Zhenyuanzi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Zhenyuanzi is an Innate Divine Being born from the Essence of Innate Wutu. Residing at Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain, near the boundary between East and West, he possesses an exceptionally close connection to the Primordial Wilderness's terrestrial networks and Earth Veins. His Daoist ground is centered on the Ginseng Fruit Tree, an Innate Spiritual Root closely linked to the vitality of the land. 7 8

He is regarded as an upright, reliable cultivator whose understanding of the Earth Dao is unmatched. Although he recognizes the Western Earth's devastation and feels compassion for its inhabitants, he initially does not intervene alone because repairing the Earth Veins concerns the West's fate and karma. 7 9

Alongside Nuwa, he is known throughout the Primordial Wilderness as a True Immortal of Fortune and Virtue. His reputation rests on tending the Earth Veins without seeking fame, fortune, or supremacy over other cultivators. 69

Appearance

Zhenyuanzi has an elegant, transcendent bearing befitting the master of Wuzhuang Temple. 7

• Wears a purple-gold crown and crane-feather robe, with cloth shoes and a silk sash. 7
• Has a jade-like face, star-like eyes, and three flowing strands of beard. 7
• Maintains a calm, gentle expression and steady manner. 8 10
• Following the Western Earth-Vein restoration, his denser Wutu Essence Qi gives him the presence of a steady sacred mountain, accompanied by the gentle radiance of accumulated merit. 20

Personality

Zhenyuanzi is gentle, measured, and deeply responsible. He approaches the Earth Dao not as a means of exerting force, but as a duty of harmony and guardianship toward the land itself. When asked to help restore the West, he accepts because he considers tending the world's terrestrial veins his obligation as the Earth Scroll's keeper. 9

He is hospitable without ostentation, receiving visitors with tea and Ginseng Fruits at Wuzhuang Temple. His independence is equally firm: despite the Demon Clan offering him status equal to Kunpeng and a share of its fortune, he chooses to remain free from factional conflict alongside Hongyun. 8 125

He does not judge others solely by their origins or reputation. When Xuande introduces Wuzhen, the Six-eared Macaque rebuked by Hongjun, Zhenyuanzi accepts the junior's greeting warmly and shows no disdain. He likewise remains composed when the final Primordial Violet Qi passes him by, displaying neither disappointment nor agitation. 48 54

His normally gentle manner becomes forceful when Hongyun's safety is at stake. Faced with the Demon Clan's growing interest in Hongyun's Primordial Violet Qi, he bluntly explains the danger, insists that his friend remain within Wuzhuang Temple, and promises to defend him. His caution does not diminish his concern for others: during the Witch–Demon war, he recognizes that intervening would exceed his strength but still hopes the fighting will end before inflicting greater suffering on living beings. 199 231

Abilities & Skills

Earth Dao

Zhenyuanzi possesses profound command of the Earth Dao, specializing in the flow, balance, and restoration of Earth Veins.

• Perceives fractures, blockages, distortions, and pain within the land through the Earth Scroll. 10
• Treats damaged Earth Veins with precision rather than brute force, likening his work to a physician taking a pulse. 10
• Uses gentle simulated Earth Qi to loosen blockages and redirect spiritual currents without further damaging fragile veins. 13
• Instructs Jieyin and Zhunti in Earth-Vein restoration, emphasizing precise perception, patient technique, and caution. 13
• Creates Earth Vein Light Shadow Maps to display damaged channels, convergence points, and restoration priorities to his collaborators. 11 18
• Coordinates the reconstruction of severely damaged Earth-Vein hubs by guiding his companions' combined magical power through the Earth Scroll. 19
• Teaches that the Earth Dao encompasses the Bearing Dao, Inclusiveness Dao, and Stability Dao. His explanations connect the earth's support of life with clouds, wind, and water. 132 138

Earth Scroll

The Earth Scroll is Zhenyuanzi's primary treasure and the foundation of his Earth Dao practice. Also called the Heaven and Earth Mirror, it was formed from the Earth Fetal Membrane and has accompanied him since his Form Transformation. 7 10 62 199

• Connects his consciousness to the Primordial Wilderness's terrestrial essence and reveals the movement of Earth Qi and Spiritual Veins. 10
• Allows him to conduct large-scale surveys, including the more than ten-thousand-year investigation of the Western Earth Veins. 10
• Probes damaged regions once demonic interference has been removed and determines safe restoration priorities. 18
• Determines optimal sites for spiritual-root transplantation and guides the placement of the Three Immortal Islands around Mount Sumeru. 84 88 106
• Serves as the vessel for his Good Corpse, making its life-bound connection to him central to his Quasi-Saint breakthrough. 62
• Draws defensive support from Wuzhuang Temple's connection to the Primordial Wilderness's Earth Veins. Zhenyuanzi states that, while the land remains intact, the temple cannot fall under this protection. 199
• According to Zhenyuanzi, forcibly breaching its defenses would split the land and shake the Primordial Wilderness, creating karma that even a Sage could not bear. He identifies the Earth's carrying capacity and the Earth Fetal Membrane's rebounding force as safeguards against the Demon Clan's star formation and Taiyi's Chaos Bell. These claims are presented as his explanation of the temple's defenses rather than the outcome of a demonstrated battle. 199

Corpse Severance

Zhenyuanzi follows the Three Corpses cultivation method and severs his Good Corpse using the Earth Scroll. The benevolent nature he separates consists of his long-standing protection of the Primordial Wilderness, tending of Earth Veins, and support of all things. 62

His Good Corpse resembles him in appearance and steadiness, but its gaze expresses pure bearing and support rather than the deeper wisdom of the original. The Earth Scroll, Book of Life and Death, and Judge's Brush provide him with a complete set of same-origin treasures suitable for the Three Corpses method, although only his Good Corpse's severance is explicitly established in the available accounts. 62 69

Formation Knowledge

• Deepens his understanding of the Three Talents Dao by comparing his Earth Dao with Zhunti's explanation of the Earthly Position and listening to Xuande and Jieyin discuss the Heavenly and Human Positions. 107
• Helps devise a simplified Innate Three Talents Grand Formation for spiritual-root fusion, supplementing the Five Elements and Four Symbols formations used by his collaborators. 109
• Proposes sealing the six collaborators' methods into fusion array discs, allowing later attempts to access their combined abilities without requiring all six cultivators to gather in person. The discs are subsequently completed, with each collaborator retaining one. 113 120

Spiritual Root Cultivation

As guardian of the Ginseng Fruit Tree and an expert in terrain and Earth Veins, Zhenyuanzi is highly skilled in cultivating spiritual roots.

• Maintains the Ginseng Fruit Tree, which bears thirty fruits only once every ten thousand years. 108
• Provides Essence of Innate Wutu to establish a stable foundation for the Four Symbols Banana Tree's transplantation. 85
• Selects an appropriate hill on Mount Sumeru for Xuande's tea garden by evaluating soil, terrain, spring water, and Spiritual Energy density. 88
• Helps plant the Innate Enlightenment Tea Tree and more than a hundred other tea trees, then receives cuttings from Xuande to cultivate at Wuzhuang Temple. 88
• Attempts to fuse Enlightenment Tea Tree and Ginseng Fruit Tree branches by planting them on the same Earth Vein, but finds that their powerful Origin Essences repel one another. 109
• Participates in the successful fusion of the Yellow Center Plum and Ginseng Fruit Tree into the Yellow Ginseng Divine Tree. 109 112
• Discusses the Earth Dao with Houtu, contrasting her focus on the land's stability with his focus on Earth Veins' movement and carrying capacity. 113

Equipment / Treasures

• Earth Scroll / Heaven and Earth Mirror — His life-bound supreme spiritual treasure, formed from the membrane of heaven and earth. It is his principal tool for sensing, regulating, and repairing Earth Veins, the vessel of his Good Corpse, and the foundation of Wuzhuang Temple's terrestrial defenses. 7 10 62 199
• Book of Life and Death — Acquired treasure connected to the Earth Scroll and the cycle of life and death. He obtains it from Treasure Distribution Cliff after sensing its affinity with his Earth Scroll. 55 57
• Judge's Brush — Acquired alongside the Book of Life and Death; Zhenyuanzi handles it cautiously due to its karmic significance. Together with the other two treasures, it supplies the same-origin foundation needed for his Three Corpses cultivation. 57 69
• Ginseng Fruit Tree — Supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Root under his care at Wuzhuang Temple. 108
• Enlightenment Tea Tree Cuttings — Given to him by Xuande for planting at Wuzhuang Temple after the establishment of Mount Sumeru's tea garden. 88
• Fusion Array Disc — One of six discs inscribed with the combined spiritual-root fusion methods of Xuande, Zhenyuanzi, Hongyun, Nuwa, Fuxi, and Houtu. Each collaborator retains one disc. 113 120

Relationships

• Hongyun — Closest friend and longtime companion at Wuzhuang Temple. Their abilities complement each other: Zhenyuanzi restores Earth Veins while Hongyun harmonizes Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. He repeatedly shelters Hongyun against those coveting his Primordial Violet Qi, then supports his decision to relinquish it rather than sacrifice his freedom. 7 12 48 59 199 217
• Xuande — Close friend and collaborator in repairing the Western Earth Veins, strengthening Mount Sumeru, and researching spiritual-root fusion. Xuande explicitly calls him his closest friend. Zhenyuanzi celebrates Xuande's attainment of Hunyuan, trusts his judgment during the confrontation with the Three Pure Ones, and admires his continued adherence to principle after attaining overwhelming strength. 18 48 84 108 209 221 235
• Jieyin and Zhunti — Fellow cultivators who sought his expertise to restore the West. He mentors them in unblocking Earth Qi and later assists their efforts to revive Mount Sumeru. He also recognizes the value of their Seven Emotions and Six Desires Severance Method and reciprocates their public teaching by expounding the Earth Dao. 8 13 106 138
• Houtu — Fellow practitioner of the Earth Dao. They exchange insights into her stability-oriented Earth Dao and his Earth-Vein-focused practice. 113
• Nuwa and Fuxi — Allied Daoists who join the spiritual-root fusion project at Wuzhuang Temple. Zhenyuanzi also supports allocating the Innate Gourds to Fuxi and Hongyun, who need same-origin treasures for corpse severance, and later attends Fuxi's Deduction Dao lecture. 69 112 113 155
• Qingfeng and Mingyue — His disciples and attendants at Wuzhuang Temple. 8 110
• Zhao Gongming and the Three Cloud Sisters — Hongyun's disciples, whom Zhenyuanzi welcomes to Wuzhuang Temple and instructs in the Earth Dao alongside Hongyun and Xuande. He later accompanies them and Hongyun to Fuxi's lecture at Buzhou Mountain. 132 155
• Wuzhen — Xuande's disciple. Zhenyuanzi receives him warmly despite his notoriety as the Six-eared Macaque reprimanded by Hongjun. 48
• Kunpeng — Visits on behalf of the Demon Clan to recruit Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun; Zhenyuanzi refuses the offer and remains independent. Kunpeng later advocates seizing Hongyun's Primordial Violet Qi and arranges surveillance of Wuzhuang Temple, placing him in opposition to Zhenyuanzi's protection of his friend. 125 199 217

Story Role / Major Arcs

Restoration of the Western Earth Veins

Zhenyuanzi accepts Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti's request to repair the damaged Western Earth Veins, declaring that the task is his responsibility as keeper of the Earth Scroll. He and Hongyun survey the West for more than ten thousand years, identifying fractures, blockages, demonic contamination, and instability in the land's Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. 9 10 11

He develops the restoration plan, divides the five cultivators' responsibilities, teaches Jieyin and Zhunti the proper method of unblocking Earth Qi, and advises that the most severely damaged demonic basin be repaired last. 13 18 After the restoration succeeds, Heavenly Dao merit advances his cultivation to the late stage of Daluo Golden Immortal. 20

Purple Cloud Palace Journey

Zhenyuanzi travels with Xuande, Hongyun, Jieyin, and Zhunti through the Chaos to attend Hongjun's sermons at Purple Cloud Palace. The group arrives early, waits together before the palace gates, and later returns to Wuzhuang Temple after the lectures. 31 32 37

Before the second sermon, he welcomes Nuwa and Fuxi into the traveling group at Wuzhuang Temple. At Xuande's request, he supplies two Ginseng Fruits, which Xuande subsequently gives to Haotian and Yaochi at the palace gates. 42 43

The final Primordial Violet Qi lingers before him but ultimately chooses Hongyun. Zhenyuanzi remains calm at being passed over, then recognizes the danger in the other mighty cultivators' covetous reactions to his friend's fortune. 54 55

After the treasure distribution, he obtains the Book of Life and Death and Judge's Brush, recognizing their connection to the Earth Scroll but treating their karmic implications with caution. 55 57

Quasi-Saint Breakthrough

After returning to Wuzhuang Temple, Zhenyuanzi joins the other cultivators in seclusion to study his treasures and pursue corpse severance. He selects the Earth Scroll, rather than the newly acquired Book of Life and Death, as the vessel most closely aligned with his benevolent nature. 59 62

By separating his accumulated intent to protect the land and support all things into the Earth Scroll, he manifests his Good Corpse and breaks through to Quasi-Saint. His Primordial Spirit expands, his connection to heaven and earth strengthens, and his understanding of the Earth's bearing and support deepens. He then consolidates his cultivation. 62

He later agrees that the Innate Gourds should go to Hongyun and Fuxi, since his own Earth Scroll, Book of Life and Death, and Judge's Brush already provide the same-origin treasures needed for further corpse severance. 69

Reviving Mount Sumeru

Zhenyuanzi helps Xuande transplant the Four Symbols Banana Tree onto Mount Sumeru, using the Earth Scroll and Essence of Innate Wutu to guide its roots into the Western Earth Veins. 84 85

He later identifies the ideal location for the Enlightenment Tea Tree garden and helps settle the Three Immortal Islands around Mount Sumeru. During the islands' placement, he uses the Earth Scroll to designate their proper positions and integrate them with the Western Earth Veins. 88 106 Heavenly Dao merit from this undertaking further deepens his Earth Dao comprehension. 107

Following the islands' settlement, he participates in several years of discussion about the Three Talents Dao. Xuande also gives him a Yellow Center Plum branch to support his and Hongyun's experiments in combining Innate Spiritual Roots. 107

Spiritual Root Fusion

After his and Hongyun's initial attempts to fuse Innate Spiritual Roots fail, Zhenyuanzi collaborates with Xuande, Nuwa, Fuxi, Houtu, and Hongyun to develop a workable method. 108 109 Their combined efforts create the Yellow Ginseng Divine Tree, whose fruits can grant a perfect Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Dao Fruit and heal innate Dao injuries. 112

Zhenyuanzi subsequently proposes creating array discs that preserve all six cultivators' methods, allowing future spiritual-root fusion attempts to draw upon their combined techniques. 113 The six discs are successfully inscribed, and each participant keeps one, establishing a means of repeating and potentially spreading the fusion art. 120

Refusal of the Demon Clan

Kunpeng visits Wuzhuang Temple as Dijun's envoy and offers Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun positions within the Demon Clan. Zhenyuanzi declines, choosing the free and peaceful life he has cultivated at Wuzhuang Temple over factional allegiance. 125

His neutrality continues during the Demon Clan's advance against the Immortal Court. He and Hongyun discuss the situation but decide not to intervene in the attack on Purple Mansion Continent. 149

Teaching and Dao Gatherings

When Xuande brings Zhao Gongming and the Three Cloud Sisters to Wuzhuang Temple, Zhenyuanzi welcomes them and participates in the celebration of their acceptance as Hongyun's disciples. Over several days, he teaches them the Earth Dao, explaining its bearing, inclusiveness, and stability while Hongyun expounds the Cloud Dao and Xuande discusses merit and the Five Elements. 132

At Mount Sumeru, he listens to Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti explain the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Severance Method. Although distinct from his own Earth Dao, he recognizes that its cultivation of the mind does not conflict with other paths. After their sermon, he requests permission to teach the Earth Dao to the assembled cultivators, beginning a succession of teachings by other powerful guests. 138

He later attends Fuxi's Deduction Dao lecture at Buzhou Mountain with Hongyun, Zhao Gongming, and the Three Cloud Sisters. Following Nuwa's attainment of the Dao, he encourages Hongyun to pursue his own attainment, though Hongyun maintains that each cultivator must follow a different path at the appropriate pace. 155 168

Despite declining Demon Clan membership, Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun attend Dijun and Changxi's Heavenly Marriage and greet Xuande's party at Lingxiao Palace. 179

Protecting Hongyun and Relinquishing the Violet Qi

Zhenyuanzi warns Hongyun soon after the Purple Cloud Palace sermons that his Primordial Violet Qi will attract both open attacks and covert schemes. Wuzhuang Temple becomes a place of protection, with Xuande, Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, and Fuxi also promising their support. 56 59

After Laozi attains the Dao, the Demon Clan intensifies its plans to seize Hongyun's violet qi. Zhenyuanzi insists that Hongyun remain inside Wuzhuang Temple and explains the Earth Scroll's defensive connection to the land. He promises that, for every day Hongyun stays within the temple, he will protect him, and expresses confidence that their Western friends would not stand aside if the Demon Clan attacked. 199

Xuande later destroys tens of thousands of Kunpeng's surveillance Shadow Crows around the temple before visiting the two friends. When Xuande explains that attaining Heavenly Dao Sagehood through Primordial Violet Qi would compromise Hongyun's freedom, Zhenyuanzi urges his friend to relinquish it. Hongyun does so, receives Great Dao merit, severs his obsession corpse, and reaches late Quasi-Saint before announcing his intention to resume traveling. 217

Witnessing the Rise of the Western Sect

Zhenyuanzi rejoices when he senses Xuande's return after attaining Hunyuan in Chaos and receiving the Great Dao's blessing. Recalling their work restoring the Western Earth Veins, he observes that he had always recognized Xuande's potential but had not expected him to reach such heights. 209

During the Western Sect's confrontation with the Three Pure Ones, he reassures Hongyun that Xuande does not enter an unprepared battle. He emphasizes that the contest involves all three Western leaders and expresses confidence in their complementary abilities. 221

When the Witch–Demon war escalates, Zhenyuanzi acknowledges that his cultivation is insufficient to intervene safely in the Calamity Kalpa. He relies on the Earth Scroll to preserve Wuzhuang Temple while hoping the conflict will end with limited suffering. 231

After Xuande confronts Hongjun to protect the Twelve Ancestral Witches and preserve their formation, Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun praise his resolve and the Western Sect's rising standing. Zhenyuanzi reflects that, although Xuande's strength now far exceeds his own, the principles that governed his conduct during their earliest collaboration remain unchanged. 235

Notable Quotes

“I hold the Earth Scroll; tending to the veins of the land is my duty.” 9

“The key is precise sensing, gentle technique, and ample patience.” 13

“To cultivate the Earth Dao, one must understand the Bearing Dao, the Inclusiveness Dao, and the Stability Dao.” 132

“As long as the land remains unbroken, Wuzhuang Temple will not fall.” 199

“For every day you remain in Wuzhuang Temple, I will protect you.” 199

Trivia

• The Ginseng Fruit Tree at Wuzhuang Temple produces thirty fruits in ten thousand years. 108
• Zhenyuanzi's Earth Dao emphasizes Earth Veins' circulation and capacity to bear life, distinguishing it from Houtu's focus on the land's power and stability. 113
• His reputation for integrity is so strong that Jieyin and Zhunti consider him an ideal ally before even visiting Wuzhuang Temple. 7
• The Earth Scroll and Heaven and Earth Mirror are two names for the same treasure, rather than separate possessions. 10
• His Good Corpse embodies his protection of the earth and support of living beings, directly linking his Quasi-Saint breakthrough to the responsibilities he had practiced before hearing Hongjun's teachings. 9 62
• The Ginseng Fruits Xuande gives to Haotian and Yaochi before the second Purple Cloud Palace sermon are supplied by Zhenyuanzi. 43