Li Heng

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Li Heng (厉珩)
Alias(es)	Shadow Demon 30
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Suspected successor of a long-destroyed unorthodox sect; operated from a hidden camp in Mist Canyon 30 33
Occupation/Role	Wanted criminal; illusionist and assassin
Status	Dead; killed when the backlash of his Netherworld Blood Curse annihilated him 35 36
First Appearance	Chapter 30

Background / History

Li Heng’s origins were obscure, though the Xuntian Guard suspected him of inheriting the arts of a destroyed unorthodox sect. He became a notorious fugitive after slaughtering an entire family for a hereditary treasure, then evaded pursuit for years through disguise, illusion, assassination, and the use of terrain to his advantage. Two elite Xuntian Guard squads previously failed to capture him: one was driven into an illusion formation and turned on itself, while another had its ambush reversed against it. 30

After resurfacing in Qing Province, Li Heng established a guarded lair in Mist Canyon’s underground caverns. He sought the Yinsha Soul Pearl and arranged for a subordinate to steal the Soul-attracting Jade Box needed to improve his chances of breaking through the cave’s restrictions. Before Li Yifan found him, Li Heng had already been injured in a clash with the Corpse Demon Old Monster, leaving his left arm impaired. 30 32 33

When his subordinate returned with the Jade Box, Li Heng extracted the man’s soul for a blood sacrifice and discarded his corpse into the underground river. Li Yifan used the momentary weakness caused by this act to ambush him. 33

Li Heng initially held the advantage through his higher cultivation, phantom arts, and lethal Netherworld Assassination Technique. However, Li Yifan’s Nine Yang True Qi countered his Yin-based techniques and helped expose the true body among his illusions. Li Heng’s left shoulder was severely wounded by the Scorching Sun Finger, incapacitating his left arm. 34

Cornered, Li Heng invoked the forbidden Netherworld Blood Curse through the Soul-attracting Jade Box, temporarily raising his power close to the Blood Refining Realm at the cost of his essence, blood, and soul. Li Yifan awakened Nine Yang Burning Evil and struck him again with the Scorching Sun Finger; the curse backlashed, destroying Li Heng’s body and soul. Only black ash remained. 35 36

Appearance

Li Heng was a tall, thin man with a sickly, sinister bearing. He wore a worn gray robe and appeared visibly weakened after his prior confrontation with the Corpse Demon Old Monster. 33

• Pale, bloodless complexion and prominent cheekbones. 33
• Narrow, deeply sunken eyes described as vigilant, anxious, and sinister. 33
• His left arm was stiff and unnatural before the battle, with dried blood on its sleeve. 33
• During the Netherworld Blood Curse, his skin turned deathly gray, his eyes became entirely black, and black tendrils appeared to move beneath his skin. 35

Personality

Li Heng was cunning, cautious, and intensely self-preserving. He relied on hidden lairs, traps, warning mechanisms, disguises, and misdirection rather than straightforward confrontations. His camp was protected by nearly invisible threads and concealed runes, while Mist Canyon’s fog and complex caves provided ideal terrain for his phantom arts. 30 33

He was also ruthless and openly contemptuous of human life. He treated his subordinate as expendable, extracting the man’s soul immediately after receiving the Soul-attracting Jade Box and calling the sacrifice “making use of waste.” 33

When placed under pressure, Li Heng became increasingly desperate and vindictive. Rather than accept defeat after suffering a crippling shoulder wound, he chose to use a forbidden technique that risked permanent cultivation loss or soul annihilation. 34 35

Abilities & Skills

Phantom Demon Technique

Li Heng’s primary cultivation art specialized in stealth, illusion, phantom creation, and ambushes. It allowed him to move unpredictably and create multiple illusory bodies that were difficult to distinguish from his true form. 30

• Phantom Shift — a life-saving evasive technique that left behind a lifelike afterimage while his true body shifted away at an unnatural angle. 34
• Phantom Netherworld Kill — generated several attacking phantoms, each seemingly carrying Netherworld Stab energy, to overwhelm opponents from multiple directions. 34
• His phantom arts were particularly effective in dark, foggy, and complex terrain such as Mist Canyon. 30 31
• Li Yifan’s heightened spiritual sense and supreme Yang true qi could identify the more concentrated energy signature of Li Heng’s true body. 34

Netherworld Assassination Technique

A vicious assassination art that concentrated Yin-cold, penetrating energy against acupoints, meridians, joints, and other vital weaknesses. Its attacks were difficult to detect and could inflict severe internal damage. 30 34

• Netherworld Stab — a swift, focused finger strike aimed at wrists, vital points, and meridians. 34
• Netherworld Soul Severing Stab — a full-power thrust intended to pierce the Shanzhong acupoint; it instead pierced Li Yifan’s left arm. 34
• The technique’s penetrating force bypassed much of the protection offered by external defensive arts such as the Iron Bone Technique. 34
• Its Yin-cold energy was substantially weakened by Li Yifan’s Nine Yang True Qi and Scorching Sun Finger. 34 36

Phantom Demon Heart Devouring Curse

A mental attack that sent a corrosive wave of Yin energy directly at an opponent’s consciousness, amplifying fear, hesitation, and despair while creating inner-demon illusions. 34

• Temporarily disrupted Li Yifan’s perception and delayed his movements. 34
• Created the opening for Li Heng’s Netherworld Soul Severing Stab. 34
• The technique caused backlash even to Li Heng when used at full intensity. 34

Netherworld Blood Curse

A forbidden secret technique fueled by Li Heng’s essence, blood, and soul. It temporarily pushed his power close to the Blood Refining Realm. 35

• Activated with the Soul-attracting Jade Box after Li Heng was severely injured. 35
• Greatly increased his power but filled his aura with unstable, destructive Yin energy. 35
• Carried the risk of permanent cultivation decline or complete soul annihilation. 35
• Was purified and destabilized by Li Yifan’s Nine Yang Burning Evil, causing the curse to backlash and kill Li Heng. 35 36

Soul Extraction and Blood Sacrifice

Li Heng could forcibly draw out a living person’s soul for use in sacrificial rites. 33

• Extracted his subordinate’s soul after the man delivered the Soul-attracting Jade Box. 33
• Intended to use the sacrifice and Jade Box to overcome restrictions protecting the Yinsha Soul Pearl. 33
• This act left him distracted and likely depleted, creating Li Yifan’s opportunity to attack. 33

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Shadowless Daggers — a pair of nearly transparent, cicada-wing-thin daggers used for covert killing and difficult-to-detect attacks. 30
• Soul-attracting Jade Box — a black, rune-covered Yin artifact connected to the Yinsha Soul Pearl and Li Heng’s blood-sacrifice plans. 32 33
• Storage Ring — held Li Heng’s most valuable possessions, including wealth, cultivation manuals, medicinal pills, materials, Foundation Elixirs, and the Netherworld Ghost Shadow Steps manual. 36 38 39 41

Relationships

• Li Yifan — Pursuer and eventual killer. Li Heng attempted to kill him with illusions, assassination arts, mental attacks, and the Netherworld Blood Curse, but was destroyed by the curse’s backlash after Li Yifan countered with Nine Yang Burning Evil. 30 34 35
• Unnamed subordinate — Disciple or accomplice sent to steal the Soul-attracting Jade Box; Li Heng murdered him and extracted his soul for a blood sacrifice. 31 33
• Nie Wuya / Corpse Demon Old Monster — Rival seeker of the Yinsha Soul Pearl. Nie Wuya previously ambushed and injured Li Heng with the Bone-Corroding Yin Finger. 32 33 37
• Commander Wang — Ordered Li Yifan to apprehend or kill Li Heng under a Grade C-plus mission. 30
• Xuntian Guard — Li Heng repeatedly evaded its pursuit and inflicted heavy losses on two elite squads before his death. 30

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pursuit in Mist Canyon

Li Heng was identified as a Grade C-plus target whose capture or death carried a reward of 1,000 contribution points. His mastery of illusion, assassination, and disguise made him a deliberate test of Li Yifan’s ability to operate alone. 30

Contest for the Yinsha Soul Pearl

Li Heng’s activities in Mist Canyon centered on obtaining the Soul-attracting Jade Box and using it to access the Yinsha Soul Pearl. His plan drew the attention of Nie Wuya, creating a conflict between multiple Yin-art practitioners. 32 33

Battle in the Underground Cave

Li Yifan discovered Li Heng’s lair, witnessed him sacrifice his subordinate, and attacked before the ritual could be completed. The duel exposed the conflict between Li Heng’s Yin-based phantom arts and Li Yifan’s supreme Yang cultivation. 33 34

Death and Aftermath

Li Heng’s final gamble, the Netherworld Blood Curse, failed when Li Yifan’s Nine Yang Burning Evil purified his Netherworld energy. His body and soul were annihilated, leaving behind the Soul-attracting Jade Box and Storage Ring. Li Yifan’s successful solo pursuit became a major Xuntian Guard merit. 35 36 38 47

Trivia

• Li Heng’s Netherworld Ghost Shadow Steps later became part of Li Yifan’s cultivation after being recovered from his Storage Ring. 41
• The wealth in Li Heng’s Storage Ring exceeded three hundred taels of gold, allowing Li Yifan to purchase high-grade cultivation pills. 39