Ning Chen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ning Chen (寧辰)
Alias(es)	Knowing Fate; Marquis of Knowing Fate; Bai Yutang; Bai Yujing; Wang Chenyuan; Thirteenth Prince
Species/Race	Human; later cultivates Phoenix and Demonic bodies alongside his human body 1375
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Xia Dynasty; Zhiming Marquisate; Ning Clan; Heavenly Demon Royal Clan
Occupation/Role	Marquis, strategist, swordsman, cultivator, clan commander, and named master
First Appearance	Chapter 1: Back to Ancient Times as a Eunuch 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Initial qi cultivation	20	Qing Ling notes that he cultivated qi with surprising speed despite his aptitude.
Houtian Realm, Fourth Rank	37	Reaches the fourth rank in less than half a year while traveling north in a wheelchair.
Houtian Realm, Seventh Rank	70	Uses the Scroll of Life to absorb medicinal power, forcing a rise from Fifth Rank to Seventh Rank at severe cost to his body and potential.
Houtian Realm, Ninth-Rank Peak	173	Absorbs overwhelming medicinal energy while relying on his Undying Body; his attempted Xiantian breakthrough fails.
Half-step Xiantian	215	Obtains the Scroll of Chaos and suppresses his cultivation at the threshold of the Xiantian Realm rather than crossing it immediately.
Xiantian Realm	264	Returns to Great Xia after two years as a Xiantian Realm cultivator.
Reality Realm	857	Revealed to have transcended the Void Realm and entered the Reality Realm.
Fourth Realm	980	Ascends after twenty-eight years of training; Prince Yan passes his Extreme Dao to him.
Nine Kings Pearl empowerment	1152	The Demonic Emperor grants him the Nine Kings Pearl, rapidly increasing both his cultivation and standing within the Heavenly Demon Royal Clan.
King Realm	1291	Recognized as one of the two strongest King Realm experts in the world before his confrontation with Xuanqi.
Imperial Dao Supreme Being	1323	Displays Imperial Dao-level power by parting a vast river with a single sword strike.
Spirit Transformation	1375	Completes Spirit Transformation with Cihang Bodhisattva's aid and manifests Chaos True Essence.
Saint Realm	1587	Has recently advanced to the Saint Realm before facing Ming Ming, Lord of the Netherworld.

Background

Ning Chen begins as a young man forced into palace service as a eunuch. During an assassination attempt on the Great Xia Emperor, he bargains with a female assassin who hides in his castration room: he will help her escape in exchange for a favor 1. He quickly proves unusually adaptable, gaining qi early despite poor natural aptitude and navigating palace dangers through caution, deception, and nerve 20.

After suffering injuries that leave him dependent on a wheelchair, Ning Chen enters the academy under the distant connection of Marquis Kaixuan's estate. He occupies an unusual position there—neither student nor teacher—and becomes Yin Yifei's respected “Sir” 35 36. His search for a way to heal his legs leads him north, where he learns of three possible cures: the Eternal Night Divine Cult's Heavenly Tome, the Northern Mongol Celestial Pool, and Great Xia's Xiantian Pill 37.

His influence in Great Xia expands from covert operative to trusted political adviser. He argues for a swift imperial succession after the Seven Cities Rebellion, acts according to the stability of the dynasty rather than personal sentiment, and is later dispatched by Grandson to negotiate with Northern Mongol 73 106. By this period, he bears the title Marquis of Knowing Fate and is regarded as one of Great Xia's foremost martial figures 130 151.

Ning Chen repeatedly travels beyond Great Xia under false identities, notably infiltrating the Qing Family as the scarred and bearded “Jade-faced Gentleman” Bai Yutang. He becomes a Qing Family Guest Elder while concealing his true motives and securing a place in the Imperial Palace's Martial Arts Banquet 87 88.

Over time, his path extends from the Divine Land to the Outer Heavens, the Primeval Demonic Realm, and the Divine Realm. He joins the Heavenly Demon Royal Clan as the Thirteenth Prince, receives the Nine Kings Pearl, and becomes entangled in imperial-clan politics 1152. In the Divine Realm, he cultivates toward higher realms, forges the Four Immortal Slaying Swords over five hundred years within the Chaos World, and leads the Ning Clan army in wars against powers such as Heaven Mending Pavilion 1412 1474.

Appearance

Ning Chen is generally described as a delicate-featured young man who favors plain clothing. His appearance changes noticeably with his cultivation and disguises: he has appeared black-haired, white-haired, and with blood-red hair when catalyzing Phoenix power 609 685 994.

• His early injuries leave him wheelchair-bound for an extended period 35 37.
• Phoenix Ancestral Return turns his hair blood-red and greatly amplifies his power 685 842.
• He later commonly appears as a white-haired, plain-clothed swordsman 994 1454.
• As Bai Yutang, he wears a beard and facial scars to appear fierce and unrecognizable 87.
• As Bai Yujing and other identities, he alters his features and bearing rather than relying on a single disguise 243 483.

Personality

Ning Chen is observant, calculating, and exceptionally difficult to intimidate. He habitually conceals his identity, probes others for weaknesses, and prepares contingencies before acting. His political judgments are often ruthless: he is willing to accept limited losses or make unpopular decisions when he believes they preserve Great Xia or prevent a greater disaster 73 76.

Despite this cold pragmatism, Ning Chen is deeply protective of those he accepts as his own. He treats Little Mingyue as an honored guest rather than a hostage, protects Yin'er as both guardian and master, and repeatedly risks himself for A'man, Xin Yu, and his companions 106 683 1432. His mercy is selective rather than absent; he spares people he judges undeserving of death, while showing brutal cruelty toward enemies and interrogated captives 683 771.

His poor natural aptitude remains a defining insecurity and motivation. He compensates with extraordinary comprehension, persistence, combat experience, and an unwillingness to yield to fate 758 1018 1346.

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

Ning Chen is an Extreme Dao martial artist whose swordsmanship continues to evolve through repeated life-or-death battles. He can fight with swords, sword-fingers, blades, and unarmed techniques, and his sword intent is powerful enough to threaten opponents with much greater internal cultivation 151 201 783.

• Uses Ink Sword, the Knowing Fate Sword, and multiple Immortal Swords in battle 157 389 1427.
• Fights effectively with sword-fingers when unarmed or concealing his weapon 151 201.
• Receives Prince Yan's Extreme Dao after reaching the Fourth Realm 980.
• Can manifest vast sword formations, including ten thousand divine swords against the Kirin God-Slaying Formation 1391.
• His combat style prioritizes speed, timing, and technique when his true qi or foundation is restricted 201.
• His extreme speed can exceed his physical limits and tear his body apart through backlash 360.

Three Bodies and Chaos True Essence

Ning Chen cultivates human, Phoenix, and Demonic bodies. Their eventual fusion grants him Chaos True Essence, an unusual power that lets him combine otherwise incompatible sources of strength 1375 1409.

• Phoenix Body — grants Phoenix Fire, extreme speed, regeneration, and ancestral-return transformations 274 360 685.
• Demonic Body — enables demonic techniques and the Black Phoenix's devouring power, which can consume Divine Essence 1336 1360.
• Human Body — retains his original martial foundation, sword cultivation, and Heavenly Tome techniques 1375.
• His three bodies can merge to force his combat power beyond normal limits, even shaking the Immortal Gate 1312.
• The fusion is physically dangerous and demands exceptional control; he repeatedly suffers severe injuries when pushing it too far 1312 1391.

Heavenly Tomes and Cultivation Arts

Ning Chen studies multiple Heavenly Tome scrolls and incorporates their techniques into both combat and cultivation.

• Scroll of Life — absorbs medicinal power and supports recovery, though reckless use damages his foundation 70.
• Scroll of Earth — controls earth qi and creates large-scale sword attacks from the ground 284.
• Scroll of Heaven — helps him resist the Underworld King's divine attacks 389.
• Scroll of God — manifests stellar phantoms and techniques such as Yin and Yang Divide 1084.
• Scroll of Chaos — carries him to the edge of the Xiantian Realm and strengthens his later cultivation path 215.
• His cultivation can be obstructed or sealed; when this occurs, even his Heavenly Tome techniques may become unusable 186 201.

Undying Body and Recovery

Ning Chen obtains an Undying Body through the Yellow Springs Flower, allowing him to withstand injuries and medicinal energies that would normally be fatal 165 173.

• Lets him survive corrosive medicinal power and continue fighting while grievously wounded 165 173.
• Supports rapid recovery alongside the regenerative qualities of his three bodies 1452.
• Does not make him invulnerable; Fan Lingyue and other superior opponents can still overwhelm and severely injure him 178 389.

Strategy, Deception, and Political Judgment

Ning Chen is a strategist as dangerous outside battle as within it. He uses aliases, infiltration, black powder, staged evidence, and political pressure to manipulate stronger institutions and opponents 26 87 155.

• Uses black powder to navigate Zhengqi Palace during a contest against Zhenji Kingdom 26.
• Infiltrates the Qing Family to undermine it from within while posing as Bai Yutang 86 88.
• Secures the Third Prince's trust and covertly provides decisive evidence to the Grand Tutor 155.
• Orders legal investigation rather than immediate execution when dealing with Zhao Hongyun's crimes 771.
• Leads armies directly, including the 600,000-strong Ning Clan force against Heaven Mending Pavilion 1474.

Forging and Formations

Ning Chen possesses considerable knowledge of refining, arrays, and divine weapons.

• Recognizes and wins the Blazing Sun Iron at auction, knowing its refining value 153.
• Forges the Four Immortal Slaying Swords using Innate Qi and the merged powers of his three bodies 1409 1412.
• Seals the completed swords in the Green Cauldron because their power is initially difficult for him to control 1412.
• Uses the Two Polarities Array and Yellow Springs Divine Restriction to strengthen his Immortal Swords 1027.

Equipment

• Ink Sword — Ning Chen's early and frequently used sword; central to many of his battles and disguises 85 157.
• Knowing Fate Sword — his primary divine sword in later arcs, capable of manifesting the power of four primal elements 389.
• Great Yin Azure Sparrow Sword — a Great Xia imperial sword he borrows when preparing to confront the Wang Family Ancestor 186.
• Nianqing Blade — a blade used alongside his sword techniques against the Martial Lord 284.
• Four Immortal Slaying Swords — forged in the Chaos World; include the Trapping Immortal, Immortal Execution, and Immortal Severance Swords 1027 1164 1412.
• Green Cauldron — used to seal the completed Four Immortal Slaying Swords 1412.
• Queen Mother's Hairpin — an artifact given to Yin'er; powerful but slow to recover after use 683.

Relationships

• Grandson — Ning Chen's principal elder and Great Xia's Empress. He trusts her with state matters, while she worries over his marriage, safety, and future 73 264.
• Qing Ling — trusted palace companion and frequent partner in investigation and combat. She supports his plans and monitors threats at his request 76 186.
• Xin Yu — Ning Chen's wife. Their relationship grows from an initially unwanted imperial marriage into a lasting bond 765.
• A'man — a deeply important companion whose safety repeatedly unsettles Ning Chen; she continues searching for him and senses his aura across great distances 167 1164.
• Fan Lingyue — Northern Mongol's military adviser, rival, and intellectual equal. They fight fiercely, yet later join forces against Featherfall Valley; Fan Lingyue ultimately entrusts her will to him 206 344.
• Mu Chengxue — powerful swordswoman and long-standing associate. Their relationship is marked by rivalry, mutual recognition, and intermittent cooperation 178 283 1207.
• Mingyue — Northern Mongol's young emperor and sole surviving imperial bloodline. Though initially his captive, she becomes someone Ning Chen protects closely 93 106 764.
• Yin'er — Ning Chen's disciple and ward. He teaches her swordsmanship, protects her, and places great importance on her growth 683 706.
• Xuan Jiuyou — Ning Chen's master in the Heavenly Demon Royal Clan. Xuan Jiuyou recognizes Ning Chen's pride and warns him of the dangers surrounding his rise 1152 1163.
• Prince Yan — senior, ally, and later source of Ning Chen's Extreme Dao inheritance 54 980.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Palace survivor — Begins as a palace eunuch seeking escape, then becomes involved in the emperor's assassination attempt and palace intrigue 1.
• Wheelchair-bound northern journey — Travels north in search of healing, encounters ancient ruins, and grows rapidly through constant danger 37 41.
• Great Xia strategist — Advises Grandson, influences succession politics, negotiates with Northern Mongol, and earns the Marquis of Knowing Fate title 73 106 130.
• Northern Mongol infiltrator — Poses as Bai Yutang, enters the Qing Family, protects Mingyue, and clashes repeatedly with Fan Lingyue 87 93 178.
• Outer Heavens wanderer — Travels with Yin'er, earns recognition as an Extreme Dao martial artist, and competes against major powers for Immortal Jade and cultivation opportunities 702 783 1021.
• Heavenly Demon prince — Enters the Heavenly Demon Royal Clan, becomes the Thirteenth Prince, and navigates the Demonic Emperors' political schemes 1152.
• Divine Realm swordsman — reaches Imperial Dao and Spirit Transformation, forges the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, and openly challenges divine powers 1323 1375 1391.
• Ning Clan commander — leads massive armies against Heaven Mending Pavilion and expands Ning Clan influence through war 1474 1487.
• Netherworld challenger — enters the Netherworld after reaching the Saint Realm and confronts Ming Ming, its Lord 1587.

Notable Quotes

“In a person's life, there are things one does and things one doesn't. Since I've made the decision, I'll never regret it!”

— Ning Chen 130

“In my life, I have only knelt to two people: one was Grandson, and the other was my senior.”

— Ning Chen 233

Trivia

• Ning Chen's cultivation aptitude is repeatedly described as ordinary or unsuitable for martial arts, yet his comprehension and willpower allow him to reach extraordinary heights 758 1018 1346.
• He initially calls his Qing Family disguise “Jade-faced Gentleman” Bai Yutang despite deliberately appearing scarred, bearded, and intimidating 87.
• Ning Chen is capable of remarkable gentleness toward children and disciples while being brutally ruthless during interrogations and war 683.