Old Yang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Old Yang (老羊)
Alias(es)	Black Goat; Black Dragon; True Dragon
Species/Race	Former human; later a goat demon with Black Goat, Black Dragon, and curse-bearing ferocious-beast forms 106 263 404
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Jinlan Mountain; formerly associated with Langya Academy 264 423
Occupation/Role	Researcher, formation master, cultivation mentor, and protector of Jinlan Mountain
Status	Alive 509
First Appearance	2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Transformed goat	13	His life form had been completely changed by the Art of Beast Creation. He chose this path to escape danger, regarding his former self as someone who could only start over through death.
Complete goat demon	106	Endured a transformation lightning tribulation, shed the sheepskin treasure that had enabled his earlier transformation, and became a genuine goat demon whose past could no longer be discerned through his beast-making origins.
Black Dragon form	120 124	Derived a new beast-making cultivation method from dragon hide, then began recording dragon inheritances, secret techniques, and supernatural abilities into his scales.
Seventh-tier Black Dragon	159	Publicly revealed his thousand-foot Black Dragon form and used his knowledge to disrupt a ninth-tier opponent's technique, forcing a backlash.
Curse-bearing third form	263	Completed a further heavenly-tribulation evolution into a chained, human-faced ferocious beast; he could also assume a black-robed human guise.
Ninth tier in all three forms	404	After confirming his path, the Black Goat, Black Dragon, and third form all broke through to the ninth tier simultaneously.
Qualitative advancement of third form	503	Learned that his previous limit came from an incomplete curse rather than the form itself. By consuming the auspicious beast's curse, he achieved a further qualitative change.

Background / History

Old Yang was once a Langya Academy cultivator with extensive scholarly training and at least two protectors during his early years. One protector died covering his and Chu Ye's retreat, but Old Yang no longer remembers the person or the surrounding events; the missing memories are linked to the Silence Curse. 264 346 351

While fleeing an unspecified danger, he allowed the Art of Beast Creation to turn him into a goat. He concealed his identity because revealing it would bring danger, avoided leaving Jinlan Mountain when outsiders investigated, and eventually accepted that only “Old Yang” remained. 11 13

At Jinlan Mountain, he became Yu Ziqing's principal source of cultivation knowledge. He taught Yu Ziqing geography, customs, scripts, runes, formations, Dharma treasures, spiritual medicine, and the principles of Dao cultivation, while urging him to establish an unflawed foundation. 13 22

Appearance

Old Yang can shift between several distinct forms. His human guise is notably calm and scholarly even when his other forms radiate demonic energy, dragon pressure, killing intent, or curse power. 263 404

• Black Goat — Black fur, horns, and hooves; its eyes can alternate between goat-like rectangular pupils and human eyes. 106
• Black Dragon — A massive black dragon bearing an oppressive, transcendent presence distinct from ordinary dragons. 159 404
• Third form — A human-faced, beast-bodied ferocious beast wrapped in black chains that can retract into tiger-stripe-like markings. 263
• Human guise — Often appears in black robes; outwardly peaceful, with only his eyes revealing shifts among goat, dragon, and human traits. 263 404

Personality

Old Yang is blunt, impatient with ignorance, and intensely protective of the people he considers part of Jinlan Mountain. He initially treated unfamiliar people and unresolved matters as potential threats, refusing even to return to Langya Academy while his circumstances remained dangerous. 222 537

He is also a relentless researcher. Rare texts, unusual cultivation systems, lost techniques, cursed entities, and nonhuman bloodlines readily capture his attention; he regards the ability to turn an innate supernatural ability into a reproducible secret technique as a research problem rather than an impossibility. 177 437 475

Despite his harsh manner, he consistently supports Yu Ziqing's decisions, provides practical safeguards, and is willing to risk his life or abandon personal concerns to protect Yu Ziqing and Jinlan Mountain. 22 120 356

Abilities & Skills

Erudition and Deduction

Old Yang possesses broad knowledge of cultivation systems, regional customs, artifacts, scripts, medicine, formations, and bloodlines.

• Identifies origins, cultivation methods, and likely affiliations from appearance, aura, speech, equipment, and traces of techniques. 134 215
• Recognizes flaws in disguised texts and hidden communications, including a supposed Yin God cultivation scroll that was likely a Seventh Floor contact roster. 67
• Can assess unfamiliar artifacts and techniques, though he openly admits when an object—such as the sixty-four-faced sapphire—falls outside his knowledge. 222
• Teaches practical disciplines rather than only combat cultivation, including alchemy, artifact refinement, plants, spiritual medicine, and metals. 22 134

Formations, Runes, and Artifact Research

Old Yang is an accomplished formation and rune specialist whose research frequently produces new techniques or tools.

• Constructed protective formations around Jinlan Mountain and inspected the White Jade Flying Boat for hidden problems. 89
• Secretly layered a complete formation over an existing one during a confrontation in the mausoleum. 118
• Researched the Langya Avatar Technique and helped develop the second-generation compass used to expose its nature. 177
• Developed a grand refining formation with himself as its central formation eye; the formation can consume hostile entities and integrate new powers. 456

Beast-Making Transformation

His cultivation path began with the Art of Beast Creation but evolved into a unique system independent of ordinary humans, dragons, or ancient demons.

• Initially transformed from human to goat to evade pursuit. 13
• Used transformation lightning tribulation to sever the remaining foundation of the original beast-making alteration and become a true goat demon. 106
• Created a Black Dragon form through dragon hide, dragon inheritance, and a cultivation method derived from beast-making. 120 124
• Maintains three forms that can cultivate separately: Black Goat, Black Dragon, and the formless curse-bearing third form. 404 503

Dragon Techniques

Old Yang's Black Dragon form grants him access to dragon inheritances and specialized combat applications.

• Stores dragon inheritances, secret techniques, and supernatural abilities directly in his scales. 124
• Can sense phenomena connected to his other form and travel concealed in clouds, mist, or dust-sized form. 147 236 425
• Can interfere with an opponent's secret technique, force it beyond the user's control, and trigger backlash even when unable to seize it outright. 159

Curse-Bearing Third Form

Old Yang's third form has no fixed true shape and converts curse power into a persistent source of strength.

• Appears as an unnamable mass when actively absorbing curses. 502
• Carries a curse powerful enough to affect the Four Truths; its power automatically replenishes after being consumed. 503
• Uses black chains and curse aura as defining manifestations of the form. 263 502
• Originally believed this form was limited to the ninth tier, until completing part of the curse through the auspicious beast. 503

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Lie-detecting ring — Detects lies spoken through techniques below the Seventh Floor’s True Word Treasure Art. 68
• Sheepskin treasure — The treasure connected to his original goat transformation; it blackened and peeled away during his transformation lightning tribulation. 106
• Dragon hide — Inscribed with runes and dragon patterns, then used to derive his Black Dragon cultivation method. 120
• Immeasurable — A divine artifact refined from Old Yang's grand formation after it digested Jiunian's shattered status; it can contain and influence races. 457

Relationships

• Yu Ziqing — Mentor, research partner, and protector. Old Yang educates Yu Ziqing, advises him on cultivation, and repeatedly acts to secure Jinlan Mountain's safety. 22 68 356
• Jinlan Mountain and its villagers — His chosen home and foremost allegiance. He regards himself as Jinlan Mountain’s member before any connection to Langya Academy. 264
• Chu Ye — Longstanding associate from his Langya Academy years; Chu Ye knows details of Old Yang's lost protectors and is trusted in research matters. 268 351
• Langya Academy — His former place of study and research. He retains ties to friends and its scholarly tradition but harbors resentment toward certain people there. 264
• Academy Heads — Research collaborators on the Great Island; Old Yang credits exchanges of ideas and sparring with them as vital to his ninth-tier breakthrough. 268 404
• King Jiunian — A major enemy. Old Yang considered Jiunian a threat to his path and an enemy of the ancient demon lineages whose power aided his third-form evolution. 404 456
• Ji Shen — A cooperative contact who offered Jixia Academy texts and assistance locating Jiunian; Old Yang repaid him with information and warnings concerning hungry ghosts. 423

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Jinlan Mountain concealment — Remains hidden while An Yue investigates the village, then helps Yu Ziqing protect Old Yang from villagers attempting to sell him. 11 12
• Teacher of Yu Ziqing — Explains Dao Practitioners and cultivation choices, while equipping Yu Ziqing with knowledge, methods, and safeguards. 13 22 59
• Severing the past — Uses a transformation tribulation to shed the sheepskin treasure and become a genuine goat demon beyond recognition by his former pursuers. 106
• Creation of the Black Dragon path — Risks dragon transformation to obtain a powerful protector for Yu Ziqing and Jinlan Mountain. 120 124
• Great Island research — Leads collaborative research into a unique Cave Heaven, recruits specialists, and develops large-scale projects with Academy Heads. 268 280
• Jiunian campaign — Tracks King Jiunian, builds the formation capable of refining him, and helps shatter and digest the former god's status. 404 456 457
• Extreme Cold Forbidden Zone — Investigates and attempts to refine fragments of status whose mishandling could worsen the Great Cold Wave. 464 465
• Bright moon expedition — Helps address the blood moon crisis, leaves records for future cultivators, and preserves his knowledge beyond his immediate lifetime. 503 509