Li Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Yuan (李元)
Alias(es)	Zhen Yan Yuan; Dian Wei; Ximen Gucheng; the Son of Heaven (Ji You); Primal Emperor; Young Master Yu 166 180 202 213 313
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Tang dynasty; Li Family; formerly Great Elder of the Zhen Yan Clan 167 317
Occupation/Role	Hunter; martial artist; weapon-forging master; ruler and emperor 1 133 317
Status	Active; Second Rank at Great Perfection 325 330
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Not Ranked	2	Awakens the Eternal Life divine ability and a panel that converts accumulated points into skill progress.
Ninth Rank — Flesh Refinement	19	Completes the Willow Return Technique and reaches Ninth Rank; develops Expert Archery and Grandmaster Tracking.
Eighth Rank — Skin Tempering	58	Perfects the Eighth-Rank Soul Exhalation Art, forming a Shadow Blood “Blood Shirt” beneath his skin.
Seventh Rank — Bone Refinement	79	Completes the Seventh-Rank Soul Exhalation Art and raises Leaping Abyss, the third Spring and Autumn Saber style, to Grandmaster level.
Sixth Rank	133	Is recognized as a sixth-grade cultivator while rapidly advancing through the Cui Family’s weapon-forging arts.
Fifth Rank — Source Blood	178	Possesses an upgradable Ancestor Talisman containing twenty-five talisman seeds; his fire power places him between ordinary Fifth and Fourth Rank.
Fourth Rank	253	Consolidates his talisman seeds, advances to Fourth Rank, and leaves the Jade Planting Art and Great Moon Blade as Asking Sword Palace’s inheritance.
Third Rank, Second Realm	224	Reaches the third-rank second realm amid the conflict over the Son of Heaven and the Ghost Domain.
Second Rank — Great Perfection	325 330	Perfects the World Extinguishing Finger and gains increasingly effortless control over spatial power.

Background

Li Yuan began as a hunter in Silver Stream Village. An old friend entrusted Yan Yu to him, and she remained in his household for two years, tending their home while he hunted. 1

After awakening the Eternal Life divine ability, Li Yuan discovered that accumulated points could elevate his skills without exhausting his body. He immediately used this advantage to improve his archery and tracking, beginning a long pattern of concealing his true strength while steadily building decisive advantages. 2 5

He entered the martial world as a Ranked Martial Warrior and Blood Saber Sect outer-perimeter disciple. Rather than specialize solely in the sect’s saber path, he developed archery, tracking, beast taming, spearmanship, body tempering, and the Spring and Autumn Saber’s three linked styles. 40 53 94 101

After reaching Sixth Rank, Li Yuan became a weapon-forging master in Divine Wood Hall territory. His ability to rapidly master forging arts earned the Cui Family’s recognition, and he married Cui Huayin, Master Zhu’s daughter. 133 135

He later entered the Western Extremity under the identity of Zhen Yan Yuan, gained Zhen Yanxue’s trust, and became Great Elder of the Zhen Yan Clan. The region’s extreme cold suppressed his Shadow Blood and caused his realm to decline, forcing him to rely on planning and adaptation rather than raw power. 165 167 168

Li Yuan repeatedly operated through constructed identities, including the wandering cultivator Dian Wei, the Son of Heaven Ji You, and Ximen Gucheng. He used these roles to influence conflicts among the Lotus Cult, dragon veins, regional powers, and the imperial court without exposing his original identity. 180 202 213

After helping shape the Human Emperor system and uniting central powers, he accepted the Li Family’s invitation to ascend the throne. He established the state of Tang in Cloud Capital and became its emperor. 317

Appearance

Li Yuan’s appearance changes with his identities and Human Transformation, allowing him to pass as figures ranging from an ordinary wanderer to the Son of Heaven. During extended cultivation, he is described as exceptionally strong and fair-skinned, with long hair falling to the backs of his knees. 177 180

• White hair is visible at his temples during his time in Divine Wood Hall. 152
• As Dian Wei, he presents himself as a bald, simple-minded independent cultivator. 180
• His transformed bodies are convincing enough that allies cannot easily recognize his original identity. 180 202

Personality

Li Yuan is fundamentally cautious. He prefers to accumulate time, resources, hidden cards, and escape routes rather than confront danger directly before he understands it. When unavoidable conflicts arise, he favors deception, intermediaries, and prepared identities over open exposure. 2 164 180

Despite this pragmatism, he is strongly attached to the people he considers family. He protects Yan Yu, Xue Ning, his children, and his wider household, and he regards even ordinary domestic disputes as an anchor that keeps him connected to the human world. 164 218 249

His increasing strength sometimes distances him emotionally from others. He recognizes this change in himself and deliberately seeks ordinary experiences, travel, companionship, and acts of chivalry to prevent his heart from becoming completely cold. 197 233 236 253

Li Yuan’s chivalric ideal is not indiscriminate violence or personal fame. He defines it as acting for the country, its people, and the revival of their race. 234 253

Abilities & Skills

Eternal Life and Point Allocation

Li Yuan possesses the divine ability Eternal Life and a personal panel that records his realm, skills, equipment, and accumulated points. 2 178

• Can spend points to raise skills through multiple proficiency tiers at once. 2 53
• Gains the accumulated memories, muscle memory, and insights associated with the training he skips. 5 53
• Does not suffer the normal blood-and-qi expenditure from allocating points. 2
• Has accumulated point reserves in the hundreds of thousands and later over one million. 255 330

Blade Mastery

Li Yuan’s primary combat specialty is the blade. His early Spring and Autumn Saber styles developed into the Tyrant Saber, Demon Saber, Absolute Saber, Still Sea Blade, and Great Moon Blade. 53 111 178 238

• Tyrant Saber — powerful and imposing, but comparatively slow; fills its user with heroic spirit. 162
• Demon Saber — extremely swift, but less forceful; carries sinister and demonic intent. 162
• Absolute Saber — can cut through nearly anything, but is difficult to sustain. 162
• Still Sea Blade — refracts light, raises mist, and produces instantly destructive vibrations; it serves as one of his full-strength basic attacks. 178
• Great Moon Blade — a Fourth-Rank blade-drawing art whose slash resembles a brilliant full moon and incorporates Great Circulation power. 238
• By the time he explains his martial understanding to Xie Yu, he no longer depends on a physical blade: his fingers, arms, and body can replicate the functions of numerous weapons. 313

Source Blood, Dried Fire, and Immortal Form

At Fifth Rank, Li Yuan cultivates Source Blood and combines it with Dried Fire, Shadow Blood, talisman seeds, and Golden Body techniques. 160 178 225

• Can use heavenly lightning to temporarily raise his force from Fifth-Rank perfection to initial Fourth-Rank power. 160
• Can release a lightning arc along a blade that ignores defenses, though it requires recovery time after use. 160
• Golden Body prevents attacks below an overall force of 900 from harming him. 114
• His Immortal Form is built around his divine soul entering thousands of talisman seeds while Dried Fire remains outside them. 225

Six Paths — Human Realm Transformation

Li Yuan possesses the incomplete divine ability Six Paths — Human Realm Transformation. 178

• Uses alternate identities to move through hostile territories and political factions. 180 202 213
• Can imitate physical appearances closely enough to maintain the Son of Heaven’s identity. 202
• His transformations support his preference for acting through layers of misdirection rather than revealing his true self. 180 245

Concealment and Illusion Body Art

Li Yuan’s tracking foundation eventually develops into advanced stealth and movement techniques. 19 190 331

• Perfected Illusion Body Art lets sound and light pass through his body, making him effectively invisible to ordinary perception. 191
• Can guide rain around himself and conceal his body even amid a torrential downpour. 193
• At later stages, can hide within heaven and earth, erasing his aura so completely that investigative spells cannot detect him. 331
• Only beings at the Heavenly Intent level can perceive him when he fully conceals himself. 331

Beast Taming and Surveillance

Li Yuan mastered Great Bird Taming Art and later developed higher-ranked beast-taming methods. 94 331

• Can use beasts and Illusion Sparrows as remote eyes and ears. 245
• At Third Rank, can form a Soul Connection with beasts below Third Rank. 331
• Has used controlled creatures to gather intelligence and monitor distant developments. 193 245

Weapon Forging

Li Yuan is an accomplished weapon-forging master whose forging skill develops alongside his martial cultivation. 133 149

• Can forge spirit artifacts, array artifacts, and later Third-Rank Array Flags. 135 331
• Uses Source Blood and environmental conditions to shape a spirit weapon’s compatibility and traits. 160 231
• Has poured centuries of his lifespan into spirit weapons to strengthen them. 154 160
• Forged the Red Sleeve Saber from his own materials and Source Blood. 231

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Red Sleeve Saber / Xiao Hong — a black spirit saber with exceptional mobility; it can sweep through an area over ten li wide and later withers targets as though their lifespans have been cut away. 231 282
• Ghost Bow — stored in his Equipment Bar as a reliable ranged weapon. 135
• Twin perfect short blades — Sixth-Rank artifacts forged by Li Yuan for personal use; one is kept in his sleeve and one at his waist. 135
• Ancestor Talisman — an upgradable talisman containing twenty-five talisman seeds at the time of his Fifth-Rank panel update. 178
• Nine Temporary Patrol Tokens — tokens used to rapidly appear in distant locations, including Shanbao County. 222
• Void Ark — a unique vessel noted as an advantage beyond ordinary Second-Rank Heavenly Intent cultivators. 325

Relationships

• Yan Yu — Li Yuan’s earliest companion and wife; she was entrusted to him by Yan Mu and later became the formidable Lord Yan Niangniang. 1 53 205
• Xue Ning — wife; Li Yuan seeks the Immortal Graveyard partly to preserve her life as her health deteriorates. 135 164
• Cui Huayin — wife and Master Zhu’s daughter; a talented weapon user and Li Yuan’s Dao companion. 135 148
• Jing Shuixiang — wife; fears losing Li Yuan after his dangerous expeditions. 148
• Zhen Yanxue — wife and former Ice Clan contact; she becomes Queen Mother of the Western Extremity and mother of Zhen Yan Huang. 165 168 216
• Xie Yu — wife, also called Little Yu’er; practices swordsmanship with Li Yuan and later learns the truth of his reincarnation. 197 238 313
• Xie Wei — Xie Yu’s elder sister; she shared a concealed relationship with Li Yuan while he acted as the Son of Heaven, but they later tacitly ended it. 213 249
• Feather Madam — wife; cultivates alongside Li Yuan within the Tang Sect. 315
• Li Youning — Li Yuan’s wife and the Empress of Tang after his ascension. 317
• Li Pingan — son; later breaks through to the second realm of the Human Soul. 152 286
• Zhen Yan Huang — son of Li Yuan and Zhen Yanxue; later becomes the Barbarian King. 177 216
• Tang Nian — adoptive daughter, whom Li Yuan arranges to study under Liu Xiaoyu. 111
• Yan Mu — old friend who entrusted Yan Yu to Li Yuan; Li Yuan continues to regard him as family despite later suspicions about his background. 1 112 113
• Tie Sha — old acquaintance from the Blood Saber Sect; Li Yuan later befriends him again while using the Dian Wei identity. 79 180

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Hunter of Silver Stream Village — Awakens Eternal Life, develops archery and tracking, and begins concealing his growing power. 1 2 19
• Blood Saber Sect period — Establishes himself as a Ranked Martial Warrior while secretly developing a broader arsenal than the sect expects. 40 53
• Divine Wood Hall and Cui Family — Becomes a renowned weapon-forging master, gains Cui Huayin as a wife, and forges personal spirit artifacts. 133 135
• Western Extremity and Ice Clan — Takes the name Zhen Yan Yuan, becomes Great Elder, investigates the Immortal Graveyard, and confronts the limitations of his Shadow Blood. 166 167 168
• Hidden identities and imperial conflict — Operates as Dian Wei, the Son of Heaven, and Ximen Gucheng while maneuvering among the Lotus Cult, dragon veins, and the Xie Clan. 180 202 213
• Chivalrous reconstruction — Promotes Warm Snow, the Jade Planting Art, and Asking Sword Palace’s inheritance to create a lasting path of martial chivalry benefiting common people. 234 236 253
• Founding Tang — Accepts the Li Family’s authority, ascends the throne, establishes Tang, and binds the Tang Sect and Li Family together. 317
• Later cultivation — Reaches Second-Rank Great Perfection, explores the heavens by sky vessel, and continues strengthening his lesser-developed disciplines. 325 330 331

Notable Quotes

“Everything I have is within my blade.” 238

“The mountains and rivers know me; I must have an obsession. Only then can I use the breathing method to draw power.” 313

“First, your power is important. Second, I am too lonely.” 319