Old Taoist

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ji Chen
Alias(es)	Old Taoist; Master
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Clear Wind Temple; ninth-generation lineage of the sect 3
Occupation/Role	Abbot and master of Clear Wind Temple
Status	Physical body destroyed; later remains present when Shen Hui offers to reshape his body 248 253
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Foundation Establishment	55	His spiritual perception extends to everything within three chi, and Shen Hui considers him capable of handling threats beyond Shen Hui’s own ability. 55
Golden Core	145, 156	His sword light suggests a Golden Core breakthrough upon returning from Green City Mountain; his Golden Core protective astral fiend later effortlessly disperses three Fire Ghosts. 145 156

Background / History

Ji Chen is the ninth-generation inheritor of Clear Wind Temple, a sect whose origins trace back to Green City. He reveres the temple’s founding patriarch, Cloud Deer True Man, an artifact refiner and peerless flying-sword cultivator. 3

In his own generation, Ji Chen had two senior brothers and a junior sister. His eldest senior brother, the expected heir of their master, died fighting a thousand-year great demon at Returning Dragon Ferry. His second senior brother was proud and narrow-minded, ultimately betraying the sect and joining the Corpse Refining Sect; this betrayal later brings White Bone Hall into conflict with Clear Wind Temple. 56

Ji Chen encounters the starving Shen Hui near a ruined temple. Intrigued by Shen Hui’s lighter, which he initially mistakes for an object containing earthly Sha essence, he nevertheless rescues Shen Hui from a Water Wraith and invites him to Clear Wind Temple in exchange for helping with chores. 1

Appearance

Ji Chen is a gaunt, gray-browed elderly Daoist. He commonly wears a faded gray cloth robe and mud-caked straw sandals, and carries a slender wooden sword box strapped across his back. 1

• Graying brows and an uneven beard. 1 17
• Pale, weathered Daoist robe, often described as worn from travel. 1 39
• Carries a long, narrow, dark sword box decorated with cloud patterns. 1 56
• His posture is ordinarily steady and composed, though he appears stooped and badly burned after the final battle at Clear Wind Temple. 1 248

Personality

Ji Chen is outwardly plainspoken and unhurried, but he is perceptive enough to recognize Shen Hui’s unusual potential almost immediately. He encourages steady foundations over flashy techniques, repeatedly warning Shen Hui not to overreach or rely on cultivation talent alone. 10 56

He is compassionate toward ordinary people and maintains a mental record of local demons and ghosts. Clear Wind Temple’s reputation grows through his willingness to help, though he restricts visitors to preserve the temple’s quiet cultivation environment. 20

As a master, Ji Chen is stern without being harsh. He permits Shen Hui to gain practical experience against heretics, corrects his tendency toward excessive violence, and teaches that retreat is preferable to dying pointlessly. 37 48 56

Outside the temple, he can become demanding and particular, expecting Shen Hui to attend to him and treating local officials with little regard for their status. 44

Abilities & Skills

Talisman Arts

Ji Chen uses talismans with exceptional speed and precision.

• Fires a Purification Talisman fast enough to save Shen Hui from a Water Wraith mid-attack. 1
• Pins the Yin Sha infesting the Liu Family Old Residence to a beam with a yellow talisman. 43
• Identifies, disperses, and repurposes lingering yin energy, such as the Water Wraith’s condensed pearl. 1

Five Elements Arts

Ji Chen is proficient in the Five Elements and considers these spells no weaker than his swordsmanship.

• Teaches Shen Hui the Lesser Five Elements Art and explains the elemental paths cultivated by Clear Wind Temple’s disciples. 10
• States that his Five Elements spells remain sufficient for combat even without relying on his sword box. 56
• Uses his cultivation to protect himself from threats beneath the Golden Core realm. 56

Swordsmanship and Flying Sword Arts

Clear Wind Temple’s signature Flying Sword Art descends from Cloud Deer True Man, and Ji Chen is a highly accomplished wielder.

• Carries and relies on a sword box associated with his flying sword. 1 56
• Demonstrates sword-flight at a level Shen Hui identifies as characteristic of a Golden Core cultivator. 145
• Retains formidable combat power even after his flying sword is taken away. 156

Spiritual Perception and Cultivation Knowledge

Ji Chen possesses extensive practical knowledge of cultivators, demons, sects, and dangerous techniques.

• Keeps track of demons and ghosts throughout Yongchang Commandery. 20
• Recognizes the Yin Soul Sect’s soul-banner methods and warns Shen Hui of their danger. 37
• Detects Shen Hui’s advancement, elemental meridian use, and unusually rapid cultivation progress. 10 44
• Can perceive even a mosquito within three chi while meditating at peak Foundation Establishment. 55

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sword Box — A long, dark case with cloud patterns, used in connection with Ji Chen’s flying sword. He entrusts it to Shen Hui as an emergency safeguard. 1 56
• Flying Sword — Ji Chen’s primary weapon prior to its loss during the conflict at Clear Wind Temple. 156
• Purification Talismans — Used to eradicate or restrain yin entities and evil Sha. 1 43

Relationships

• Shen Hui / Qingxuan — Master and disciple. Ji Chen rescues Shen Hui, accepts him into Clear Wind Temple, teaches him cultivation, and repeatedly offers guidance and protection. 1 10 56
• Clear Wind Temple disciples — Their master and disciplinarian. Their lack of structure during his absence shows how heavily they depend on his guidance. 135
• Cloud Deer True Man — Founding patriarch of Clear Wind Temple, whom Ji Chen reveres as the source of the sect’s flying-sword lineage. 3
• Second Senior Brother — Ji Chen’s former martial brother, whose betrayal and defection to the Corpse Refining Sect endanger Clear Wind Temple. 56
• Jinghui — His fourth disciple. Her mortal injury coincides with Ji Chen’s deranged return to the temple. 146

Story Role / Major Arcs

Taking in Shen Hui

Ji Chen saves Shen Hui from a Water Wraith with a Purification Talisman, judges him suitable to enter Clear Wind Temple, and gives him a place at the temple despite Shen Hui’s origins as a starving beggar. 1

Guiding Shen Hui’s Cultivation

He formally introduces Shen Hui to the sect’s history and lineage, then provides access to the Lesser Five Elements Art after Shen Hui enters the Dao. Ji Chen advises Shen Hui to prioritize a stable foundation and defensive capability before pursuing more dangerous or advanced arts. 3 10

Descent from the Mountain

Ji Chen travels with Shen Hui to investigate supernatural incidents, including the Liu Family Old Residence and Qishan Sect heretics. He observes Shen Hui’s abilities closely, allowing him to fight when the experience is valuable but remaining ready to intervene. 39 42 48

White Bone Hall and the Sword Box

After Shen Hui encounters Corpse Refining Sect cultivators, Ji Chen reveals the history of his generation and the betrayal that led to the sect’s present enemies. Nearing a possible Core Formation breakthrough, he entrusts Shen Hui with the Sword Box and warns him to value survival over pride. 56

Golden Core Return and Fall of Clear Wind Temple

Ji Chen returns to Clear Wind Temple as a Golden Core cultivator, but in a visibly deranged state with blood-red eyes. The subsequent conflict between him and Shen Hui culminates in Ji Chen being struck by divine lightning and physically decapitated. 145 146 156 248

Reunion with Shen Hui

After the destruction of his body, Ji Chen later speaks with Shen Hui again when Shen Hui offers to reshape his physical form. He cautions Shen Hui that overwhelming cultivation cannot protect loved ones from human treachery or insidious enemies. 253

Notable Quotes

“All things in this world, useful or useless, depend on the heart. Fear it, and it becomes a vengeful ghost demanding your life; use it well, and it can be a fine medicine.” 1

“If you truly encounter a life-threatening situation, fleeing is nothing shameful.” 56

“Cultivation that reaches the heavens cannot defeat the treachery of the human heart; a sword may topple a city, yet it cannot guard against petty villains.” 253