Wang Shuo

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Wang Shuo (王朔)
Alias(es)	Erlang Zhenjun; Erlang Shen (after merging with Erlang Shen's soul) 489 568
Species/Race	Human; later became the vessel of an awakened ancient being identified as Erlang Shen 459 489
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Jingcheng First High School (formerly); North Martial High School; North Martial University; Mei Yuan; disciple of Duke Yanshan 97 114 307
Occupation/Role	Martial Artist; North Martial University prodigy; Duke Yanshan's eighth disciple 307 521
Status	Deceased — killed by Tantai Qin after failing to refine the White Emperor's Literary Position; Shen Qian subsequently destroyed his body 571
First Appearance	Chapter 17

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Beginner Martial Artist	13 years old 17 97	Broke through before completing junior high school, prompting recruitment attempts by North Martial, Hua Martial, and Shenwu.
Intermediate Martial Artist, Third Stage	Before the prior year's Youth Martial Arts Competition 17	Represented Jingcheng in the national competition and placed among the top hundred.
Intermediate Martial Artist; combat power comparable to Fifth Stage	86 88	His combat ability far exceeded Shen Qian's presumed peak-Beginner level, though injuries from a Silver-Dyed Beast limited his Origin Energy.
Advanced Martial Artist	218 218	Revealed his realm while confronting Shen Qian at North Martial University; an eighteen-year-old Advanced Martial Artist shocked the crowd.
Mountain Sea First Heaven	309 309	Condensed Dao patterns and followed Heaven's Dao; his martial body and Dao Projection gave him combat power above Mountain Sea Second Heaven.
Mountain Sea Eighth Heaven	459 459	Returned from death with his body in the Third Restriction and an Ancient Mountain Sea being suppressed within him.
Mountain Sea-to-Marquis-level combat power	492 492	After Erlang Shen's awakening, his strength fluctuated between the Mountain Sea and Marquis levels, though his vessel could not sustain Erlang Shen's former peak.

Background

Wang Shuo came from an ordinary Jingcheng family with modest means, but became the city's foremost martial arts prodigy at a young age. His breakthrough to Beginner Martial Artist at thirteen made national news and drew recruitment teams from the four major martial arts universities; Jingcheng First High School prevented his transfer. 17 97

He later represented Jingcheng in the National Youth Martial Arts Competition, reached the top hundred, and became a symbol of local pride. Jingcheng even declared a holiday for his achievement. 114

Wang Shuo ultimately left Jingcheng for North Capital, enrolling at North Martial High School and becoming Duke Yanshan's disciple. His departure was linked to Marquis Jingcheng's cold attitude toward him. 114 By the time of the Nine Heavens Cup, he was recognized as North Martial University's leading young prodigy and ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List. 218 307

Appearance

Wang Shuo initially carried himself with a composed, increasingly restrained sharpness. Following his resurrection, his appearance became distinctly abnormal. 218 459

• A scar-like mark appeared on his forehead after his return from death. 459
• Dragon's Roar Transformation covered him in golden scales, gave him golden vertical pupils and horns, and projected the image of a golden dragon behind him. 309
• After fully merging with Erlang Shen's soul, he possessed two faces: Wang Shuo's face in front and an unfamiliar face with a closed vertical eye on the back of his head. 568

Personality

Wang Shuo was outwardly aloof and treated his superiority as self-evident. When first confronting Shen Qian, he calmly assessed him as talented but categorically weaker. 88 His early confidence was backed by exceptional cultivation, but defeat by Shen Qian became a persistent humiliation that eroded his composure. 89 150

He was calculating and willing to use others to pursue victory. He arranged for Li Changxing to test Shen Qian under a false identity and intended to publicly trample the national Martial Champion in order to damage Shen Qian's Dao heart. 150 218 His former associate Luo Yi ultimately rejected him for these tactics. 218

After his resurrection, Wang Shuo's personality grew colder, more ferocious, and increasingly detached from his original self. Shen Qian concluded that Wang Shuo's original consciousness had likely been consumed as Erlang Shen's remnant soul awakened and later fully merged with him. 489 492 568

Abilities & Skills

Martial Talent and Combat Foundation

Wang Shuo possessed exceptional martial arts talent from childhood and maintained refined fundamentals even when facing Shen Qian.

• Broke through to Beginner Martial Artist at thirteen. 17 97
• His basic martial skills combined continuous, rhythmic offense with a highly polished style. 219
• Exchanged more than three hundred moves with Shen Qian in under two minutes while Shen Qian deliberately limited his own strength. 219
• Could exceed the expected explosive strength of an Advanced Martial Artist through his awakened apertures and other advantages. 219

Dragon's Roar Transformation

An ancient six-star martial skill that dramatically enhanced Wang Shuo's strength and transformed his body. 219 309

• Produces golden scales, horns, and vertical dragon-like pupils. 219 309
• Can project a golden dragon image and generate a violent Spiritual Energy storm. 219 309
• A six-star martial skill can provide a personal enhancement of up to 60%. 219
• Wang Shuo had cultivated the technique to perfection by his Nine Heavens Cup duel with Shen Qian. 309

Big Dipper Immortal Body

A powerful martial body revealed during Wang Shuo's Mountain Sea breakthrough. 309

• Granted a major immediate increase to his combat power. 309
• Unlike some weaker martial bodies, Wang Shuo could fully control it. 309
• Combined with his Dao Projection, it elevated him beyond ordinary Mountain Sea First Heaven combatants. 309

Heaven's Dao

Wang Shuo's Mountain Sea path was identified as Heaven's Dao, a combat-oriented Dao. 309

• He had already condensed a layer of Dao patterns upon reaching Mountain Sea First Heaven. 309
• His Dao Projection manifested as a stellar illusion. 309
• His martial body and Dao Projection together gave him combat power surpassing Mountain Sea Second Heaven. 309

Post-Resurrection Power

After his return, Wang Shuo's body was altered by an Ancient Mountain Sea being that he initially kept suppressed. 459

• Reached Mountain Sea Eighth Heaven and entered the Third Restriction in physical strength. 459
• His augmented body could repel Shen Qian in a direct clash. 459
• Shen Qian could not safely kill him during their encounter, since a mortal threat risked fully awakening the being within him. 459

Erlang Shen's Soul

The ancient presence within Wang Shuo was eventually identified as Erlang Shen, also called Erlang Zhenjun. 489 568

• The awakened remnant soul gave his aura a depth and unfamiliarity absent from the original Wang Shuo. 489
• Erlang Shen was regarded as one of the Heavenly Realm's foremost combatants and was likely a Marquis-level existence in life. 489 492
• By the Sea of Learning conflict, Wang Shuo had fully merged with Erlang Shen's soul. 568
• His remaining vessel prevented him from recovering Erlang Shen's full former strength. 492

Equipment

• Psionic Gun — A regulated weapon for which Wang Shuo held a permit. He used it to severely injure Chen Feng while seizing the Silver-Dyed Beast. 86
• Martial Practice Token — A gift from his teacher that Wang Shuo discovered missing after his defeat by Shen Qian. 89
• White Emperor's Nine-Star Literary Position — A token Wang Shuo attempted to refine in the Sea of Learning; Shen Qian took it using a Magatama left by the White Emperor. 570 571

Relationships

• Shen Qian — Rival and fixation. Wang Shuo first underestimated him, was defeated during the Silver-Dyed Beast incident, repeatedly plotted against him, and ultimately died after their conflict escalated across the Nine Heavens Cup and Sea of Learning. 88 89 150 309 571
• Duke Yanshan (Han Chi) — Master. Wang Shuo was Duke Yanshan's eighth disciple and a member of Mei Yuan. 114 521
• Nie Han — Fifth Senior Brother. He rescued Wang Shuo following his first defeat by Shen Qian and later intervened in the North Martial confrontation. 89 219
• Tantai Qin — Eldest Senior Sister. Wang Shuo initially regarded her with admiration; she later killed him without hesitation. 150 571
• Luo Yi — Former associate who rejected Wang Shuo's manipulation, returned the money for his pills, and severed ties with him. 150 218
• Sun Zuo — Co-conspirator in the Sea of Learning. Wang Shuo supported Sun Zuo's attempt to assassinate Shen Qian and arrived after the attempt failed. 568
• Witch Clan leader — Temporary collaborator in a plan against Shen Qian; Wang Shuo openly scorned the Witch Clan's inadequate forces. 557

Story Role / Major Arcs

Silver-Dyed Beast Incident

Wang Shuo entered the Forbidden Zone as an Intermediate Hunter and waited for a critical moment to shoot Chen Feng, removing the greatest threat to his capture of the Silver-Dyed Beast. His plan was disrupted by Shen Qian, who exploited Wang Shuo's injured shoulder, fought him at close range, and revealed that his gun was empty. 86 88

Nie Han extracted him from the confrontation. Wang Shuo refused immediate retaliation, asked Shen Qian's name, and vowed to remember the humiliation. 89

North Martial Schemes and Challenge

At North Martial University, Wang Shuo used Li Changxing as a disguised pawn to test and humiliate Shen Qian. He also had a senior brother suppress Dao Jiu, Shen Qian's Mountain Sea bodyguard. 150

When Luo Yi exposed Wang Shuo's role in the scheme, Wang Shuo lost his restraint, revealed his Advanced Martial Artist cultivation, and attacked Shen Qian. Their clash was interrupted after Wang Shuo invoked Dragon's Roar Transformation and Nie Han prevented Dao Jiu from intervening. 218 219

Nine Heavens Cup

After North Martial University's loss in the Nine Heavens Cup, Wang Shuo publicly challenged Shen Qian to restore his reputation. He revealed Mountain Sea cultivation, aerial control, the Big Dipper Immortal Body, Heaven's Dao, and perfected Dragon's Roar Transformation. 307 309

Shen Qian answered with his own Mountain Sea strength and defeated Wang Shuo with a single use of Shadow Blade. Wang Shuo's mental core remained behind, while Shi Dingyan stopped Ji You from retaliating against Shen Qian. 309

Resurrection and Possession

Wang Shuo later returned from death with a mark on his forehead and drastically increased power. Shen Qian discovered that an Ancient Mountain Sea being inhabited his body; despite Wang Shuo's Mountain Sea Eighth Heaven strength, Shen Qian defeated and abandoned him rather than risk awakening the entity completely. 459

The possessing being eventually awakened as Erlang Shen. Wang Shuo's original identity became progressively indistinguishable from the ancient remnant soul controlling his body. 489 492 568

Sea of Learning and Final Death

As Erlang Zhenjun, Wang Shuo allied with the Witch Clan, retrieved a Nine-Star Literary Position, and later arranged six Marquis-level allies as a final trap for Shen Qian. 557 568

Shen Qian annihilated the six Marquises with the Emperor's Demeanor. Wang Shuo then attempted to refine the White Emperor's Literary Position, but Shen Qian took it from him. Tantai Qin killed Wang Shuo, and Shen Qian destroyed his body. 570 571

Notable Quotes

“As long as I am here, North Martial University will not decline!” 307

“Shen Qian, what do you have now to compare with me!” 309