Zhao Tianchen

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhao Tianchen (赵天尘)
Alias(es)	Elder Zhao; Grand Elder; “Monkey Zhao” 38 233
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Star River Sect; Myriad Star Peak 30
Occupation/Role	Senior Elder and later Grand Elder; Fang Hong’s principal master 30 233
Status	Alive; remains at the Star River Sect after Fang Hong departs for the Zhou Tian Immortal Sect 250
First Appearance	30

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Heaven Realm	40	Already an established Heaven Realm cultivator when he spars with Fang Hong; even while suppressing his strength, Fang Hong’s full-force blow leaves a mark on him.
Heaven Realm Peak / Half-step Dharma Aspect	73	Breaks through his inner demons as Fang Hong successfully manifests the nascent Star Body. His body rejuvenates, his posture straightens, and his aura surpasses ordinary Heaven Realm cultivators.
Dharma Aspect Realm	149	Comprehends his Martial Dao Will and condenses a starlight-wreathed Dharma Aspect within the Heart-Questioning Secret Realm.

Background / History

Zhao Tianchen was once the near-certain successor to the position of Myriad Star Peak Master. The death of his son, Zhao Wuming, severely damaged his mind and spirit; he withdrew from the competition for Peak Master and lived in seclusion for decades, becoming hunched, thin, and prematurely aged despite his formidable cultivation 30 57.

Wuming had created the Star Body Forging Treasure Art, a physique-forging method intended to bypass the Earth Realm and ascend directly to the Heaven Realm. No one had successfully cultivated it. When Elder Huang brought Fang Hong to Eagle Beak Cliff, Zhao offered to accept him as a disciple and asked him to attempt the dangerous, unproven art, hoping to vindicate his son’s legacy 30.

Fang Hong’s unprecedented cultivation speed, formation talent, and eventual success with the Star Body Forging Treasure Art fulfilled Zhao’s long-standing wish. Witnessing Fang Hong condense all 365 Heavenly Cycle Star Chains helped Zhao overcome his inner demons, restoring both his appearance and his ambition 46 73.

Appearance

Zhao Tianchen initially appears as a stooped, frail old man in worn clothing, with his grief over Wuming visibly reflected in his body and demeanor 30. During Fang Hong’s disciple-acceptance ceremony, he presents himself in ornate robes with a straightened posture and the bearing of a dignified grandmaster 32.

After his Half-step Dharma Aspect breakthrough, his body undergoes a dramatic restoration.

• His hunched back straightens completely. 73
• White hair turns black, while wrinkles fade into jade-like skin. 73
• He regains the appearance of a seasoned middle-aged man or youth. 73
• He commonly strokes his beard, particularly when proud of Fang Hong’s achievements. 35 68

Personality

Zhao is deeply emotional beneath a proud and frequently cantankerous exterior. Wuming’s death left him guarded and withdrawn, but Fang Hong’s arrival gives him renewed purpose. He quickly becomes invested in Fang Hong’s success, often reacting to his disciple’s cultivation with open disbelief, tears, or unrestrained delight before attempting to recover his composure 35 46 47.

He treats Fang Hong less as a subordinate than as an equal—part teacher, friend, father figure, and brother. Zhao recognizes that Fang Hong may soon surpass him, so he avoids imposing a condescending master’s authority and instead provides whatever guidance, techniques, and resources he can 40.

Zhao is also competitive and fond of showing off. He gloats over Fang Hong’s talent before Chang Chunbo, repeatedly boasts about Fang Hong’s impending breakthroughs to his peers, and readily trades insults with old acquaintances such as Zhong Wanyang 38 51 233. Despite this, he is capable of restraint: when Fang Hong proposes dangerous opportunities, Zhao consistently emphasizes survival over greed 97.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Zhao is a veteran cultivator whose strength rose from the Heaven Realm to the Dharma Aspect Realm after resolving his mental obstruction 73 149.

• His Half-step Dharma Aspect strength made him the Star River Sect’s strongest combatant during the Crimson Spirit Sect’s assault. 77
• He can suppress and severely wound Heaven Realm opponents with a sky-covering palm strike. 120
• He remained capable of resisting the pressure of two clashing Dharma Aspects when nearby Heaven Realm cultivators were forced to kneel. 156
• His techniques initially lagged behind his new Half-step Dharma Aspect realm because decades of seclusion had halted his martial development. 77 98

Formation Mastery

Zhao is a Formation Master with substantial knowledge of Myriad Star Peak’s Heavenly Star Array Formation and its relationship to Heaven Realm cultivation 45 51.

• He understands that formation proficiency improves a cultivator’s ability to reflect the external world and adjust their internal world. 52
• He recognizes Chang Chunbo’s superior specialization in formations and permits Fang Hong to study under him for the sake of Fang Hong’s future. 52
• His understanding of formations allows him to recognize the signs of Fang Hong’s successful Star Body Forging Treasure Art cultivation. 73 77

Mentorship and Resource Support

Zhao actively supplies Fang Hong with cultivation methods, pills, and strategic guidance rather than leaving him to earn resources through sect missions.

• Provides the Southern Dipper Body Shaping Method and Qi Replenishing Pills. 34
• Teaches the Seven Star Seal Method, explaining that its full power requires refined Star Fiend Qi. 40 41
• Gives Fang Hong the Flying Immortal Steps to compensate for his movement-technique weakness. 47
• Arranges Fang Hong’s path to the Star Pool through the Sect Grand Competition after Zhong Wanyang refuses to open it privately. 38
• Keeps a cultivation technique prepared for Fang Hong in advance, anticipating his disciple’s needs. 87

Relationships

• Fang Hong — Principal master and disciple. Zhao accepts Fang partly to prove Zhao Wuming’s Star Body Forging Treasure Art, but their bond becomes familial and mutually respectful. 30 40
• Zhao Wuming — Deceased son. Wuming created the Star Body Forging Treasure Art; his death caused Zhao’s decades-long emotional decline and inner demons. 30 73
• Zhong Wanyang — Fellow Star River Sect elder and longtime friend. Zhao once saved him from the Crimson Spirit Sect’s Third Elder; they argue freely despite Zhong’s status as Sect Master. 38
• Chang Chunbo — Old friend, rival, and fellow master to Fang Hong. Zhao initially resists Chang’s attempt to claim Fang as a disciple, but later accepts that Chang formally teaches Fang formations. 51 52 234
• Gao Xin'ang — Myriad Star Peak Master and former rival. Gao resents Zhao for having overshadowed him before becoming Peak Master and plots to humiliate Fang Hong as revenge. 42 57
• Elder Huang — Zhao’s disciple, who brings Fang Hong to him at Myriad Star Peak. 30

Story Role / Major Arcs

Acceptance of Fang Hong

Zhao accepts Fang Hong as his personal disciple, conducts a grand acceptance ceremony, and gives him access to high-level body-tempering methods and abundant medicinal resources 30 34. Fang Hong’s rapid progress from Bone Refinement to Organ Refinement Perfection in a single day leaves Zhao questioning whether his disciple is “human or ghost” 36.

Sect Grand Competition and Star Pool

To secure Fang Hong a Star Pool baptism, Zhao pressures Zhong Wanyang into organizing a Sect Grand Competition. He remains completely confident in Fang Hong’s ability to earn a top-ten position, even before witnessing the full extent of his strength 38 40.

Star Body Forging Treasure Art

Zhao watches Fang Hong cultivate Wuming’s art in the Core Star Pool. Fang’s completion of the 365 Heavenly Cycle Star Chains proves Wuming’s theory correct, allowing Zhao to release his long-held grief and break through to Half-step Dharma Aspect 73.

Defense of the Star River Sect

During the Crimson Spirit Sect’s invasion, Zhao holds the defense together despite Gao Xin'ang’s betrayal and damaged formation nodes. He urges the sect to endure until Fang Hong exits the Star Pool, confident that the successful Star Body Forging Treasure Art will reverse the battle’s momentum 77.

Heart-Questioning Secret Realm

Zhao accompanies Fang Hong into the Heart-Questioning Secret Realm to pursue Martial Dao Will comprehension. He is briefly deceived by an illusion involving his deceased son and attacks Fang Hong before the misunderstanding is resolved 145. He subsequently condenses his Dharma Aspect and reaches the Dharma Aspect Realm alongside Fang Hong 149.

Later Guidance and Farewell

After entering the Dharma Aspect Realm, Zhao joins Fang Hong in visiting Lingxu Academy to seek knowledge neither of them possesses about higher cultivation 159 176. When Fang Hong leaves for the Zhou Tian Immortal Sect, Zhao struggles with the separation, urging him to cultivate carefully and remain safe before retreating to his courtyard rather than witnessing the departure 249 250.

Notable Quotes

“Hong'er, be honest with your master. Are you human or ghost?” 36

“You unfilial disciple, I'll make you pay!” 145