Lu Shu

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Lu Shu (吕树)
Alias(es)	Li Teng; Yamada Akira; Tang Mingyang; “Great King”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Heavenly Network; Dao Yuan Class; Martial Guard Army; Sword Hut
Occupation/Role	Awakened practitioner; swordsman; commander of the Martial Guard Army; Sword Hut successor
Status	Alive
First Appearance	263

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
D-rank	271	Demonstrates sword flight despite only being D-class.
C-rank	284	Becomes Dao Yuan Class’s first C-rank student; awakens a water-element skill after testing strange fruits.
Second Star Chart — Fu Shi	280	Ignites the Second Star Chart after his beast nest is destroyed; manifests as a thin white flying sword.
B-rank	310	The third layer of his Star Map erupts during Zhao Yongchen’s crisis; rain within three miles transforms into sword-like attacks.
Third Star Map weapon — Queyin	310	Awakens Queyin, a weapon of countless fine needles rather than a conventional longsword.
Pseudo-Class A combat power	321	His battlefield presence is stated to be comparable to a pseudo-Class A practitioner.
First rank	332	Breaks through while fighting Yi Qian; fuses spiritual power with the power of stars and triggers a phenomenon spanning one hundred li.
Rank One	340	Breaks through to Rank One and defeats guest elders.
Grandmaster	350	Successfully completes his lightning tribulation after it reappears.

Background / History

Lu Shu grew up in an orphanage alongside Lu Xiaoyu. Though the world did not treat him kindly, he remains clear-headed and refuses to consider himself above others merely because he is an awakened practitioner or a Dao Yuan Class student. He teaches Lu Xiaoyu not to become arrogant because of power. 274

He cultivates through the sun, moon, and stars rather than spirit stones. His growth is fueled by negative emotion points, which he deliberately harvests through provocation, deception, and his exceptionally sharp tongue. 270 268

Li Xianyi begins teaching him swordsmanship, while Lu Shu uses spirit stones to buy a home for himself and Lu Xiaoyu. Both siblings later test above A-rank in aptitude. 270

Lu Shu’s first kill is Chang Hengyue, a spy he had already identified. He remains emotionally composed afterward, but retains a personal principle of helping others where he can without taking responsibility beyond his limits. 273

After entering Lu Zhou through a spatial gate, his power of stars is sealed and he becomes temporarily ordinary. He adapts by cultivating the sword, seizing Green Dragon Stronghold, and eventually becoming commander of the Martial Guard Army. 325 327 328

Appearance

Lu Shu frequently relies on disguises and alternate identities during missions. He can pass as a weak, cowardly youth, a warehouse worker, Sea Clan personnel, or a Black Feather Army soldier, though his mannerisms and speech often expose him. 296 298 306 309 341

• Often carries or conceals weapons and valuables in the Mountain and River Seal. 299 309
• His grin can become notably cold when he decides to kill. 310 332
• Is described by others as having a distinctive “obnoxiousness” recognizable even across worlds. 332

Personality

Lu Shu is miserly, opportunistic, and intensely motivated by wealth; he sells spirit stones, runs stalls, bargains aggressively, and treats potential profits as seriously as combat opportunities. Yet he spends decisively on necessities, including a home for himself and Lu Xiaoyu. 270 273 303

His greatest social weapon is his “mouth-fu”: he reads people well, speaks bluntly, and can provoke anger with a few carefully chosen words. Negative emotion points are both a resource and a consequence of this habit. 268 271 309

Behind his pettiness, Lu Shu is dependable in major crises. He protects Lu Xiaoyu, honors his promise to Liu Xiu by taking responsibility for Liu Li, and grows increasingly willing to fight and kill for comrades and homeland. 301 310 311 322 339

He is pragmatic about danger. He will retreat from unfavorable fights, apologize immediately to a clearly stronger opponent, or flee after a decisive strike rather than maintain appearances. 307 319 322

Abilities & Skills

Negative Emotion Cultivation

Lu Shu converts negative emotions generated by others into points used for cultivation.

• Deliberately provokes people through insults, scams, bizarre logic, and public antics. 268 271 284
• Can harvest points from individuals, crowds, and online interactions. 284
• Uses negative emotions to advance the Star Map, though large reserves do not always overcome cultivation bottlenecks. 280
• His reputation and speech patterns are so distinctive that they can compromise disguises. 309 332

Star Map

Lu Shu’s core cultivation system is based on the power of stars.

• His first three Star Map layers include Fu Shi and Queyin. 280 310
• The power of stars is sealed when he enters Lu Zhou, forcing him to cultivate swordsmanship instead. 325
• At first rank, he fuses spiritual power with the power of stars. 332
• His later martial resonance reveals that he advances through singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” 339

Swordsmanship

Li Xianyi teaches Lu Shu swordsmanship, which becomes central when his Star Map is sealed. 270 325

• Can fly on a sword as a D-rank practitioner. 271
• Uses a single sword strike to cut down two thousand enemies while rescuing Lu Xiaoyu. 322
• Defeats a first-rank swordsman, Yi Qian, during his own first-rank breakthrough. 332
• Can transform rain into sword attacks after reaching B-rank. 310

Fu Shi

Fu Shi is Lu Shu’s Second Star Chart ability, manifesting as a nearly thread-thin white flying sword. 280 306

• Activated in rage after an enemy destroys his beast nest. 280
• Pierces Ke Wenli’s skull during Lu Shu’s Sea Clan infiltration. 306
• Enables rapid, covert lethal strikes. 306

Queyin

Queyin is Lu Shu’s third awakened Star Map weapon: innumerable fine needles. 310

• Awakens alongside his B-rank breakthrough. 310
• Turns torrential rain into a devastating rain of swords over a three-mile area. 310
• Used to avenge the wounded Zhao Yongchen. 310

Water-Element Skill

Lu Shu awakens a water-element ability after testing fruits from the ruins on Little Squirrel. 284

• Its exact functions are not detailed.
• The awakening helps establish him as Dao Yuan Class’s first C-rank student. 284

Disguise and Infiltration

Lu Shu regularly infiltrates hostile forces under assumed identities.

• Uses identities including Li Teng, Yamada Akira, and Tang Mingyang. 298 307 341
• Impersonates Sea Clan and Black Feather Army personnel. 306 341
• His disguises frequently collapse because he cannot consistently maintain the expected personality or forms of address. 306 321
• When exposed, he commonly shifts identity, escapes, or kills witnesses. 298 306

Mental Arithmetic

Lu Shu claims exceptional mental arithmetic ability.

• Calculates (1921 \times 1921) in less than a second, though the answer he provides is incorrect. 299
• Uses the claimed skill to impress Kuriyama while operating as Yamada Akira. 298

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mountain and River Seal — Storage treasure used to hold weapons, valuables, and Liu Xiu’s body. 274 299
• Purple Gold Gourd / Head-Turning Gourd — Causes targets’ necks to twist; later becomes powerful enough to kill multiple criminals remotely and is called his strongest magical treasure. 276 351
• Cheng Ying Sword — Gift from Nie Ting; contains the sword spirit Young Master Hai. 303
• Corpse Dog — Used to kill Takashima Heijin after Lu Shu’s sword spirit stuns him. 299
• Chaos — Evolved from Divine Water into Chaos Little Snake; later awakens and serves as Lu Shu’s mount in battle. 303 321
• Marrow Cleansing Fruit — Restores damaged foundations and improves aptitude; Lu Shu also uses ordinary tomatoes as a deceptive substitute. 338 340 341
• Spirit stones — Sold for profit or used to purchase housing. 270
• Stinky tofu — A recurring tool for attracting attention and harvesting negative emotions. 278 309

Relationships

• Lu Xiaoyu — Adoptive sister and closest family. Lu Shu’s mood visibly brightens when she arrives; he repeatedly protects her, while she understands his habits well enough to mock his failed plans and profit on his behalf. 301 322 333 334
• Li Xianyi — Swordsmanship teacher. Li Xianyi is repeatedly exasperated by Lu Shu but teaches him sword cultivation. 270 284 291
• Nie Ting — Heavenly Network leader and patron. Nie Ting sends Lu Shu on missions, gifts him the Cheng Ying Sword, and comes to value him despite Lu Shu’s unpredictability. 296 303 325
• Liu Li — Target of Lu Shu’s teasing and later Liu Xiu’s younger cousin. Lu Shu promises Liu Xiu to care for him like a younger brother. 268 301
• Liu Xiu — Comrade whose remains Lu Shu brings home. Lu Shu honors his promise by looking after Liu Li. 299 301
• Carol — Deeply devoted to Lu Shu; forcefully advances from D-rank to B-rank after hearing of his supposed death and later carries him away while he is injured. 296 299
• Sakurai Yayoi — Initially approaches Lu Shu through a financial arrangement; their relationship develops into cooperation and mutual respect. She later joins the Heavenly Network. 296 298 350
• Li Yixiao — Business associate and fellow troublemaker. He recognizes Lu Shu through his disguise and cooperates with him against the EO Organization. 303 309 310
• Chen Zu’an — Associate who chooses to “ride Lu Shu’s coattails.” Their interactions frequently involve schemes, ruins, and mutual exasperation. 278 303 304
• Zhang Weiyu — Former first-rank Imperial Dragon Guard expert who meets Lu Shu in Lu Zhou and later helps train the Martial Guard Army. 325 327 328
• Yi Qian — First-rank swordsman defeated and recruited by Lu Shu. He becomes loyal after recognizing Lu Shu as his king and joins an alliance rather than a slave contract. 332 333
• Li Liang — Saved by Lu Shu and restored with a Marrow Cleansing Fruit; becomes one of Lu Shu’s supporters. 337 338
• Little Squirrel — Pet and subordinate who helps test fruits, leads a rat army, and eventually crosses worlds to find Lu Shu. 273 284 301 332
• Young Master Hai — Sword spirit of the Cheng Ying Sword; regularly argues with Lu Shu and is thrown into the Chaos Abyss to pick mung beans. 303

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dao Yuan Class and Early Awakening

Lu Shu begins as a frail but clever D-rank awakened practitioner whose provocations produce negative emotion points. He studies swordsmanship under Li Xianyi, buys a home for himself and Lu Xiaoyu, and distinguishes himself by flying a sword at D-rank. 263 270 271

Ruins and Black Market

He kills his first spy, plunders a skeleton legion, sells stolen equipment, acquires Little Squirrel, and obtains the Head-Turning Gourd through a black market. His pursuit of wealth frequently drives his choices inside ruins. 273 276 278

Star Map Growth

After awakening Fu Shi, Lu Shu struggles with bottlenecks and a blocked Qi Sea, becomes C-rank, and eventually reaches B-rank when he awakens Queyin to avenge Zhao Yongchen. 280 284 310

Sakura Country Mission

While faking his death, Lu Shu travels to Sakura Country under a weak-student disguise. He works with Sakurai Yayoi, adopts several identities, gains a sword spirit, collects more than ninety thousand spirit stones, and survives with Carol’s aid. 296 298 299

Overseas Operations and War

Lu Shu infiltrates hostile organizations, disrupts the Sea Clan, fights in conflicts involving the Heavenly Network, and reaches pseudo-Class A-level battlefield influence. He rescues Lu Xiaoyu by cutting down two thousand enemies before ordering a retreat. 306 310 321 322

Lu Zhou and the Martial Guard Army

After his Star Map is sealed, Lu Shu enters Lu Zhou, cultivates the sword, takes over Green Dragon Stronghold, becomes commander of the Martial Guard Army, and modernizes his followers with hygiene rules and homework. 325 327 328

First Rank and Sword Hut

Lu Shu regains access to his Star Map through a first-rank breakthrough, recruits Yi Qian, exposes his identity in Royal City, and is admitted early into the Sword Hut. He continues targeting candidates for profit even after acceptance. 332 333 335 336

Defense of Blue Star

Learning that the Black Feather Army has invaded Blue Star, Lu Shu abandons profit-making to protect his homeland. He kills enemy first-rank experts, triggers a second martial resonance, returns with the Martial Guard Army, and prepares to infiltrate the enemy camp. 339 341

Notable Quotes

“I'm good at... uh... pissing people off, and breaking off friendships?” 276

“Everyone making money together, eating and drinking, living peacefully, and finishing out their lives—isn't that good? Why insist on fighting and killing?” 310

“Now I just want to kill.” 310

“Then you probably don't know how hard it's been for me to survive all these years either.” 332

“God King, I wish you good health and booming wealth...” 338

Trivia

• Lu Shu’s greatest secrets include the Star Map, his negative emotion system, and his advancement method of singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” 339
• His schemes have such a poor success record that Lu Xiaoyu describes her distrust as “respecting history.” 334
• He refuses to use slave contracts and instead forms alliances, even when recruiting defeated enemies. 328 333
• Despite his reputation for stinginess, he values promises enough to earn reverence from others. 301
• He is repeatedly identified through the anger he provokes rather than through his appearance. 309 332