Duke

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Duke (杜克)
Alias(es)	Sage Duke; Prophet Duke; Chairman Duke; Duke the Erudite
Species/Race	Human; can assume an elf form by merging with Little Chicken 220
Gender	Male
Age	87 in Storm Calendar 4483; retains the appearance of an eighteen-year-old aside from a small mustache 378
Affiliation	Seven Towers Federation; Sage Duke's Mage Tower; Arcane Tower's Erudition Domain 269 286
Occupation/Role	Chief Sage, inventor, mage-tower master, leader in Spiritual Arcana research, later Federation President 286 378
Status	Alive; his true body refines divine spark fragments in the True Spirituality Sea 387

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Spirit Sea opened	12	Earned praise from Card Masters Dilanke and Sane.
Five-star Spiritual Apprentice	103	Closed his energy line into a ring and began attempting to solidify a Spirit Core toward the Arcane Scholar path.
1-Ring Arcane Mage	118	Demonstrated sufficient Spirit Energy control to repair the 3-Ring Spirit Card Arcane Recapture.
2-Ring Intermediate Arcane Mage	223	Advanced after forging the Arcane Artifact Hand.
3-Ring Senior Arcane Mage	264	Perfected the second ring of his Spirit Core and formed the third ring.
2-Ring Phantom Beast Knight	267	Publicly identified this as his current Blood Sea cultivation.
4-Ring Earth Arcane Mage	297	Cleared the Spiritual Arcana Mist without taking the Path of Spiritually Connected Ring; gained regenerative Spirit Energy.
3-Ring High-level Phantom Beast Knight	298	Advanced alongside Little Dou; gained the ability to armorize his fighting spirit.
3-Ring Great Elf Envoy	304	Developed his Qi Sea cultivation through the Great Elf path.
4-Ring Dragon Knight	315	Became the first Dragon Knight after Little Dou evolved into a 4-Ring Dragon Knight.
4-Ring Elf Qi Master	334	Reached the limit of the Way of Balance and demonstrated physical transformation through the Way of Nature.
5-Ring Elf Qi Master	336	Broke through after an epiphany concerning the soul and the Spirit of Nature.
5-Ring Ocean Arcane Mage	321 343	Advanced in record time and declined a public bell-ringing ceremony.
6-Ring Sky Arcane Mage	352	Gained the capacity to create a Sky Replication Ring.
7-Ring Morning Star Arcane Master	363	Underwent a life-level transformation, integrating Arcane Spectacles and Arcane Artifacts into his Star Core.
8-Ring Brilliant Moon Arcane Master	374	His Spirit Sea cultivation surpassed that of most Stars.
6-Ring Dragon Knight	374	Reached this level through continued Three Seas cultivation.
6-Ring Elf Qi Master	374	Reached this level through continued Three Seas cultivation.

Background / History

The film shown during Duke's Sage investiture traced his life from childhood at a welfare institute to his development of Strong Light Technology. Before becoming an Arcane Mage, he opened his Spirit Sea, repaired spirit cards, and tested his Desert Eagle by hunting a black-haired wild boar outside town. 12 231

After reaching 1-Ring, Duke entered the mage-tower system, studying Spiritual Arcana under Penrose and Assistant Director Vikas while also receiving alchemy instruction from Sukhtara. His rapid card-making progress led Penrose to offer personal guidance, while Sukhtara gradually selected him to succeed her Mage Tower and research projects. 178 184 222

Duke expanded his household and influence after establishing himself in Chen Jiao City. He recruited staff for Beverly Manor No. 17, sponsored the Broken Sword Mercenary Group through a “subordinate system,” and developed commercial ventures with Muralie’s assistance. 137 141

His inventions—including Film and Television Technology, the Imprint Ring, the Spiritually Connected Ring, Lightsaber technology, and the Beast Spirit Array—made him a major figure in the Seven Towers Federation. He later founded Sage Duke's Mage Tower in Emerald Sea City, accepted students, led large-scale research programs, and became a Chief Sage responsible for the interaction between the Study of Natural Sciences and other technical fields. 248 269 286

Duke cultivated the Spirit Sea, Blood Sea, and Qi Sea simultaneously. His work revived the Path of the Knight, established the Way of Nature, and ultimately carried him from Arcane Mage to Morning Star and Brilliant Moon Arcane Master. 315 334 363 374

Appearance

Duke is consistently described as youthful and handsome. Even at eighty-seven, he retains the appearance of an eighteen-year-old, distinguished only by a small mustache. 228 378

• His elf form is over two meters tall, with pointed ears, pale skin, emerald-green pupils, and flowing golden hair. 220
• His Arcane Artifact Armor can become clothing and shapeshift along with him, allowing it to cover his transformed forms. 334
• After becoming a Morning Star, he can manifest multiple artifact-arms from his body, giving him the appearance of an “Eight-Armed Heavenly King.” 363

Personality

Duke is restrained under provocation. He refused to react when Card Master Best belittled his opening of the Spirit Sea, and later decided not to become addicted to robbery and killing despite recognizing their profit. 12 99

He is intensely curious and work-oriented, treating Spiritual Arcana as a subject to be continuously tested, recorded, and understood. He prefers research to celebrity, deliberately maintaining a low profile when public attention became disruptive. 148 204 229

Although aware of his exceptional achievements, Duke credits others where appropriate. He openly acknowledged Xiao Yi as a major factor in his progress and refused to claim the Spiritually Connected Ring as an independent achievement. 256 283

Abilities & Skills

Spiritual Arcana

Duke is an exceptionally fast Arcane Mage whose Spirit Sea cultivation reached 8-Ring Brilliant Moon level.

• Built and linked numerous Arcane Spectacles, including Arcane Shield, Illusion, Energetic Armor, Brilliant Gem, and the Forbidden Technique Immortal Grasp. 185 286 311
• Can perceive Arcane Trajectories after becoming a Morning Star, allowing him to identify spiritual and combat phenomena at a higher level. 363
• Uses Mage Hand for manipulation, research, and spell-model practice. 157
• His Illusion Arcana can conceal him from most non-mages and stationary 1-Ring Arcane Mages, but movement reveals Spirituality fluctuations; 2-Ring Arcane Mages can sense him even when still. 205

Card Making and Alchemy

Duke is a Card Making Sage and a highly capable alchemist.

• Repaired a 3-Ring Spirit Card, Arcane Recapture, and retained it as a defensive card capable of imprisoning targets below 3-Ring. 118
• Created a 1-Ring Spirit Storage Card after a month of work. 184
• Designed the Imprint Ring, enabling rings to be replicated onto card materials, Array Disks, contracts, and Puppet Cores. 250
• Forged the Arcane Artifact Hand to compensate for his admitted weakness in fine manual control. 223

Path of the Knight

Duke cultivates the Blood Sea alongside Little Dou, his contracted spirit beast.

• Mastered the Imperial Dragon Cavalry Spear after a single moment of insight and defeated Vivian in repeated sparring charges. 195
• Created Duke's Flying Feathers, a highly complex martial skill that grants fighting-spirit wings and aerial maneuverability. 244 309
• Created Duke's Leap, a broadly accessible movement skill used for acceleration, dodging, and combat maneuvering. 287 298
• Developed the Beast Spirit Array and Beast Blood Pill, which can strengthen knights and help Phantom Beasts advance. 315
• Became the first Dragon Knight when Little Dou evolved to 4-Ring. 315

Qi Sea and the Way of Nature

Duke uses Qi Sea cultivation to merge with elves and access the Way of Nature.

• Merges with Little Chicken to assume an elf form with enhanced physical ability. 220
• Uses the Way of Nature for genuine animal shapeshifting, including transformation into a black bear. 331 334
• Pursues the Way of Balance and developed the Ring of Qi Cultivation as one of his world-changing Ring-level achievements. 334 342

Replication Rings and Clone Phantoms

Duke developed replication technology that allows him to act over great distances.

• The Spiritually Connected Ring enabled him to condense a clone through a Projection Ring. 280
• The Earth Replication Ring produces clone phantoms that last longer than ordinary Earth Arcane Mage clones. 311
• The Sky Replication Ring allows him to spend more time participating in affairs in the Arcane Holy City. 353
• His Duke's Star Imprint grants entry to the Starfall Dreamscape, where Tree Kings correspond to stars that can serve as return points. 259

Xiao Yi Integration

Xiao Yi is Duke's primary research partner and intelligent artifact.

• Xiao Yi is a Ninth-Ring Arcane Artifact with immense computational ability, though it requires Duke to provide understanding and sufficient data. 21
• It simulates mental guidance, analyzes spirit materials, projects spell models, and maintains research databases. 103 157 342
• Its Fighting Spirit Holographic Screen displays elemental attributes and related information in color. 157

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Desert Eagle — Duke's signature Arcane Artifact firearm; its elemental special-effect ammunition includes Explosive Flame and Freezing Bullets. 118 218
• Arcane Artifact Hand / Arcane Hand 2.0 — a precision artifact-hand used for alchemy, scanning, defense, and utility functions. 223 248
• Arcane Artifact Armor — thin, dull-gray armor that can become clothing and transform its shape. 301 334
• Arcane Shield — instant defensive Arcana constructed through a 1-Ring Arcane Spectacle. 185
• Forbidden Hand — a 6-Ring Arcane Artifact capable of casting forbidden techniques. 346
• Duke's Star Imprint — allows access to the Starfall Dreamscape and its linked Tree King stars. 259
• Dragon Rider's Sword — Duke's principal Dragon Knight weapon and a main sword of the Immortal Slaying Array. 352 362
• Moonlight Cage — a life-saving charm from Selsas that dispelled a fallen demon and its Star Cage. 259

Major Innovations

Innovation	Function / Impact	Chapter
Strong Light Technology	A foundational invention associated with Duke's rise from the welfare institute to Sage status.	231
Film and Television Technology	Used to present Duke's life story during his investiture ceremony and contributed to spiritual feedback.	231 247
Imprint Ring	Mass-produces replicated spirit-card rings and can be applied to several arcane media.	248 250
Spiritually Connected Ring	Makes Projection Ring clone technology available beyond its original limitation.	280
Lightsaber Technology	Uses spirit-card and puppet principles for magnetic confinement; helped revive the Path of the Knight.	304 309
Beast Spirit Array and Beast Blood Pill	Strengthen spirit beasts and assist Phantom Beast advancement, transforming knight cultivation.	315
Ring of Qi Cultivation	One of Duke's five Ring-level achievements that changed the world.	342

Relationships

• Xiao Yi — Duke's intelligent artifact and constant research partner; provides modeling, calculations, data analysis, and simulated mental guidance. 21 103 157
• Sukhtara — Duke's alchemy mentor and intended predecessor; transferred assets to him and prepared him to take over her Mage Tower. 222 223
• Penrose — Duke's card-making mentor; recognized his talent and advanced his instruction ahead of schedule. 178 184
• Assistant Director Vikas — Spiritual Arcana and card-making instructor; arranged for Vivian to become Duke's guard. 149 179
• Vivian — Duke's first Guard Knight and later Guard Knight Captain; serves as a trusted bodyguard and sparring partner. 179 184 195
• Little Dou — Duke's contracted Long-Haired Mongoose; evolved from a spirit beast into a Phantom Beast and ultimately the partner of the first Dragon Knight. 128 298 315
• Little Chicken — Duke's familiar and elf-form fusion partner. 118 220
• Muralie — Duke's assistant and business helper; assisted with his company plans and management affairs. 137 248
• Kiliya Raging Waves — Duke's romantic partner; their relationship secured Kristian Raging Waves' political support. 248 259
• Kristian Raging Waves — Kiliya's father and Duke's ally; supported Duke's acquisition of the Myriad Year Pine Tower and defended his warship through a clone. 240 259
• Dunn Dragonlance — Dean of the Knight's Retreat; promoted Duke's knightly martial skills and later received a Dragon Knight cultivation plan from him. 255 370
• Brock and Brofen — Duke's students at Sage Duke's Mage Tower. 256 269

Notable Quotes

“I have no interest in being the Lord of Light and Shadow. I only wish to be a prophet for the common people.”
— Duke 308

“I can only say that this era has shaped me, and I am also shaping the era. We are mutually causal, prospering together.”
— Duke 368