Chu Xiaotian

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chu Xiaotian (楚小天)
Alias(es)	Master Spirit Guide; “Little Brother Tian”
Species/Race	Human; cultivates through a zombie-like corpse transformation
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Mad Blade Martial Hall; Xia Xue’s valley household
Occupation/Role	Spirit Guide; cultivator; talisman practitioner
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Body Refining, roughly third stage	8	Despite never having cultivated a formal technique, his physical strength and wolf-slaying feats are assessed as comparable to at least the third stage.
True Body Refining via Heavenly Corpse Art	21	After gaining control of Corpse Poison, he begins using it with the Heavenly Corpse Art to strengthen his physique.
First meridian opened; Sea of Qi acupoint opened	22	Opens the Hand Shaoyin Meridian in five minutes using concentrated yin-cold energy, then endures severe pain to open his Sea of Qi.
Initial Purple Corpse realm / sixth-stage Body Refining equivalent	23	Absorbs abundant yin energy from the three moons; his arm strength rises from roughly 400 jin to over 600 jin in half an hour.
Mid-stage Purple Corpse realm; apparent Sea-Opening Realm	35	His cleared meridians and opened dantian make him appear to be a Sea-Opening Realm cultivator, though his Purple Corpse physique grants far greater toughness.

Background / History

Chu Xiaotian was born in a small mountain village. His parents left for city work when he was young and never returned; villagers assumed they had died. He was raised by his grandparents, especially his grandfather, a Spirit Guide who led the dead to burial. Chu Xiaotian never attended school, but learned ancient characters and the Spirit Guiding Technique from his grandfather. 1

A quick learner, he could guide the dead independently by age fifteen. When his grandparents died together two years later, he personally conducted their funeral; under his guidance, they walked hand-in-hand into their prepared graves. The feat made him renowned as the region’s new master Spirit Guide. 1

Six months later, drawn by stories of city life, he left the village despite his grandfather’s warning. He worked on a subway-tunnel construction crew alongside village uncles until a collapse buried ten of them. Chu Xiaotian used corpse-leading to bring all ten bodies home, refusing official compensation and interference during the month-long journey. 1 3

Near his village, a lightning-struck mountain peak and sinister aura interrupt the journey. He later finds himself in the Moon-Refining Continent, where Corpse Poison causes him to transform at night and drives his search for a means to control it. 3 6

Appearance

Chu Xiaotian is initially depicted as a young, somewhat immature-looking man, weathered by travel and manual labor. During his corpse-leading journey, his face and clothes are heavily coated in dust. 1

• Upturned face; initially described as slightly immature. 1
• Grey jacket originally black, faded beneath layers of dust. 1
• Yellow sneakers obscured by grime. 1
• Later wears crude beast-hide clothing after arriving in the Moon-Refining Continent. 9
• In Purple Corpse transformation, purple fur forms over his body and provides substantial defense. 31

Personality

Chu Xiaotian is practical, bold, and intensely determined to escape powerlessness. Having lived as an uneducated laborer and witnessed the deaths of his uncles, he becomes deeply hostile toward those who exploit the weak. His encounters with Greenwood Town’s powerful figures strengthen his resolve to gain enough strength that he will never need to bow to others. 11

He is protective toward Xia Xue and repeatedly risks himself for her, though his affection is often expressed through teasing, impulsive flirting, and possessiveness. He can be ruthless when threatened, using Corpse Poison, deception, and lethal force against enemies, but also shows loyalty to people who aid him, particularly Xia Xue and Ba Dao. 19 26 36 37

Abilities & Skills

Spirit Guiding Technique

An inherited funerary art used to guide corpses to their burial places.

• Learned from his grandfather and mastered independently by age fifteen. 1
• Led his grandparents into their graves hand-in-hand, surpassing his grandfather’s recorded accomplishment. 1
• Guided ten deceased uncles from the city toward his mountain village. 3
• Uses talismans in corpse-leading; rain or wind can ruin the talisman and halt the process. 3

Heavenly Corpse Art

A nine-layer cultivation method hidden within his jade pendant. It absorbs baleful yin energy and Corpse Poison to strengthen the body. 17

• The jade pendant suppresses the Corpse Poison within him and reveals the art. 17
• Allows him to draw out and control Corpse Poison rather than be ruled by it. 18
• Cultivation is especially effective at night and under the continent’s three moons. 23 28
• Develops his Purple Corpse form, granting exceptional physical power and resilience. 23 31
• Its absorption rate is described as roughly twice that of Ba Dao’s Mad Battle Blade Art. 22

Corpse Poison

Corpse Poison initially blocks normal cultivation by devouring absorbed spiritual energy, but becomes Chu Xiaotian’s primary resource after he learns the Heavenly Corpse Art. 12 17

• Can incapacitate or kill opponents after entering their bodies. 19 26
• Can be concentrated into strikes for devastating internal damage. 26
• Was used to dull his consciousness while enduring the pain of opening acupoints for the Soaring Dragon Spear. 33
• Its uncontrolled presence initially prevents him from cultivating the Mad Battle Blade Art. 12 14

Talisman Arts

Chu Xiaotian possesses Maoshan talisman arts and an affinity for drawing talismans, though he initially struggles to control local spiritual energy. 6 14

• Refines talisman paper with Xia Xue and recovers mental energy faster than she does. 39
• Draws Explosive Flame Talismans capable of blasting a multicolored pit into the ground. 39
• Creates Invisibility and Godly Speed talismans for stealth and mobility. 39 40
• Practices talisman-making during the day, when yang energy makes Heavenly Corpse Art cultivation inefficient. 28

Soaring Dragon Spear

A spear battle art recovered from Huang Nian’s possessions. Chu Xiaotian possesses only the first move, Electric Dragon Spear. 32

• Requires opening nine blocked acupoints, each increasing spiritual essence while inflicting extreme pain. 33
• Uses a long spear to maintain range and compensate for his lack of formal combat training. 31 35
• The Electric Dragon Spear produces purple light and can blast a one-meter-wide, one-meter-deep hole into stone. 34
• Lets him counter Huang Xiang’s Gale Slash during their battle. 35

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Jade pendant — contains the Heavenly Corpse Art and suppresses Corpse Poison. 17
• Long spear — recovered from Huang Nian’s possessions; used for the Electric Dragon Spear. 32 33
• Qiankun Bags — spatial storage bags taken from defeated enemies. 31 32
• Qiankun Bracelet — spatial bracelet obtained from Huang Nian. 32 36
• Recovery Pills — received from Xia Xue after saving her from giant wolves. 7
• Yuqing Pills — healing pills provided by Xia Xue. 36
• Wind Spirit Pills — restore the spiritual essence of a Pi-Hai Realm expert. 36

Relationships

• Xia Xue — Companion, alchemist ally, and romantic partner. She introduces him to the Moon-Refining Continent, helps him seek cultivation, and treats his injuries; he protects her, gathers herbs for her, and repeatedly fights to keep her safe. 8 9 25 26 36
• Ba Dao — Hall Master of the Mad Blade Martial Hall and early mentor. Ba Dao accepts Chu Xiaotian into the hall, saves him from the Greenwood Three Tigers, and later receives cultivation techniques from him. 12 21 37
• Chu Xiaotian’s grandfather — Grandfather and teacher of the Spirit Guiding Technique. He wanted Chu Xiaotian to remain in the village and inherit the family trade. 1
• Chu Xiaotian’s grandparents — Deceased guardians whom he personally guided to burial. 1
• Chu Xiong — Elder of the Chu family of Shiyan City who mistakes Chu Xiaotian for the clan’s missing young master and brings him to Shiyan City. 48 49
• Xiao Zi — A rapidly growing Spirit Beast cared for by Xia Xue; Chu Xiaotian is frustrated with it after it disrupts an intimate moment with Xia Xue. 46 48

Story Role / Major Arcs

Spirit Guide and tunnel-collapse aftermath

Chu Xiaotian establishes himself as a gifted corpse leader, then abandons the city after his ten uncles die in a tunnel collapse. He undertakes the dangerous task of guiding their bodies back to the mountain village. 1 3

Arrival in the Moon-Refining Continent

After becoming afflicted with Corpse Poison and undergoing nightly zombie transformations, he survives in the forest by hunting beasts. He saves Xia Xue from giant wolves and learns that cultivation is possible in this new world. 6 7 8

Search for a cultivation path

Chu Xiaotian joins the Mad Blade Martial Hall through Xia Xue’s connection, but the Corpse Poison devours all spiritual energy he absorbs, seemingly ending his conventional cultivation prospects. He instead discovers the Heavenly Corpse Art in his jade pendant. 12 13 17

Heavenly Corpse Art cultivation and the Cheng brothers

After mastering basic control over Corpse Poison, he advances rapidly, opens his meridians and dantian, and defeats Cheng Dahu and Cheng Erhu after they attack Xia Xue. 18 22 23 25 26 27

Conflict with the Huang Family

Chu Xiaotian confronts Huang Nian’s group after they target Xia Xue and Mad Blade Martial Hall. He helps conceal the deaths, loots their possessions, learns the Soaring Dragon Spear, and later kills Huang Xiang during the family’s retaliatory attack. 30 31 32 35 36

Spirit Beast competition and Chu family case

He expands his talisman repertoire while preparing to compete for a Spirit Beast cub. After the Moon-Melting Night, Chu Xiong and four Chu family experts mistake him for Shiyan City’s missing Chu family heir and take him toward the city. 39 40 48 49