Empress

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Empress (女帝)
Alias(es)	Empress Tianyuan; Martial Emperor 32 47
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Great Gan Imperial Court; later collaborator of the Blood Sect 57 66
Occupation/Role	Son of Heaven and sovereign of Great Gan
Status	Deceased — slain by Ren Xiaoyao 69
First Appearance	Chapter 10

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Transcendent Realm	66	Reached the realm through Blood Sect methods that treated living beings as cultivation resources. 66

Background / History

Originally Great Gan's Empress Consort, the Empress seized the realm and ascended as its Son of Heaven. Her rule was marked by distrust of the Li Imperial Clan: she repeatedly purged its members, while only border vassal kings with military power remained beyond her reach. She also killed three of her four sons and confined the last, leaving Princess Taiping as her most trusted child. 11 14

She had once been sworn sisters with Luo Mengshen, who later told her that Ren Xiaoyao had inherited destiny and was the Chosen of Destiny. The Empress claimed Luo Mengshen had asked her to secretly watch over and cultivate him. 68 She later stated that preventing Ren Xiaoyao from practicing martial arts had been her way of protecting him, though she stripped him of his marquis title and initially treated him as the party responsible for releasing Liu Ruyan. 17 18

The Devil Master nearly assassinated her after infiltrating the palace in disguise. Phoenix, commander of the Shadow Guard, blocked the decisive sword strike and saved her life. In response, the Empress purged the capital and reorganized the Shadow Guard, implicating major families and powers in widespread bloodshed. 10 11

After Li Chunfeng was believed to have reached the Heavenly Human Realm, she personally visited the Imperial Observatory to recruit him as a First-Rank Imperial Preceptor and summoned Ren Xiaoyao to serve at her side. Both refused. She subsequently spread claims that the Imperial Observatory possessed the Great Evolution Tome, drawing the martial world's attention toward it. 17 18 19

As pressure mounted from Qianqiu Pavilion, Li Chunfeng, and rival factions, the Empress pursued forbidden methods to build a force beyond ordinary control. She ordered Phoenix to capture Super-Rank martial artists so the Shadow Guard could cultivate True Man Realm and Heavenly Human Realm experts, while arranging the disappearance of martial artists and the refinement of Blood Pills. 32 35 38

She threatened Princess Taiping for attempting to contend for the throne, warning that she could pass on the position but would not tolerate her daughter competing for it. Despite this, Princess Taiping continued cultivating the Great Absorption Technique and later participated in the Empress's Youzhou scheme before her death. 32 53 57

Ren Xiaoyao repeatedly disrupted her plans. After he saved Ying Huai and spared Phoenix, he sent the Empress a warning that she would die if Ying Huai did. The Empress became increasingly fearful of the masked cultivator's power, recognizing that he could kill her at will. 38 48 57

Following the deaths of Blood Demon and Princess Taiping, the Empress entered an alliance with Blood Demon's master and the Blood Sect. She provided living beings for their Blood Pill methods, ultimately reaching the Transcendent Realm and preparing to execute Ying Huai and Li Chunfeng. 57 66

Her fortune eventually dissipated, removing the Heavenly Dao's penalty that had prevented Ren Xiaoyao from killing her. During the final confrontation in the Imperial Palace, she relied on the Blood Ancestor's protection but was left terrified after Ren Xiaoyao destroyed the Blood Sect. Ren Xiaoyao then killed both the Empress and Phoenix, ending her rule. 65 68 69

Appearance

The Empress maintained the bearing of an absolute ruler. Though over fifty years old, she appeared to be in her early thirties and carried an oppressive majesty that even Li Chunfeng found difficult to face directly. 17

• Wore dragon robes in black or gold, paired with an imperial crown. 17 32 66
• Carried a longsword at her waist during her visit to the Imperial Observatory. 17
• Had a graceful figure and peerless beauty, with cold, deep eyes that discouraged direct eye contact. 131

Personality

The Empress was intensely paranoid and possessive of power. She viewed potential rivals—including the surviving imperial clan, Princess Taiping, Ying Huai, and rising martial artists—as threats to be eliminated or controlled. Her concern for imperial prestige was so extreme that Li Chunfeng and Ren Xiaoyao's refusal of her invitation became a personal humiliation. 14 18 32 36

Her ambition was coupled with ruthless utilitarianism. She authorized the Shadow Guard to act with unrestricted authority, treated martial artists as resources for Blood Pill refinement, and openly accepted the deaths of more than ten million people as a price for her ambitions. 35 38 66

Despite her authority, she became acutely fearful once confronted by Ren Xiaoyao's strength. She recognized that the Ghost Face Mask wearer regarded her as insignificant and could kill her effortlessly, yet she continued seeking power through the Blood Sect rather than abandoning her schemes. 48 57

Abilities & Skills

Transcendent Realm Martial Cultivation

The Empress attained the Transcendent Realm through the Blood Sect's cultivation methods. 66

• Her breakthrough was fueled by methods that used living beings as pills. 66
• Even at the Transcendent Realm, she feared Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert Ke Zhen'e. 67
• Her power remained insignificant before Ren Xiaoyao, who later defeated the Blood Ancestor and destroyed the palace. 68

Blood Gu and Blood Pill Methods

The Empress directed the use of demonic cultivation methods to create elite martial artists and strengthen herself. 32 38

• Ordered the capture of Super-Rank martial artists to support Shadow Guard cultivation. 32
• Concealed the capture of martial arts masters by exploiting the chaos of war with the Demonic Sect and Dragon Capturing Organization. 38
• Offered more than ten million lives to the Blood Sect's cause. 66
• Depended on Blood Demon to cultivate Blood Gu and condense Blood Pills; his death seriously damaged her plans. 57

Imperial Authority and the Shadow Guard

As Great Gan's sovereign, she commanded the Shadow Guard directly and used it as the foundation of her purges and covert operations. 11 35

• Phoenix served as Shadow Guard Commander and repeatedly carried out her orders. 11 35 66
• Reorganized the Shadow Guard after the Devil Master's assassination attempt. 11
• Granted Phoenix authority over matters of life and death to accelerate the creation of Heavenly Human Realm martial artists. 35

Relationships

• Ren Xiaoyao — Formerly claimed to have protected him on Luo Mengshen's behalf and attempted to recruit him; later became his enemy and was killed by him. 18 68 69
• Luo Mengshen — Sworn sister and former ally; Luo Mengshen entrusted the Empress with knowledge of Ren Xiaoyao's destiny. 68
• Phoenix — Shadow Guard Commander and loyal enforcer who saved the Empress from assassination; later died alongside her at Ren Xiaoyao's hands. 11 69
• Princess Taiping — Her only daughter and political confidante; the Empress threatened her life when she sought the throne. 14 32
• Ying Huai — High-ranking official who opposed her blood-refinement schemes; she repeatedly tried to have him killed. 32 36 38
• Blood Demon — Essential collaborator in producing Blood Gu and Blood Pills; his death was a greater loss to her plans than Princess Taiping's. 53 57
• Blood Ancestor — Blood Sect leader who protected her while seeking Ren Xiaoyao's destiny; their alliance was based on mutual exploitation rather than trust. 57 67 68
• Li Chunfeng — Heavenly Human Realm martial artist she tried to recruit as Imperial Preceptor; his refusal deepened her hostility toward the Imperial Observatory. 17 18

Notable Quotes

“Better that I betray the world than let the world betray me!” 35

“All living beings are like ants. Only I am the Son of Heaven.” 66