Lu Li

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Lu Li (陆离)
Alias(es)	Duan Li; Deer Pear Maiden / Deer Pear
Species/Race	Human; later extensively modified with construct artifacts
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Former stamping-workshop worker; independently operates around Treasure Flow River and Maple Fragrance City
Occupation/Role	Clamp master, gold prospector, spirit-ore refiner, artificer examinee
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Earth-wood spiritual roots; no cultivation talent	7	Assessed with low D-grade physique and divine sense. His roots are 44% earth, 27% wood, with lesser metal, water, and fire attributes.
First-Turn Breath Furnace / Qi-Combining Cauldron acquired	8–9	Mortgages his lungs for the device, which replaces his lungs and windpipe. Learns its three states and uses Liberation by Violence to escape Azure Sun Hall disciples.
Qi-Combining Cauldron refined	28	Completes the forging himself in ten days after studying Hundred Explanations of Array Studies, ending his first loan.
Azure Underworld Painted Skin acquired	29–30	Mortgages his skin for a first-rank Puppet Device; gains an exceptionally resilient body and access to Steel State.
Heaven-grade artificer examinations	47–50	Demonstrates eleven-layer black-iron stacking and attempts a second stacking across three sections, equivalent to thirty-three layers.

Background

Lu Li grew up in poverty and had lost both parents by age fifteen. Although he initially dreamed of becoming an immortal, he believed he lacked both the talent and opportunity to enter cultivation. He worked as a clamp master in a stamping workshop producing components for first-tier core nuclei. 2 3

His mother incurred a debt of forty-two spirit stones through stock speculation. Azure Sun Hall’s collection methods included assessing debtors’ aptitude and using their bodies as repayment; Lu Li’s earth-wood roots made his organs valuable enough to target. 2 7

His younger sister, Lu Ling, was chronically ill. Their mother was deceived into donating to the Immortal Unification Sect in hopes of treatment, eventually selling Lu Ling away. Lu Li later dreams through Lu Ling’s perspective and learns that she had intended to sacrifice herself to fund his education. 20 21

Appearance

Following his acquisition of Azure Underworld Painted Skin, Lu Li’s external body closely resembles Lu Ling: a delicate young girl with porcelain-pale skin and glossy black hair. He remains male and is deeply uncomfortable with the mismatch between his identity and appearance. 29 30

• Originally a poorly nourished fifteen-year-old boy with sallow skin. 3 30
• The Qi-Combining Cauldron altered his voice into that of a younger boy and greatly increased his breath capacity. 9
• Azure Underworld Painted Skin removed his body hair and made his skin exceptionally smooth and pale. 29 30
• His altered appearance is sufficiently similar to Lu Ling that Mo Shuhan mistakes him for a copy of her. 45
• Nearsighted after his bodily modifications; later uses adjustable rainbowstone goggles. 50

Personality

Lu Li is cautious, frugal, and suspicious of anyone offering help. Having been surrounded by swindlers and exploiters, he assumes that promised benefits conceal ulterior motives; this is especially evident in his refusal to trust Elder Duan or accept her as his master. 9 28

He is practical rather than grandiose. Wealth, food, medicine, and survival matter more to him than lofty cultivation rhetoric, and even after becoming successful, he remains reluctant to spend spirit stones. 17 32 50

Despite his guarded nature, Lu Li is persistent and inventive. He rapidly learns artificing, uses unconventional solutions in examinations, and continues pursuing advancement because he wants to find Lu Ling. 28 41 45

Elder Duan warns that his excessive dreaming, irritability, suspicion, and delusions may be symptoms of delirium caused by mechanical modification. Lu Li insists that he has retained his original heart. 36

Abilities & Skills

Qi-Combining Cauldron

A first-turn construct artifact installed in Lu Li’s chest in exchange for his lungs. It replaces his respiratory system and serves as his principal offensive, refining, and sensory tool. 8 10

• Origin Return — conceals his aura. 8
• Heavenly Cycle — absorbs and expels spiritual qi, accelerating recovery and cultivation. 8
• Liberation by Violence — releases destructive force; can shatter weapons and control iron filings through his breath. 8
• Detects submerged spirit-ore deposits through gangqi/divine-sense-like perception. 13 48
• Filters and purifies ores, including gray silver and spirit-conducting copper. 17 18
• Can filter impurities from his own body, though these must later be removed. 18
• Uses spirit ore to form combat techniques and cutting tools. 19 30

Stamping Art

Lu Li’s original trade skill and primary martial-art foundation. He learns to borrow external force and turn it into his own strength. 18

• Stamping Art: Anvil Hammer — a killing move formed with the cauldron and refined ore. 19
• Stamping Art: Milling Cutter — a high-speed cutting technique capable of splitting a large boulder with a smooth cut. 19
• Uses hammer forging with notable precision, restraint, and material awareness. 41 43
• Performs eleven-layer black-iron stacking during the Heaven-grade examination. 47
• Attempts a three-section second stack, equating to thirty-three total layers. 48

Artificing and Array Studies

Lu Li displays exceptional comprehension in Puppet Dao and artifact forging despite his lack of formal training. 28

• Learns Hundred Explanations of Array Studies from nothing and forges the Qi-Combining Cauldron in ten days. 27 28
• Understands methods for identifying spirit-core origin and production history. 26
• Uses differential centrifugation principles to develop ore-processing methods without Elder Duan’s instruction. 14
• Places third in the Earth-grade Pincersmith examination with a practical score of 92 after only three or four days studying stamping mechanisms. 43
• Wins first place in the welder assessment. 44

Azure Underworld Painted Skin

A first-rank defensive Puppet Device obtained through a second loan. 29 30

• Its normal state withstands ordinary mortal weapons without visible damage. 30
• Steel State hardens the skin like iron when fueled by spiritual power. 30
• Protects Lu Li from Zhu Yi’s chainsaw strike and the three middle-reach families’ attacks. 35 49 50
• Cannot protect nearby equipment or the artifact currently being forged. 50
• Steel State rapidly consumes the Qi-Combining Cauldron’s spiritual power. 30

Equipment / Items

• Qi-Combining Cauldron — chest-installed first-turn construct artifact; Lu Li’s lungs and windpipe were used as collateral. 8 10
• Azure Underworld Painted Skin — first-rank defensive construct artifact. 29 30
• Flesh-and-Bone Link — chest mechanism Lu Li installs himself to monitor the Qi-Combining Cauldron. 26
• Mountain Ape Strength Arms — recovered after defeating a mechanical ape. 25
• Wind-Stilling Shuttle blueprint — received from Zhu Yi as compensation. 35
• First-rank, sixth-type wind spirit core — received from Zhu Yi as compensation. 35
• Rainbowstone goggles — gifted by Mo Shuhan to compensate for his nearsightedness and shield his eyes from glare. 50

Relationships

• Elder Duan — mysterious White Jade Capital cultivator whose remaining soul possesses Wood Crow. She loans Lu Li construct artifacts, guides his development, and seeks to turn him into material for the Azure Attendant Female Puppet; Lu Li distrusts and refuses to acknowledge her as master. 8 9 28 31
• Lu Ling — Lu Li’s younger sister. Her sacrifice and uncertain fate drive his determination to advance; he suspects her soul is connected to the gold spirit core inside the cauldron. 20 22 45
• Mo Shuhan — Mo Family young lady who mistakes Lu Li for a copy or relative of Senior Heartless. She later sponsors him, gives him goggles, and proposes that he become her Dao companion if she wins their examination bet. 35 45 47 50
• Zhu Yi — Azure Sun Hall pursuer seeking revenge for his brother. He mistakes Lu Li’s altered body for a Mo Family young miss, apologizes, and compensates him after attacking. 33 35
• Workshop Master Xu — owner of Cloud Moon Welding Workshop, who offers Lu Li an Earthfire Cauldron and later a high-paying workshop position; Lu Li declines in order to continue pursuing Lu Ling and greater advancement. 44 45
• Zhong Wenbai — White Moon Palace deacon impressed by Lu Li’s artificing talent and tenacity; considers admitting “Deer Pear” into Yushui Academy. 42
• Senior Heartless — White Moon Palace automaton guardian and supposed artifact-spirit form connected to Lu Ling. Others repeatedly mistake Lu Li for her due to their resemblance. 35 36 46

Story Role / Major Arcs

Debt and Azure Sun Hall Pursuit

After learning that his mother’s debt may be collected through his body, Lu Li is captured by Azure Sun Hall disciples. He accepts Elder Duan’s first loan, escapes through the Qi-Combining Cauldron, and kills the disciples pursuing him. 2 7 9

Treasure Flow River

Lu Li uses the cauldron to locate, extract, and purify spirit ore. He evolves from an impoverished gold panner into a seller of mineral locations, accumulating more than one hundred spirit stones under the alias Duan Li. 11 20

Search for Lu Ling

Repeated dreams reveal Lu Ling’s sacrifice and soul extraction. Lu Li comes to suspect that her soul was refined into a puppet or artifact spirit, making the search for her a central motivation. 21 22 36 45 46

Maple Fragrance City and Construct Modification

After returning to Maple Fragrance City, Lu Li buys materials, refines the Qi-Combining Cauldron, and takes a second loan for Azure Underworld Painted Skin. The modification gives him powerful defense but transforms his appearance into one nearly identical to Lu Ling’s. 25 31

Artificer Examinations

Using the identity Deer Pear Maiden, Lu Li enters White Moon Palace’s artificer examinations while evading Azure Sun Hall. He ranks third in the Earth-grade Pincersmith examination, wins the welder assessment, and advances to the Heaven-grade contest. 32 44

Heaven-Grade Assessment

Lu Li demonstrates Black Iron Eleven stacking and continues forging amid a violent clash among the Fan, Yan, and Zou families. Azure Underworld Painted Skin keeps him unharmed, while his concern remains protecting his tools and sword blank. 47 50

Trivia

• Lu Li measures wealth in “kidneys”; fifty-nine spirit stones are equivalent to twenty kidneys by his calculation. 19
• He is notably fond of pears, progressing from cheap pears to premium pears and rock-sugar stewed pear as his finances improve. 17 32 50
• He initially compares the Breath Furnace’s three states to Quiet, Balanced, and Beast modes from laptops in his previous life. 8
• He refuses to call Elder Duan his master, partly because he fears the title may activate a trap. 28