Chen Fan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Chen Fan (陈凡)
Alias(es)	Elder Impermanence; Impermanence; “Rustam”
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Formerly Spirit Empire; Star Dou Great Forest faction
Occupation/Role	Former Spirit Hall Elder; former logistics elder; former Commander-in-Chief of the Spirit Master legions; Teleportation Gate participant
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 91 Titled Douluo	1	Reached level 91 at age eighteen after twelve years of cultivation; became a Spirit Hall Elder.
Level 93 Titled Douluo	5	Had advanced through seclusion while sidelined in logistics; entered the Mondstadt defense mission.
Peak Level 98 Titled Douluo	6	Received an unconditional five-level increase for earning a perfect rating in the defense of Mondstadt.
Rank 99 Peak / Peerless Douluo	16	A faction-wide one-level reward from the Dvalin mission pushed him into the Peerless Douluo realm.

Background / History

Chen Fan was originally an Earth transmigrator. He exhausted his lifespan after spending his savings to obtain a C6 Skirk in a ten-pull, then was reborn on the Douluo Continent as the son of a Spirit Hall Cardinal. His martial soul initially manifested as an ordinary chain, with innate spirit power at level seven. Through personal development, he transformed it into the soul-snatching Impermanence Chain. 1 3

His foreknowledge carried little influence during childhood. After failing to convince senior figures of future events, he focused on cultivation, becoming a Titled Douluo at eighteen. He repeatedly warned Bibi Dong against founding the Spirit Empire and pursuing several of her plans; she instead sidelined him as a logistics elder and withheld his promised coronation ceremony. Qian Daoliu ultimately conducted the ceremony, and Chen Fan adopted the title Impermanence in honor of his martial soul. 1 10 11 14

Expecting the Spirit Empire's eventual defeat, Chen Fan secretly moved his parents and younger sister to Falling Leaf Village on the Star Luo Empire border under assumed identities. 1 5

Story Role / Major Arcs

Mondstadt Defense

With the empire's stronger Titled Douluos incapacitated, Chen Fan was appointed Commander-in-Chief during the crisis at Jialing Pass. When the Heavenly Dao issued the individual mission to defend Mondstadt, he entered despite the perceived risk. 1 4 5

Outside Mondstadt, Chen Fan annihilated the attacking Hilichurl force with Impermanence Hell, completing the mission with a perfect rating. The reward raised his spirit power by five levels and healed all injuries and poisons among the Spirit Empire's members while raising their power by two levels. 5 6

Departure from the Spirit Empire

After his success, Chen Fan remained distant from Bibi Dong and declined to advise her on the Dvalin mission. He returned command of the general legion and sought to leave the empire rather than remain vulnerable to being ignored or used as a scapegoat. 7

He formally resigned, surrendered his Elder Token, and left Jialing City after Bibi Dong gave him an ultimatum. Bibi Dong considered his resignation a bluff intended to force an apology, then became enraged when he genuinely departed. 14 15

Star Dou Great Forest Alliance

While crossing the Star Dou Great Forest to return to his family, Chen Fan encountered Xiong Jun and Chi Wang. Bibi Dong then attempted to assassinate him, but the Silver Dragon King blocked her attack and brought Chen Fan into her domain. 16 17

Chen Fan agreed to join the Star Dou Great Forest faction only on the condition that he could leave freely in the future. He also stressed the danger of being the faction's sole human member. 18

Gnosis Missions and Liyue Survival Trial

As a Star Dou Great Forest participant, Chen Fan infiltrated Mondstadt Cathedral and seized a Gnosis from La Signora using spiritual power and the Impermanence Chain. Though her ice attacks overwhelmed him, he escaped through the Teleportation Gate; La Signora recognized him as “Rustam.” 25

The Heavenly Dao confirmed his perfect completion of the Anemo Gnosis mission, rewarding him by increasing every spirit ring's age by ten thousand years and granting the Soul-Hooking Right Arm Bone. 26

During the subsequent three-day survival mission in Liyue, Chen Fan confronted Lumine at Wangshu Inn, repelled her Anemo burst, and retreated after Xiao intervened. He later aided Qiqi, attempting to repair her damaged spiritual sea, and was brought to the Jade Chamber to meet Ningguang and Baizhu. 29 30 31 32 34

Personality

Chen Fan is calm, pragmatic, and highly independent. He assesses missions and political situations by their risks and rewards rather than loyalty or reputation, which leads him to enter Mondstadt alone but refuse to offer Bibi Dong strategic advice after years of being sidelined. 4 7

He is guarded around authority figures and unwilling to be controlled, as shown by his resignation from the Spirit Empire and his conditions for joining the Silver Dragon King's faction. 14 16 18

Despite his detachment, he prioritizes his family's safety and displays compassion toward Qiqi, expending spiritual power in an attempt to mend her damaged spiritual sea. 16 27 31 32

Appearance

Chen Fan is a young man in his early twenties by the time he joins the Star Dou Great Forest faction. 18

• Carries and manifests the dark Impermanence Chain as his martial soul.
• Wore ordinary clothing and carried limited supplies after leaving the Spirit Empire. 14
• Later acquired a standard set of Liyue clothing while surviving in Teyvat. 31

Abilities & Skills

Impermanence Chain

Chen Fan's martial soul originated as an ordinary chain but evolved into soul-snatching chains modeled after the Black and White Impermanence. It combines restraint, lethal offense, and spiritual manipulation. 1 32

• Can bind, strike, and form defensive barriers.
• Can damage a target's spiritual sea of consciousness. 32
• Can be used as a grappling method for rapid aerial retreat. 30
• Its spiritual properties enabled Chen Fan to briefly stun La Signora and seize her Gnosis while she was off guard. 25

Sixth Spirit Ability: Nether Ghost Fire

Chen Fan channels blue flames through the Impermanence Chain. 25

• Fires blue flame projectiles.
• Can counter incoming ice attacks, though it was unable to melt La Signora's ice crystals outright. 25
• Becomes stronger while Chen Fan is using his martial soul true form. 25
• Chen Fan considers its firepower insufficient against higher-level ice and flame users. 27

Seventh Spirit Ability: Impermanence True Form

Chen Fan combines the Impermanence Chain into a ten-meter chain-sword, entering his martial soul avatar state. 25

• Greatly strengthens Nether Ghost Fire. 25
• Converts the chain into a long-range sweeping weapon.
• Allows area attacks with the chain-sword's extended reach. 25

Ninth Spirit Ability: Impermanence Hell

Chen Fan's signature large-scale offensive technique. 5

• Summons hundreds or thousands of thick black chains from the void.
• Blankets a wide area with piercing attacks.
• Instantly destroyed the Hilichurl siege force outside Mondstadt. 5 6

Spiritual Power

As a Peerless Douluo, Chen Fan possesses spiritual power that Teyvat's ordinary residents lack. 25

• Can conduct mental shocks; against La Signora, the effect lasted only about two and a half seconds even when she was caught off guard. 25
• Can sense nearby presences and investigate disturbances. 31
• Has learned rudimentary methods to repair spiritual-sea damage, though he cannot fully restore a severely damaged spiritual sea. 32

Combat Capability

At rank 99, Chen Fan considers himself capable of killing an ordinary Peerless Douluo in one strike. He cannot defeat a god directly, but believes he can retreat safely from one under normal circumstances. 16

• Defended Mondstadt alone with a perfect mission result. 5 6
• Withstood several exchanges with La Signora before escaping. 25 26
• His right-arm spirit bone's defensive effect was disrupted by Xiao's strike, leaving his arm numb and forcing a retreat. 29 30

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Impermanence Chain — Evolved chain martial soul used for offense, restraint, spiritual attacks, defense, and mobility.
• Soul-Hooking Right Arm Bone — Hundred-thousand-year spirit bone obtained after the Anemo Gnosis mission; manifests a dark veil and appears to provide elemental resistance. 26 29 30
• Silver Dragon Scale — Token granted by the Silver Dragon King; permits Chen Fan to return to the Star Dou Great Forest's Forbidden Zone. 27
• Soul storage bag — Used to carry his belongings after leaving the Spirit Empire. 14

Relationships

• Bibi Dong — Former empress and superior. Chen Fan's warnings and dissent led to his demotion; after his resignation, she attempted to kill him. 1 14 17
• Silver Dragon King — Saved Chen Fan from Bibi Dong, recruited him into the Star Dou Great Forest faction, and gave him a return token. Their alliance is conditional and uneasy. 17 18 27
• Hu Liena — Concerned former colleague who tried to stop him from entering Mondstadt and later delivered Bibi Dong's ultimatum; Chen Fan remained emotionally distant. 5 11 14 15
• Chen Yuan — Father and former Spirit Empire Cardinal. Chen Fan arranged for him to live in hiding; Chen Yuan remains cautious of both the Spirit Empire and spirit beasts. 1 5 27
• Xu Wei — Mother, who worries for Chen Fan's safety during Teleportation Gate missions. 27 28
• Chen Muxue — Younger sister who believes in Chen Fan and welcomes him home after his return. 5 27 28
• Lumine — Traveler who recognizes Chen Fan as the thief of Venti's Gnosis and attacks him in Liyue. 29 30
• La Signora — Fatui Harbinger from whom Chen Fan seized a Gnosis. She calls him “Rustam,” though Chen Fan does not understand why. 25 27
• Qiqi — Chen Fan protects her from Hu Tao's burial attempt and tries to repair her damaged spiritual sea. 31 32
• Xiao — Intervened to save Lumine from Chen Fan; Chen Fan withdrew after Xiao's attack numbed his spirit-bone arm. 30

Trivia

• Chen Fan awakened his martial soul at age six and reached level 91 at eighteen. 1
• His nine soul rings during the Mondstadt defense were two yellow, two purple, and five black. 5
• He named his title “Impermanence” to honor the Impermanence Chain. 11
• La Signora's use of “Rustam” visibly unsettled Chen Fan because he has no explanation for the name. 25 27