Mu Chen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Mu Chen presides over the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association. When Cen Yue reports that Li Moxun has arrived for a grading assessment in Thousand Refinement First Grade, Mu Chen comes down personally to observe, initially expecting Tang Wulin instead. 33

He is Tang Wulin's master and Mu Xi's father. When Tang Wulin arrives injured from his fight with Li Moxun, Mu Chen examines him before overseeing Li Moxun's assessment. 34

Mu Chen sets Li Moxun an unusually difficult test material—Dragon Blood Iron rather than the standard Dark Iron—but witnesses him complete Thousand Refinement First Grade in one continuous session. Li Moxun's cold energy further improves the finished metal to quasi-Spirit Forging quality. 34 35

After Mu Xi attacks Li Moxun during their confrontation, Mu Chen offers compensation but allows her attack to land before intervening. He later gives Li Moxun a standard Level 4 badge despite acknowledging that he qualifies as a peak Level 4, quasi-Level 5 blacksmith. 35 36

Li Moxun retaliates through a blood-infused clone. The clone maims Mu Xi, then battles Mu Chen with fire-element Spirit Words that reverse-suppress Mu Chen's fire-based power. Mu Chen is pierced through the chest and abdomen before Leng Yaozhu intervenes and destroys the clone. 37 38 39

Li Moxun estimates that the injuries inflicted on Mu Chen will require at least one or two years to recover fully. This is his assessment of the attack's consequences rather than a subsequently confirmed recovery period. 38

Following the attack, Leng Yaozhu instructs Mu Chen to seek the Tang Sect's help if he wishes to restore Mu Xi's arm. Mu Chen leaves to attend to both Mu Xi and Tang Wulin's injuries. 40

Mu Xi's loss of an arm ends her prospects as both a Soul Master and a blacksmith. As a result, Li Moxun replaces her as one of the Donghai City Blacksmith Association's junior representatives alongside Tang Wulin, despite Mu Chen's reluctance to accept him. 51

Although Li Moxun later acknowledges that he severely injured Mu Chen and Mu Xi, he notes that neither father nor daughter has identified him as their assailant. This leaves Li Moxun free of open hostility within the blacksmithing community. 145

After becoming a Soul Forging grandmaster, Li Moxun seeks knowledge of Divine Forging and Heaven Forging. He identifies Mu Chen and Zhen Hua as the only current holders of complete Divine Forging techniques and notes. Because Zhen Hua is formidable, possesses Four-Word Battle Armor, and is protected by Mu Ye, Li Moxun chooses Mu Chen as the more accessible route to obtaining Zhen Hua's Divine Forging notes. He delegates the matter to Angers, both to acquire the knowledge and to test Angers's capabilities. 199

Li Moxun considers his earlier feud with Mu Chen settled. Although he is willing to use other methods to obtain the notes, he states that he will not kill Mu Chen unless Mu Chen interferes with him or takes the initiative to scheme against him. No completed acquisition of the notes or direct reconciliation between the two is shown at this stage. 199

Personality

Mu Chen is an accomplished professional who recognizes exceptional blacksmithing talent, even when it belongs to Li Moxun, the student who injured his disciple. He personally evaluates Li Moxun's unusual forging method and confirms his Level 4 certification. 34 35

His judgment is compromised by his attachment to Mu Xi and Tang Wulin. He overlooks Mu Xi's unprovoked attack, offers compensation rather than meaningfully correcting her conduct, and subsequently withholds the higher-status badge and benefits Li Moxun had earned. 35 36

Mu Chen is fiercely protective of his daughter. Her injury provokes him into immediately attacking the unknown assailant, although he later realizes that her history of offending others may have brought the attack upon her. 38 39

Though he recognizes the danger of the retaliatory attack, Mu Chen does not identify Li Moxun as the assailant at the time. His reflection instead focuses on the many people Mu Xi may have offended through her arrogance and domineering conduct. 39 He remains unaware of Li Moxun's involvement years later. 145

Abilities & Skills

Fire-Attribute Martial Soul

Mu Chen possesses a powerful fire-based martial soul, described as likely sun-type or descended from a sun martial soul. He manifests nine Spirit Rings and is described as a Titled Douluo during the attack. The following chapter instead repeatedly calls him a Soul Douluo, leaving an inconsistency in the narration of his cultivation rank. 38 39

• His flames can fill a large area and melt asphalt in the surrounding city streets. 38
• His seventh Spirit Ring transforms him into a massive sun-like form of concentrated flame. 38
• His fire is vulnerable to Li Moxun's fire-element Spirit Word, Lord Flame, which takes control of surrounding fire elements and causes reverse suppression of fire-based martial souls. 38 39
• Under Lord Flame's suppression, the fire-element portion of his Soul Power and soul skills strengthens the assailant's flames while weakening Mu Chen's own abilities. 39
• Despite his cultivation, the narration describes his combat proficiency as particularly poor among Soul Douluos because his primary profession is blacksmithing. He nevertheless remains stronger than most Soul Sages. 39

Blacksmithing Expertise

As president of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association and an eighth-level blacksmith, Mu Chen oversees high-level certification and understands the distinction between standard Level 4 and quasi-Level 5 status. 33 36 51

• He recognizes that Li Moxun's Dragon Blood Iron has reached Thousand Refinement First Grade and gained quasi-Spirit Forging characteristics through cold energy. 35
• He can arrange special materials and advancement opportunities for blacksmiths under his patronage, including Tang Wulin. 36
• His authority allows him to issue or limit certification benefits, which he uses against Li Moxun after their conflict. 36
• His status gives his disciples considerable standing within the Blacksmith Association, although Mu Xi's injury leaves Li Moxun as a more suitable junior representative. 51
• He offers Leng Yaozhu future assistance concerning Three-Word Battle Armor in gratitude for saving his family and disciple. 39
• He is later stated to have mastered Divine Forging techniques and methods and to possess complete Divine Forging notes. Li Moxun views him as a more accessible source of this knowledge than Zhen Hua. 199

Relationships

• Mu Xi — His daughter; Mu Chen is openly protective and indulgent toward her, even when she attacks Li Moxun without cause. After her arm is destroyed, Mu Chen seeks means to restore it, while her injury ends her path as a Soul Master and blacksmith. 35 36 40 51
• Tang Wulin — His disciple and favored young blacksmith; Mu Chen examines his injuries, supports his advancement, and offers him quasi-Level 5 benefits before he formally qualifies. 34 36 Tang Wulin's identity as Mu Chen's disciple continues to contribute to his standing as a young blacksmith at Shrek Academy. 148
• Li Moxun — A gifted examinee turned adversary. Mu Chen recognizes his forging talent but suppresses his certification privileges after Li Moxun injures Tang Wulin; Li Moxun later retaliates through a clone. 35 36 38 Li Moxun later explicitly identifies the attack as revenge against Mu Chen. 47 Mu Chen and Mu Xi nevertheless remain unaware that Li Moxun was their attacker. 145 By Chapter 199, Li Moxun considers the feud settled and does not intend to kill Mu Chen unless he becomes an obstacle or schemes against him. He instead targets Mu Chen as a source of Divine Forging notes, assigning Angers to handle their acquisition. 199
• Cen Yue — A six-rank grandmaster blacksmith who brings Li Moxun's assessment to Mu Chen's attention. Cen Yue later supervises the junior blacksmith representatives when Mu Chen cannot attend personally. 33 52
• Leng Yaozhu — Intervenes when Li Moxun's clone is about to kill Mu Chen, saving Mu Chen, Mu Xi, and Tang Wulin. Mu Chen later offers assistance with three-word Battle Armor in gratitude. 38 39 Leng Yaozhu subsequently enters a separate conflict with Li Moxun. 46 47 48 Li Moxun later plans her elimination, and she is severely injured in a confrontation with Di Tian. 59 66

Story Role / Major Arcs

Li Moxun's Blacksmith Assessment

Mu Chen serves as Li Moxun's examiner during the Thousand Refinement First Grade assessment. Though impressed by Li Moxun's ability, he chooses Dragon Blood Iron as a more difficult test material and later issues only a standard Level 4 badge. 34 35 36

Conflict with Li Moxun

Mu Chen's favoritism toward Mu Xi and Tang Wulin turns a professional assessment into a personal conflict. His failure to restrain Mu Xi or fairly recognize Li Moxun's qualifications becomes the motive for Li Moxun's retaliation. 35 36 38

Retaliatory Attack

After Mu Xi is grievously injured by Li Moxun's clone, Mu Chen attacks in anger. His fire abilities are countered by the clone's Spirit Word, leaving him critically wounded until Leng Yaozhu intervenes. 37 38 39

The clone's willingness to attack without defending turns Mu Chen's anger into apprehension and fear. He cannot understand why the assailant spares his daughter and disciple while apparently risking its own life to wound or kill him. Li Moxun, meanwhile, regards Mu Chen's indulgence and unfair treatment as the principal causes of the retaliation. 38

Aftermath and Junior Blacksmith Representation

Mu Chen is left to handle the consequences of the attack, including Mu Xi's permanently devastating arm injury and Tang Wulin's injuries. Mu Xi's inability to continue forging forces the Blacksmith Association to select Li Moxun as her replacement among its junior representatives, alongside Tang Wulin. 40 51

Despite the attack's lasting consequences, Mu Chen does not learn that Li Moxun orchestrated it. Li Moxun later regards this ignorance as preserving his ability to operate in blacksmithing circles without provoking Mu Chen's direct enmity. 145

Divine Forging Knowledge

Mu Chen later becomes relevant to Li Moxun's pursuit of Divine Forging and Heaven Forging. His possession of complete Divine Forging knowledge makes him a potential route to acquiring the advanced notes Li Moxun lacks. Rather than approaching the heavily protected Zhen Hua, Li Moxun delegates the acquisition through Mu Chen to Angers. 199

This plan is distinguished from Li Moxun's earlier retaliation: he considers the feud settled and rules out killing Mu Chen unless Mu Chen actively obstructs or schemes against him. The proposed acquisition remains a plan, not a confirmed transfer of knowledge. 199

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