Li Zhen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Zhen (李振)
Alias(es)	Li Laoer; Academy Head Li; Underworld King 29 245 294
Species/Race	Human 294
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhenxing City; Human race; Military Prefecture; New Martial World 56 245 317
Occupation/Role	Public representative of Zhenxing City; longtime commander in the Military Prefecture; New Martial World's alliance leader 56 245 317
Status	Active; his body was reconstructed by Zhang Tao after humanity's victory, requiring him to cultivate anew for a full return 293
First Appearance	3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 6	3	Recognized as a Rank 6 martial artist after Zhang Tao's return from the Catacombs.
Rank 7	23	Breaks through after previously resolving not to keep consuming Zhenxing City's resources.
Late-stage Rank 7	36	Recovers with Life Essence and consumes Heavenly Gold Lotus to accelerate his advancement.
Rank 8 Golden Body Realm	45	Uses Indestructible Substance supplied by the Heaven Suppressing King to break through rapidly.
Eight-Forged Golden Body	61	Reaches the same Golden Body stage as Zhang Tao, though Zhang Tao's transformed vitality remains superior.
Rank 9 / Nine-Forged Golden Body	67 68	Completes the Nine-Forged Golden Body and enters the Origin Dao; walks more than 350 meters after deliberately widening his path.
Emperor Rank	242	Reveals his advancement while driving King Ten Thousand Demons into retreat with Void Breaker.
Peak Emperor Rank	245	States that he has reached the peak of Emperor Rank before volunteering to face Dou Tian.
Temporary Break Nine strength	293	Zhang Tao reconstructs his body with avatar energy, Divine Artifacts, and flesh and blood, temporarily granting Break Nine strength.
Master of Rules	294	Identified as an exceptionally powerful Master of Rules after entering the Human Realm.
Sunmoon Sword Divine Character / Dao Opening	337	Forms the divine character Sword, opens a straight path within the Time River, and receives access to the Heaven Suppressing King's Time Stars.
Heaven Opening	348	Opens a heaven and earth within the Heaven Gate, intending to merge it with his Time Stars.
Heavenly Venerable / first-tier Dao Integration	362	His strength is acknowledged by the Dragon Emperor and other Dao Integration experts.

Background / History

Li Zhen is a prominent descendant of Zhenxing City. His grandfather, Li Wujie, is a Rank 9 Grandmaster, while his Old Ancestor is the Heaven Suppressing King. Zhenxing City's status and his ancestor's reputation make him a notable target for Catacombs forces. 29 37

He initially joins Zhang Tao's effort to reclaim a mineral vein, bringing five Zhenxing City experts and relying on an Old Ancestor's Mental Power Avatar as protection. Their early expeditions establish a partnership defined by shared risks, resource disputes, and constant competition. 3 23

After reaching the peak of Emperor Rank, Li Zhen continues to act as a defender of humanity despite the awakening of stronger ancient beings. Following the reconstruction of his body, he enters the Human Realm with Grey Cat, searches for Su Yu, and leaves Grey Cat behind to protect the child. 245 293 294

Personality

Li Zhen is usually the cautious counterweight to Zhang Tao's impulsiveness. He repeatedly objects to entering the Forbidden Sea or dangerous Boundary Lands without adequate preparation, and he monitors Zhang Tao's recklessness with genuine concern. 12 23 53

He is also proud, competitive, and easily provoked by Zhang Tao's superior combat displays. His desire to surpass Zhang Tao drives him to challenge him repeatedly, endure harsh training, and pursue increasingly demanding Golden Body refinements. 30 61 68 84

Despite his complaints, Li Zhen is generous and duty-driven. He offers half of the Indestructible Substance granted by his ancestor to Zhang Tao, insists on securing ore for under-resourced military martial artists, and seeks help for Zhang Tao after the latter suffers an Origin injury. 45 56 93

Abilities & Skills

Void-Breaking Sword Art

Li Zhen's signature sword technique, later referred to as Void Breaker, releases concentrated white Sword Qi with immense piercing and destructive force. Its attacks are repeatedly described as tearing through space.

• A full-strength strike annihilates armored Catacombs combatants and can destroy multiple enemies at once. 4 38
• As a Rank 8, Void Breaker shatters the Heaven Gate City Lord's defenses and pulverizes branches of the Heaven Gate Tree. 63
• The technique's extreme burst comes at the cost of endurance; Li Zhen must carefully manage his blood essence in prolonged combat. 63
• At Emperor Rank, he forces King Ten Thousand Demons to flee with a barrage of Sword Qi. 242

Nine-Forged Golden Body

Li Zhen advances beyond conventional Golden Body limits, forging his body nine times before entering Rank 9.

• His Eight-Forged Golden Body allows him to endure attacks from three Rank 9 city lords while still maneuvering in battle. 64
• The Nine-Forged Golden Body gives him a far deeper foundation than ordinary Rank 9 martial artists and makes him one of humanity's quickest Rank 9 killers. 68 107
• His physical strength and recovery remain inferior to Zhang Tao's Kongtong Seal-refined vitality at equal Golden Body stages. 61 62

Origin Dao

Li Zhen enters the Origin Dao after achieving the Nine-Forged Golden Body.

• He walks more than 350 meters during his initial entry, though he believes he could have gone farther had he not widened the path on Zhang Tao's advice. 67 68
• He later explains that Origin Dao strength is measured by distance walked, with each 100-meter interval marking an Origin tier. 166

Sword Divine Character and Heaven Opening

After entering the Human Realm's cultivation system, Li Zhen rapidly adapts his martial foundation into a divine-character path.

• He manifests the Sword divine character, advancing it directly to Sunmoon level. 337
• He opens a straight Dao within the Time River and receives power through the Heaven Suppressing King's Time Stars. 337
• He creates his own heaven and earth inside the Heaven Gate, despite the tribulations inherent to opening heaven. 348

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Rank 7 Divine Weapon Longsword — wielded during the Rank 7 war against Catacombs martial artists. 29
• Divine Artifact — an unnamed artifact that augments his ability to rapidly kill ordinary Rank 9 opponents. 107
• Heaven Suppressing King's Mental Power Avatar — carried within his body; helps him avoid detection while entering the Forbidden Sea. 23 54
• Indestructible Substance — supplied by his ancestor and used to temper his skull and Golden Body; Li Zhen shares part of it with Zhang Tao. 44 45

Relationships

• Zhang Tao — Close friend, cultivation rival, and frequent sparring partner. Li Zhen shares cultivation resources with him and remains concerned for his safety, while Zhang Tao repeatedly beats him to force further progress. 45 61 93
• Heaven Suppressing King — Old Ancestor. Provides Li Zhen with a Mental Power Avatar, Indestructible Substance, and later access to his Time Stars. 23 44 337
• Li Wujie — Grandfather and Rank 9 Grandmaster of Zhenxing City. 37
• Grey Cat — Traveling companion and occasional training adviser. Li Zhen later entrusts Grey Cat with protecting Su Yu. 61 294
• Su Yu — Li Zhen seeks him out in South Garden City, leaves Grey Cat as his protector, and later aids Su Yu as a senior guardian. 294 360
• Guo Weicheng — Fellow human Grandmaster who joins Li Zhen in pursuing city lords and defeating Bamboo King. 109 111
• Qin Shigang — Elder Grandmaster whom Li Zhen rescues during the Magic City Catacombs crisis. 63
• Xia Longwu — Fellow military-minded martial artist entrusted with looking after Su Yu. 317

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Catacombs Expeditions

Li Zhen joins Zhang Tao's mineral-vein operation, fights alongside him against Catacombs martial artists, and accompanies him into the Kyoto Catacombs and Forbidden Sea. His Old Ancestor's avatar enables the pair to enter the sea without immediate detection. 3 4 23 24

Rank 7 War and Land of King Battles

As a Rank 7, Li Zhen fights in the high-rank war with Void-Breaking Sword Art and joins Zhang Tao in the Land of King Battles. He agrees to withdraw early through the Rank 6 Domain, helping the group avoid Zhu Wusheng's ambush. 29 30 43

Golden Body Cultivation and Magic City Defense

With the Heaven Suppressing King's resources, Li Zhen rises from Rank 7 to Rank 8 and ultimately reaches the Eight-Forged Golden Body. During the Magic City Catacombs war, he saves Qin Shigang and holds off three Rank 9 opponents until Zhang Tao arrives. 45 61 63 64

Rank 9 Defender of Humanity

Li Zhen achieves Rank 9 through the Nine-Forged Golden Body, then serves in major defenses of the Forbidden City. He kills a retreating Rank 9 city lord with Void Breaker, later joins Guo Weicheng in killing Bamboo King, and is assigned to guard Magic City. 67 68 109 111

Emperor-Rank and Human Realm Era

After reaching Emperor Rank, Li Zhen confronts King Ten Thousand Demons and volunteers to face the Break Six Heavenly King Dou Tian. Following his body's reconstruction, he enters the Human Realm, forms ties with its human defenders, and becomes involved in Su Yu's protection and rise. 242 245 293 294 317

Heaven Opening

Li Zhen adapts to the Human Realm's divine-character system, opens a Dao in the Time River, and establishes his own heaven and earth within the Heaven Gate. He later leads the battle against Dao Integration experts as a Heavenly Venerable. 337 348 362

Notable Quotes

“My friend is Zhang Tao. My Old Ancestor is the Heaven Suppressing King. Dou Tian is merely a Break Six Heavenly King—what can he do to me?” 245