Ling Nan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ling Nan (凌楠)
Alias(es)	“Gluttonous Cat”; “Dead Cat”; “Little Cat” 12 13 324
Gender	Female; formerly raised as male. Originally sexless/intersex due to the Black and White Winged Cat Martial Soul, she chose to become female. 163 325 326
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; Black and White Sect; later the Black and White Falling Blossom Sect 7 324
Occupation/Role	Soul Master; Shrek student; young master of the Black and White Sect 7 12
Status	Alive; killed by an Evil Soul Master and later revived by Zheng Li 324 325
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
One-ring Soul Master	15	Possesses one yellow Spirit Ring and uses the first soul skill, Godspeed. 15
Peak Rank 19	18	Delays using a Soul Ascension Pill because he is already near the Rank 20 bottleneck. 18
Two-ring Great Soul Master	31	Obtains a second Spirit Ring through Shrek Academy’s opportunity; its quality and his self-created soul skill help earn consideration as a quasi-core disciple. 31
Rank 40 Soul Elder	123	Is identified as Rank 40 while fighting Falling Blossom Sect representative Luo Qianqiu. 123
Fourth Soul Ring	128	Absorbs the approximately 7,000-year-old Blue Vermilion Crane’s soul ring and gains Water-Fire Tornado. 127 128
Fifth Soul Ring	163	Chooses to retain her memories and feelings for Zheng Li; the Valley of Love and Emotion grants five Soul Power levels and a fifth soul ring. 163
Rank 70 Spirit Saint	282	Reaches Rank 70 but has not yet acquired a seventh soul ring because war and Holy Spirit Cult activity make travel unsafe. 282
Rank 72–73 Spirit Saint	288	Forms a contract with the Ice Jade Swallow A-Lan, gaining a black soul ring tinged with red; the contract removes her bottleneck and raises her to Rank 72, nearing Rank 73. 288

Background / History

Ling Nan’s Martial Soul awakened as the mutated Black and White Winged Cat, a winged cat Martial Soul tied to the Black and White Raccoon Panda lineage and the Sharp-Tailed Swift bloodline inherited through his grandmother. Its yin-yang nature left Ling Nan originally sexless; after discovering this peculiarity, he ultimately chose to become female because of her feelings for Zheng Li. 14 163 325

Before entering Shrek Academy, Ling Nan was raised as a boy and regarded as the young master of the Black and White Sect. His father is Ling Zhi, and his parents supported his eventual decision concerning his identity. 12 163 325

At Shrek, Ling Nan became Zheng Li’s roommate. The two cleaned their dormitory together, and Ling Nan lent Zheng Li bedding, quickly establishing a close friendship. 7 He later fought beside Zheng Li and Cui Yajie in the freshman tournament, where their team won the championship. 23 31

Ling Nan repeatedly accompanied Zheng Li on dangerous journeys, including expeditions into the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain soul rings. After acquiring his fourth ring from the Blue Vermilion Crane, he continued to support Zheng Li’s decisions without hesitation. 126 128

During the Valley of Love and Emotion’s trial, Ling Nan was confronted with the truth of his condition and feelings. Given the choice to become male while forgetting Zheng Li or retain his memories and feelings in exchange for power, Ling Nan chose the latter. 163

Much later, Ling Nan formed a Spirit Contract with the injured Ice Jade Swallow A-Lan, gaining an ice-attributed second Martial Soul and a seventh soul ring. 288 She was subsequently killed when an Evil Soul Master shattered her heart. After Zheng Li attained godhood, he retrieved her soul from the Underworld and revived her. 324 325

Appearance

Ling Nan is notably short for his age, with shoulder-length gray hair, jade- or emerald-green eyes, and an exceptionally cute, feminine appearance that often causes others to mistake him for a girl. 7 10 126

• In Martial Soul form, develops white cat ears, a black-and-gray tail, and black, white, and gray wings. 13
• His first soul skill manifests sharp, three-inch cat claws. 15
• Following A-Lan’s contract, his gray hair and wings gain an icy-blue sheen. 288
• After resurrection, his formerly androgynous voice becomes a clear female voice. 326

Personality

Ling Nan is outgoing, affectionate, and highly attached to Zheng Li. He readily calls Zheng Li “A Li,” invites him to explore the city, worries intensely when he disappears, and repeatedly chooses to accompany him despite danger. 12 75 105

He presents himself as carefree and food-obsessed, treating dignity as less important than eating and using his storage Soul Guidance Ring to keep purchases for later. Beneath this behavior, however, he is perceptive: he notices Zheng Li’s unusual foresight and understands that he is concealing significant secrets. 12 14 18

Ling Nan initially dislikes practical combat because of his limited offensive options, but becomes calm and decisive in battle. His willingness to sacrifice himself for Zheng Li is recognized by the Valley of Love and Emotion as selfless love. 14 15 161

Abilities & Skills

Black and White Winged Cat Martial Soul

A mutated cat-type Martial Soul combining the Black and White Raccoon Panda and Sharp-Tailed Swift bloodlines. It grants agility, aerial mobility, and a yin-yang-related influence over Ling Nan’s sex. 14 325

• Produces cat ears, a tail, wings, and sharp claws upon activation. 13 15
• Enables flight and jumping mobility; Ling Nan uses it even for tasks such as reaching high dormitory walls. 7
• Has no strong innate elemental attribute and therefore does not strongly reject A-Lan’s ice attribute. 288
• Initially leaves Ling Nan with few direct offensive or defensive options. 14 123

Godspeed

Ling Nan’s first soul skill, which exponentially increases his flight speed for three seconds. 15

• Can create speed approaching teleportation. 15
• Lets him evade attacks from stronger cat-type opponents, including Zhu Lu’s Nether Thrust. 29
• Its very short duration and repeated use rapidly consume Spirit Power. 15 24

Cat Void Step

An extreme-speed movement technique used in combat. 30

• Allows Ling Nan to pressure opponents through evasive aerial movement. 30
• Is recognized by Shrek Academy as a self-created soul skill. 31

Shadow Claw

Ling Nan’s second soul skill, used in combination with Godspeed for a high-speed claw strike. 168

• Lets him attack quickly enough to threaten a Soul Ancestor before a Spirit Saint referee can react. 168
• His attack power remains lower than Zhu Lu’s despite his superior speed. 168

Water-Fire Tornado

Ling Nan’s fourth soul skill, acquired from the Blue Vermilion Crane. 128

• Combines water and fire attributes inherited from the Blue Vermilion Crane’s soul ring. 127 128

Ice Jade Swallow Contract

Ling Nan’s contract with the Ice Jade Swallow A-Lan grants him a second Martial Soul and ice affinity. 288

• Produces a black soul ring tinged with red and removes his Rank 70 bottleneck. 288
• Gives A-Lan a continuing place by his side as a Spirit Contract partner. 288

Equipment / Items

• Storage Soul Guidance Ring — Used to store large amounts of food; stored food does not spoil inside it. 12
• Flying Spirit Guidance Device — Not required for normal travel due to his wings, but he later uses such devices alongside Zheng Li’s group. 281

Relationships

• Zheng Li — Roommate, closest friend, and the person Ling Nan loves. Ling Nan repeatedly protects and accompanies him; Zheng Li later retrieves her soul and revives her. 7 13 161 325 326
• A-Lan — Ice Jade Swallow Spirit Contract partner. Ling Nan promises to be beside her and asks her to guide him for the rest of his life. 288
• Ling Zhi — Father and Black and White Sect leader; supports Ling Nan and later explains her condition and choice to Zheng Li. 95 163 325
• Ling Ling — Parent who supports Ling Nan’s choices regarding identity and feelings. 163
• Cui Yajie — Shrek teammate and close friend. They fight alongside Zheng Li and jointly decide that Cui Yajie should absorb the Weeping Light Phantom Fox Left Arm Bone. 23 31
• Su Yunqing — Classmate and teammate who frequently mocks Ling Nan’s aversion to direct combat and chases him with her hammer after his teasing. 14 26
• Snow Empress — Zheng Li’s contracted ally; Ling Nan feels envy upon meeting her and later receives her help in approaching the Ice Jade Swallow Clan. 286 288

Major Arcs

Shrek Freshman Period

• Becomes Zheng Li’s roommate and quickly forms a close bond with him. 7
• Receives a Soul Ascension Pill after surviving Ma Xiaotao’s cultivation deviation at Sea God Lake. 14
• Uses Godspeed to win his practical-combat match by exploiting an opponent’s indiscriminate poisonous mist. 15
• Helps Zheng Li and Cui Yajie win the freshman tournament championship. 23 31

Fourth Soul Ring Expedition

• Travels with Zheng Li to the Star Dou Great Forest after failing to acquire a fourth soul ring during an earlier break. 105 126
• Absorbs the Blue Vermilion Crane’s ring and gains Water-Fire Tornado. 127 128
• Supports Zheng Li during the encounter with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and helps him escape the forest. 127 128

Valley of Love and Emotion Trial

• Learns the origin of his intersex condition and confronts the choice between becoming male without memories of Zheng Li or retaining both his identity and feelings. 163
• Chooses to preserve his memories and love for Zheng Li, receiving five Soul Power levels and a fifth soul ring. 163

Spirit Contract Journey

• Reaches Rank 70 and joins Zheng Li’s group to seek a seventh soul ring. 282
• Forms a contract with A-Lan in the Extreme North Icefield, gaining ice affinity and advancing to Rank 72. 288

Death and Resurrection

• Is killed by an Evil Soul Master after her heart is shattered. 324
• Zheng Li enters the Underworld, confronts the Nether Emperor, retrieves her soul, and restores her to life. 325
• After awakening, Ling Nan openly admits that she wants more than friendship with Zheng Li. 326

Trivia

• Ling Nan’s “Gluttonous Cat” nickname originates from his persistent appetite and habit of buying food wherever he goes. 12
• Su Yunqing initially mistakes Ling Nan for Zheng Li’s girlfriend because of his appearance. 8
• Ling Nan’s Black and White Winged Cat Martial Soul is sometimes described as a cat with wings and sometimes as wings growing from a cat-like body. 13 14
• Although he often acts foolishly, Ling Nan correctly deduces that Zheng Li has knowledge of future events. 18