the bearing of an ancient cultivator and former Demigod. 2323
• When he abandons restraint in battle, his aura becomes wild, detached, and unbound by life, death, or spacetime. 2323
• His summoned Demigod self is physically identical to him, but carries a tranquil, ocean-like pressure that makes him feel less human than an entire world. 2324

Personality

Yang Ling is composed, knowledgeable, and exceptionally cautious around unknown supernatural threats. Even when Jiang Qiao unexpectedly appeared in his quarters with knowledge of his past, Yang Ling responded with suspicion rather than immediate trust. 2199 2200

He is deeply protective of Tianyu Ancient Village. When trapped against Jiang Qiao's Replicant, he refused to flee because doing so would leave Tianyu's explorers behind, choosing instead to reveal his hidden trump card. 2301

Despite his ancient background, Yang Ling does not regret severing his own history to contain the pollution within it. He considers himself a Lost Soul whose finest era belonged to the old world, and accepts the cost of preserving what remained. 2200

Abilities & Skills

Heaven Communicating Talisman Art

Yang Ling is a formal Daoist Sect cultivator of the Art of Talismans, with a degree of technical mastery that exceeds Jiang Qiao's self-developed usage. 2118 2295

• Can create large-scale talisman arrays and transform talismans into numerous corporeal versions of himself. 2298
• Can use a secret talisman technique to exist three seconds in the future, causing attacks from the present to arrive too late. 2295
• Uses the Earth Pacifying Curse to stabilize space and counter time-based interference. 2326
• Uses the Mouth Purifying Spell to distort reality and forcefully negate an opponent's influence over an area. 2327
• Uses the Golden Light Spell and Incense Blessing Spell against malevolent spirits. 2325
• His spells depend on temporal change; when Yuan Yu extracted time from the battlefield, several of his purification spells lost their function. 2327

Heavenly Palace and Taboo Weapon

Yang Ling possesses a Daoist Sect Taboo Weapon represented by a palm-sized, iridescent glazed tile. It contains or manifests a transcendent Heavenly Palace whose presence alarms even high-level supernatural beings. 2313

• Activated the Heavenly Palace to engulf the Mountain Ghosts in light and destroy their physical forms. 2109
• Can open the palace gates to alter surrounding spacetime and prepare large-scale attacks. 2321
• The weapon's power is dangerous enough that Jiang Qiao felt instinctive warning from it even after fighting Demigods. 2313

Grafting and Prisoner's Cage

Yang Ling's decisive talisman-based trump card is Grafting, activated with a red cloth and a thick paper mask. 2301

• Produces a black dot capable of devouring surrounding phenomena and opponents. 2301
• Uses Gravity to restrain enemies caught in his techniques. 2302
• Uses Prisoner's Cage to imprison and drag a target toward the black dot. 2302
• This technique allowed him to reverse a losing battle against Jiang Qiao's Replicant. 2301 2302

Demigod Divine Descent

Yang Ling can invoke a sealed version of his former Demigod self through the Art of Talismans. The Demigod body was preserved as a coordinate within the sealed segment of his River of History. 2324

• Temporarily merges his present self with his past Demigod body to regain Demigod-level power. 2324
• Used this restoration to shatter Yuan Yu's Corpse Pool and contend directly with her time-based Demigod techniques. 2325 2326
• The connection is unstable and rapidly weakens under prolonged battle pressure; once it ends, Yang Ling returns to his diminished state. 2330

Concealment and Connection Disruption

Yang Ling can evade attacks through unusual concealment and can interfere with an enemy's supernatural connections. 2572

• Can make an apparent vessel explode without leaving blood or remains, then reappear elsewhere unharmed. 2572
• Creates convincing false bodies capable of misleading opponents who believe they have identified his true form. 2572
• Placed talismans on Corpse Liberation Valley's members to disrupt their connection to supernatural power. 2572
• Used an iron nail to seal the ethereal passage used by Corpse Liberation Valley, cutting off their escape route. 2572

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heavenly Palace Taboo Weapon — An iridescent glazed tile that manifests the Heavenly Palace and supports Yang Ling's highest-order techniques. 2313
• Red cloth and paper mask — Ritual implements used to activate Grafting. 2301
• Ordination tablet and divine registers — Reincarnation-damaged Daoist implements that once allowed Yang Ling to summon gods, punish ghosts, and call upon Merit Officer Divine Generals and Immortals. 2077
• Sacred decree — Allows him to establish a supernatural correspondence with the surrounding region and use the area within a hundred-mile radius as a medium. 2331
• Tianyu-crafted handgun — Killed a Ninth Tier Sea Monster with one shot during the Nether Sea expedition. 2252

Relationships

• Jiang Qiao — Fellow Daoist Sect inheritor and trusted ally. Yang Ling initially doubted Jiang Qiao's claims, but accepted him after witnessing his Thunder Magic, talismans, and Divine Firmament Thunder Seal. 2200 2220
• Tianyu Ancient Village — Yang Ling serves as its Great Elder and is regarded as its spiritual leader; he repeatedly places the village's explorers and residents above his own safety. 2195 2294 2301
• Yuan Yu — Ancient Qintian Platform Duty Officer turned malevolent spirit. Yang Ling identified her from the Early Nether Era and fought her after she escaped the ruins. 2319 2324
• Corpse Liberation Valley — Hostile intruders who attempted to capture Tianyu's people; Yang Ling severed their supernatural support and executed them after they surrendered. 2572 2573

Story Role / Major Arcs

Small World Crisis

Yang Ling shelters civilians after the Dark Side opens and explains the danger of Fierce Sha and mental pollution. He uses a talisman to calm a terrified young girl and urges his group to avoid crowds. 2068

When the Earth Veins' mental storm escalates, he chooses to leave the cave and confront the crisis despite his incomplete recovery. 2070

He later saves Jiang Qiao from the Mountain Ghosts by wielding the Heavenly Palace, temporarily defeating the enemies and freeing captives from the Demon Tower. 2109

Reunion with Jiang Qiao

Jiang Qiao spends 3 billion Ghost Money to locate Yang Ling and learns that he is Tianyu Ancient Village's Great Elder. 2195

Their reunion begins tensely, as Yang Ling is alarmed by Jiang Qiao's knowledge of the Small World and their past. Jiang Qiao's Daoist Sect techniques ultimately establish their shared connection. 2199 2200

Nether Sea Expedition and the Replicants

Yang Ling leads Tianyu's fleet toward Nether Era ruins in the Nether Sea and demonstrates Tianyu's preparations by killing a Ninth Tier Sea Monster with a handgun. 2252

Inside the ruins, he confronts a one-to-one Replicant of himself and later defeats Jiang Qiao's Replicant through Grafting, Gravity, and Prisoner's Cage. 2294 2301 2302

Battle Against Yuan Yu

Yang Ling identifies Yuan Yu as an ancient Demigod-level Duty Officer of the Qintian Platform and warns Jiang Qiao that her strength surpasses most Demigods of the current era. 2319

After Yuan Yu escapes the ruins and corners them above the Nether Sea, Yang Ling invokes his sealed Demigod self. Although he briefly returns to the Demigod Realm, Yuan Yu's Three Lives Body forces him to seek Jiang Qiao's aid. 2324 2327

Defense of Tianyu Ancient Village

When Corpse Liberation Valley invades Tianyu, Yang Ling uses concealment, talismans, and a sealed passage to strip the attackers of their advantages. He then kills the surrendering intruders without accepting their threats of retaliation. 2572 2573

Notable Quotes

“Why should I regret it? I am a Lost Soul from the ancient era. My best times were all in the Old era.”
— Yang Ling, on severing his own River of History 2200

“People... Sometimes, you just need the courage to seek life in death.”
— Yang Ling, before invoking his former Demigod power 2323

Trivia

• Yang Ling's Daoist Sect Dharma name is Yang Jialing. 2331
• He belonged to the Daoist Sect's 173rd “Jia” generation. 2331
• He recognizes Fate Lines and considers the Fate Law an ominous path, noting that Daoist Sect cultivators who sought to control fate were ultimately manipulated by it. 2121
• He views the “Shedding Mortality and Ascending to Immortality” project as impossible to complete successfully, despite later factions attempting to develop related knowledge. 2575