Wang Dao Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Wang Dao Xuan (王道玄)
Alias(es)	Wang Lao Nian; Daoist Wang; “You Ji”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Western Xuan lineage; Li Yan's group
Occupation/Role	Xuan Gate Taoist priest; feng shui geomancer; ritual specialist; fortune teller
Status	Active
First Appearance	21

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
First level cultivation	25	Successfully performs a soul-stabilization ritual, demonstrating disciplined spellcasting despite modest cultivation.
Third Floor / third level Dao Progress	496	Reaches the peak attainable by mortals; his feng shui, disaster-warding, and ritual skills earn him a reputation in Nanchong under the name “You Ji.”
Divine Firmness integrated into Preserving the Spirit	626	Uses Divine Firmness supplied by Li Yan and methods from the Five Chapters Divine Secret to strengthen his Preserving the Spirit.

Background / History

Wang Dao Xuan awakened his Spiritual Power late in life and refused to resign himself to an ordinary fate. He spent ten years forcing his way into Xuan Gate cultivation, exhausting his family fortune in the process and falling from “Shopkeeper Wang” to the debt-ridden Wang Lao Nian. His Preserving-the-Spirit ritual and temple establishment consumed his remaining savings, leaving him impoverished. 22 24

His inherited tradition is the Western Xuan lineage, which he later traces back to the Eight Immortals of the Tang Dynasty. He seeks clues to its inheritance through feng shui manuals collected by Liu Gang, whose pursuit of Earth Immortal status was tied to the Five Great Grotto-Heavens. 343

Before meeting Li Yan, Wang traveled widely to seek famous masters. Though repeatedly deceived, he gained broad practical knowledge of Xuan Gate methods, particularly feng shui and divination. Qing Yangzi of the Xianyang City God Temple recognized his steadfast pursuit of the Dao and frequently guided him despite Wang having no formal connection to the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect. 24 36 86

Appearance

Wang Dao Xuan is a lean, vigorous middle-aged Taoist with a long black beard and an upright, gentle bearing. His faded but clean clothing reflects both his former means and present hardship. 21

• Clear, upright face and gentle eyes that inspire goodwill. 21
• Black beard reaching his chest. 21
• Wears casual black clothing with a white short jacket embroidered with a Bagua on the back. 21
• Wears a square cap and black cloth shoes embroidered with auspicious clouds. 21
• His attire, though faded from washing, remains neat and was originally expensive. 21

Personality

Wang Dao Xuan is sincere, warm-hearted, and guided by a strong moral standard. He helps others even when it offers little material gain, and Li Yan considers this integrity the reason they became friends. 21 96

He is practical rather than naïve. He understands Jianghu presentation, employs “horse-tethering” tactics to establish trust with clients, and can use stratagems when direct action would expose his group’s intentions. 24 453

His pursuit of the Dao is tenacious but increasingly troubled by responsibility and ambition. He once traveled contentedly with little more than food and shelter, yet later admits that having more to protect has made progress feel harder. 343

Abilities & Skills

Tongue Mystical Power

Wang Dao Xuan’s awakened Spiritual Power lets him discern information through taste.

• Can identify signs and abnormal influences by tasting materials or substances. 24
• Developed methods using talismans and other intermediaries to obtain “taste” without directly licking dangerous entities. 24
• Its practical limitations prevented him from easily using it against zombies, fierce ghosts, or possessed people. 24
• Has the potential to become much stronger through True Words and incantations at higher Dao Progress, though he initially lacked that capability. 24

Feng Shui and Geomancy

Feng shui is Wang Dao Xuan’s most developed practical discipline.

• Surveys terrain with a compass and evaluates Yin energy, water flow, surrounding terrain, and earth energy. 36 109 384
• Identifies auspicious burial sites and explains the influence of unsealed excavation on earth and vital energy. 109
• Detects established protective arrangements, such as an ancestor temple whose incense stabilizes an otherwise ominous location. 384
• Investigates complex Bagua and Nine Palaces arrangements. 260
• Studies feng shui manuals for the hidden history and inheritance of his Western Xuan lineage. 343

Ritual Casting and Exorcism

Wang Dao Xuan performs Xuan Gate rites involving soul stabilization, disaster warding, altar work, and evil suppression.

• Performs a soul-calling ritual to return and stabilize the First Wife’s Living Soul. 25
• Explains and practices the Xuan Gate sequence of Omen, Taboo, and Exorcism. 25
• Uses altar arrangements, talismans, magical artifacts, and spiritual apertures in larger rituals. 30 140
• Subdues Rampaging Soldiers for use in mystical duels and later establishes an ancestral altar guarded by them. 133 140
• Attempts increasingly advanced altar-based rites after observing major feng shui formations and a Thunder Method altar. 347
• Uses protective measures such as ink lines, red cloth, and copper bells to ward off Yin entities. 659
• Recognizes dangerous curses, including the Yin Debt Curse. 777

Divination and Fortune-Telling

Wang Dao Xuan uses character readings and divinatory observation, but treats the practice as moral guidance rather than simple profiteering.

• Gives a struggling scholar a character reading for only three copper coins and refuses to exploit his desperation. 21
• Urges the scholar to endure hardship, avoid harmful influences, and change his life through his own actions rather than worshipping an Yin Immortal. 21
• Uses divination to investigate omens and abnormal celestial signs. 401 423
• Is knowledgeable about advanced divinatory practice, though heavenly decrees require exceptionally profound numerological skill to decipher. 734

Xuan Gate Knowledge

Wang Dao Xuan is broadly learned in Xuan Gate traditions, soldiers, rituals, and spiritual apertures.

• Explains the varieties of Xuan Gate soldiers, including Lu Soldiers, City God and Earth God soldiers, Yin Soldiers, Immortal Soldiers, and heretical Five Connect Soldiers. 22
• Teaches Li Yan the method of Preserving the Spirit through the True Scripture of the Western Xuan Cave of Darkness. 22
• Explains the Three Great Mysterious Realms of Mount Wudang: True Martial Dragon Cave, Thunder Fire Refining Hall, and Purple Cloud Divine Lamp. 205
• Deciphers the Seeking Immortality Chapters left by Xu Fu after receiving the Golden Crow Script. 660

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Compass — used for feng shui surveys and geomantic investigation. 36 384
• Talismans and cinnabar brush — used in ritual work, warding, and teaching Li Yan talisman drawing. 133 453
• Ancestral altar — arranged and protected with subdued Rampaging Soldiers. 140
• Black Evil Omen clay pot — carried in his saddlebag. 421
• Preserving the Spirit — manifests as an old Taoist holding a small arrow in its left hand and a straw man in its right. 626

Relationships

• Li Yan — companion, ritual partner, and fellow cultivator. Wang teaches him Xuan Gate knowledge and Preserving-the-Spirit methods; Li Yan uses his Olfactory Mystical Power to support Wang’s work. 22 24 25
• Sha LiFei — companion and longtime acquaintance. Sha once abandoned Wang with a brothel bill, but later works alongside him in Li Yan’s group. 22 30
• Lu San — companion and ally; they cooperate on investigations, escapes, and matters concerning the Giant Turtle Master. 357 547
• Qing Yangzi — temple keeper of Xianyang’s City God Temple who respects Wang’s determination and often provides guidance. 86
• Wu Daoyou — Wang expresses gratitude toward him for saving his life after recovering from injuries. 83
• Long Yan’er — fellow companion; both study under master alchemist Ge Pusheng. 725
• Master Hui Yuan — Shaolin’s leader of guardian monks, whom Wang respects despite their differing beliefs. 648

Story Role / Major Arcs

Meeting Li Yan and Xianyang Partnership

Li Yan seeks Wang Dao Xuan in Xianyang for help controlling his unstable Spiritual Power. Though initially alarmed by Li Yan’s knowledge of Cold Altar Rampaging Soldiers, Wang explains the danger and freely provides a spirit-preservation method. 21 22

The two form a mutually beneficial partnership: Wang will help Li Yan preserve his spirit and build his tower, while Li Yan will employ his Olfactory Mystical Power to assist Wang with major jobs. Their complementary senses let them identify supernatural disturbances and conduct rituals together. 24 25

Establishing Their Xuan Gate Business

After Li Gui’s funeral, Wang joins Li Yan and Sha LiFei in returning to Xianyang to earn a living through Xuan Gate work. He advocates caution, recognizes the competitive dangers of Chang’an, and helps build their reputation through ritual commissions. 30

He handles altar arrangements and improves his combat readiness, including martial arts training. With an ancestral altar and Rampaging Soldiers guarding it, he becomes a significant threat to ordinary Jianghu fighters and lesser Xuan Gate practitioners. 140

Western Xuan Lineage and Wider Travels

Wang uncovers fragments of his Western Xuan lineage’s origins while studying Liu Gang’s feng shui manuals. The discovery connects his tradition to the Tang Dynasty’s Eight Immortals and strengthens his resolve to pursue its lost inheritance. 343

As Li Yan’s group travels across the Divine Land, Wang serves as their principal geomancer, ritualist, and Xuan Gate expert. He investigates ominous terrain, identifies curses and evil influences, advises on spiritual apertures, and helps contain supernatural threats. 109 205 250 384

Rise of “You Ji”

While in Nanchong, Wang conceals his identity and works as a fortune teller under the name “You Ji.” Having reached Third Floor Dao Progress, he gains local renown through his feng shui, disaster-warding, and ritual abilities. 496

Later Campaigns

Wang continues supporting Li Yan’s group in major crises, including their escape from the tea garden, the suppression of the Seven Aperture Dragon Locking Formation, and the conflict surrounding Mount Tai’s vacant Prefect position. 547 652 762

He later studies alchemy with Long Yan’er under Ge Pusheng and remains part of Li Yan’s core circle during their artifact development in the capital. 725 734

Notable Quotes

“My words can determine life and death, and accumulate good karma. I dare not act carelessly.” 21

“If everyone in the world accepted their fate, how could the mortal world flow and dynasties change?” 22

“This Daoist’s Dao Progress is average, but my discretion is very tight.” 24

“We only deal with Xuan Gate sorcery and do not participate in martial world disputes.” 659

Trivia

• His home, Asking Dao Pavilion, is arranged around the Five Elements: a jujube tree for wood, fish tank for water, Bagua mirror for metal, stone pedestal for earth, and Kitchen God shrine for fire. 21
• His courtyard enshrines “Mysterious Qi Manifesting Might Heavenly Lord Chen,” depicted as a Three-Eyed Taoist holding a sword. 21
• Although initially considered down on his luck due to his debts, Li Yan recognizes Wang as a genuine Xuan Gate expert from the faint spiritual traces in his courtyard. 20 21
• Wang’s most common livelihood before joining Li Yan was feng shui work, partly because geomancers can employ the practical technique of tasting soil. 24
• He gave Wu Ba the alias “Chou Niu,” comparing Wu Ba’s temperament to an honest but unstoppable angry ox. 496