Chen Huai'an

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Chen Huai'an (陈怀安)
Age	18 at his Qingyun Sect registration 2
Spiritual Root	Five-element mixed spiritual root; widely regarded as the lowest-grade aptitude 1 2
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Qingyun Sect; former Servant Peak servant disciple; Outer Sect disciple 123
Occupation/Role	Former water-carrying servant disciple; cultivator
Current Cultivation	Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak (ninth layer) 177
Status	Alive
Origin	Huai Tree Village
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
30 opened meridians	14	Opened thirty meridians within seven days, the highest recorded result among his intake; Elder Tang later suppressed his result.
Body Tempering Realm, Level One	16	Broke through after intensifying his cultivation following the initiation-test injustice.
Peak of the first level	18 20	Reached the peak of the early first level and defeated Zhang Hu, who was at the second level.
Body Tempering Realm, Level Two	23	Advanced while preparing to eliminate Zhang Long and evade the Zhang Family's investigation.
Mid-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Five	31	Used concealed cultivation to lure Zhang Mu into underestimating him, then severely injured the late-stage cultivator.
Mid-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Six	36	Top-grade spirit grain continued pushing his body-tempering progress even outside dedicated cultivation.
Late-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Seven	40	Broke through after taking a high-grade Foundation Nurturing Pill and securing spirit-food resources.
Body Tempering Realm, Level Eight	47	Advanced after consuming spirit grain, Five-Colored Golden Pheasant spirit food, Foundation Nurturing Pills, and Body Tempering Pills.
Mid-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Five (publicly displayed)	51 52	Registered for the Servant Disciple Challenge Tournament at the fourth level but disclosed a breakthrough to the fifth level, while concealing greater strength.
Mid-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Six	55	Broke through during a tournament match, making his rapid advancement appear attributable to battle.
Late-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Seven	59	Forced a breakthrough while fighting Qi Xiu, using the pressure of the water-attributed opponent to push his body to its limit.
Late-stage Body Tempering Realm, Level Nine	81	Reached the ninth level after entering the Qingyun Mountains; his Elephant Armor Technique let him withstand Azurewood Wolf claws while he killed the pack.
Qi Refining Realm	102	Balanced all five attributes through the Five Elements Qi Refining Formula and expended an enormous quantity of Five Elements Spirit Stones to enter the realm.
Qi Refining Realm, Early Stage, Second-Layer Peak	131	Absorbed his remaining Spirit Stones through Chaos True Qi and advanced to the peak of the second layer in less than a day.
Qi Refining Realm, Middle Stage, Fourth Layer	142	Used 50,000 low-grade Spirit Stones' worth of resources over ten days to break through.
Qi Refining Realm, Middle Stage, Fifth Layer	154	Reached the fifth layer while operating in the Qingyun Mountain Mine.
Foundation Establishment Realm	176	Broke through after consuming large quantities of supreme-grade pills purchased in Moonview Market.
Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak (ninth layer)	177	Exhausted his available resources over a month and rose to the peak of the realm, less than a year after joining Qingyun Sect.

Background / History

Chen Huai'an was the only elementary scholar in Huai Tree Village and had been betrothed to Su Wanying since childhood. When Qingyun Sect recruited disciples in the village, he was rejected for being too old and possessing a five-element mixed spiritual root, while Su Wanying’s exceptional water spiritual root earned her direct entry into the inner sect. 1

After Su Daqiang attacked him and he fell from a cliff, Chen Huai'an survived but awoke beside an unfamiliar stream with a mysterious Purple-Skinned Gourd and no memory of what happened after his fall. Concerned for his ill mother and wanting answers from Su Wanying, he initially sought to return home. 2

Senior Sister Qin discovered him in the wilderness and brought him to Qingyun Sect. Recognizing a chance to become a cultivator, Chen Huai'an registered as a servant disciple despite the sect’s contempt for his aptitude. 2 3

His rapid opening of thirty meridians should have secured a top-three result in the entrance test, including a month free from servant duties. Elder Tang instead favored Zhang Long, dismissed Chen’s result as impossible for a mixed-root cultivator, and denied him the reward. 14 15 24

After rising through the Servant Peak Challenge Tournament, Chen Huai'an defeated Zhang Yang, ranked ninety-ninth on the Spirit Elegance Ranking, and later crippled the twenty-fifth-ranked Zhang Kui in a challenge arranged by the Zhang Family. These victories established his reputation while escalating the Zhang Family's hostility. 74 97 98

While operating in the Qingyun Mountains, Chen Huai'an fought demon beasts, survived abandonment by his temporary companions, and uncovered the cave abode of a deceased Qingyun Sect Outer Sect disciple. The inheritance he found there included the Earth Spike Technique, Sword-Controlling Formula, spirit weapons, and storage bags. 80 81 87

After resolving the imbalance among his five attributes, Chen Huai'an selected the Five Elements Qi Refining Formula and successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm. He subsequently entered the Outer Sect and developed into a powerful combatant in Qingyun Sect's conflict with the Yin Baleful Sect. 100 102 123 136

Chen Huai'an eventually killed Su Daqiang, ending the immediate threat posed by the man who had tried to murder him in Huai Tree Village. 105

When Su Wanying sought to dissolve their childhood engagement, Chen Huai'an calmly accepted, recognizing that the person she had become was no longer the girl he knew. Su Wanying later continued to target him through Huang Kunlin and other disciples after his rise to the Outer Sect. 120 121 144 145

Following the fall of Qingyun Mountain Mine and a period of cultivation in Moonview Market, Chen Huai'an reached Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak. He returned to Qingyun Sect, killed the Yin Baleful Sect cultivator Luo Yang, publicly rejected Su Wanying's belated attempt at reconciliation, and became Dao companions with Qin Muyao. 177

Personality

Chen Huai'an is pragmatic, observant, and intensely self-reliant. He recognizes when open resistance would be fatal, yielding to stronger figures such as Elder Tang and Zhang Long while quietly preparing to surpass them. 15 16

His experiences with Su Daqiang, Zhang Hu, and the Zhang Family leave him unwilling to trust protection or mercy. He prioritizes secrecy, plans alibis, erases evidence, and strikes first against those who threaten his life or the secret of his Spirit Spring Water. 7 23 24

Despite his ruthlessness, he is not indiscriminately violent. He views killing as a means of survival, expresses genuine happiness at Liu Qiaogui’s progress, and values reliable allies over temporary dependence on powerful patrons. 21 35 40

As his strength grows, Chen Huai'an becomes more composed and assured of his own worth. He no longer clings to his engagement with Su Wanying or tolerates humiliation from those who previously looked down on him. 121 177

He remains cautious even after becoming powerful, using disguises, concealed cultivation, and carefully chosen identities to trade resources or evade enemies. 69 91 105 176

“His fate could only be held in his own hands; he could not count on others taking pity on him.” 7

Abilities & Skills

Body Tempering Cultivation

Chen Huai'an builds an unusually solid foundation through Spirit Spring Water, upgraded pills, spirit grain, and persistent meridian tempering despite the heavy resource demands of his five-element mixed root.

• Opened thirty meridians in seven days despite being considered unsuitable for cultivation. 14
• Possesses strong endurance and a solid foundation, allowing him to contend with cultivators above his stated realm. 32
• Defeated Zhang Hu across a level gap and killed late-stage Body Tempering cultivator Zhang Mu while at the middle stage. 20 32
• His cultivation requires far more resources than ordinary disciples’ due to his poor aptitude. 42 47
• His physique remained a major advantage after entering the Qi Refining Realm, allowing him to endure exchanges that would overwhelm ordinary cultivators. 111 119
• His powerful body and Elephant Armor Technique enabled him to withstand the claws of Azurewood Wolf Demons and fight them alone. 81

Combat and Assassination

Chen Huai'an favors terrain, deception, surprise attacks, and decisive strikes over fair confrontations.

• Lured Wang Tong into a forest, selected favorable terrain, and killed him after feigning knowledge of a spirit spring. 8
• Uses a dagger in close combat and targets vital points rather than prolonging battles. 32
• Cleans battlefields thoroughly, disposing of corpses and bloodstained soil within the gourd space. 9 20
• Avoids unnecessary fights when exposure or injury would jeopardize his larger plans. 9 12
• Used tournament opponents to refine his Flame Blade Technique while concealing his true cultivation, then made calculated breakthroughs during battle. 53 55 59
• Fights with multiple attributes rather than relying exclusively on fire spiritual power, using earth spiritual power to counter Qi Xiu's water-based techniques. 58 59
• Killed cultivators above his realm through layered tactics involving Spirit Weapons, Wood Escape, vine techniques, Earth Spike Technique, and close-quarters attacks. 111 118 136 140
• At Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak, he effortlessly captured and killed Luo Yang, a Yin Baleful Sect cultivator who had tracked him for over two months. 177

Nameless Breath-Concealment Art

An ungraded concealment technique purchased from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion for 900 low-grade spirit stones. 27

• Allows him to control and suppress his aura despite being below the Qi Refining Realm. 30
• Lets him conceal his rapid advancement and appear weaker to enemies such as Zhang Mu. 31
• Does not alter his appearance; he relies on simple disguises and different displayed cultivation levels when trading. 48

Myriad Forms Bone-Shifting Art

A disguise technique that changes Chen Huai'an's physical appearance and permits him to operate under alternate identities. 69

• Allowed him to evade bounty hunters who possessed a portrait resembling his true appearance. 71
• Let him enter the Qingyun Mountains under the guise of a scar-faced middle-aged man, preventing former companions from recognizing him. 82
• Complements the Nameless Breath-Concealment Art by concealing both his appearance and cultivation. 91 105

Elephant Armor Technique

A body-hardening technique taken from Zhang Hu’s corpse. 20 21

• Tempers the flesh, tendons, and bones to improve his survivability. 21
• At advanced mastery, forms scales that provide defense comparable to bronze skin and iron bones. 21
• Requires considerable medicinal herbs and nourishment that replenish blood and vitality. 21
• Its defensive power allowed him to withstand demon-beast claws and resist, though not completely negate, attacks from stronger Spirit Weapons. 81 90

Flame Blade Technique

A martial technique whose three moves Chen Huai'an mastered through sustained practice. 47

• He cannot sense fire spirit power, limiting his ability to release the technique’s full power. 47
• His mastery of the forms did not immediately improve the technique’s practical effectiveness. 47
• The three forms respectively suit close combat, ranged attacks, and group combat. 47
• After gaining fire spiritual power and a fire-attributed Spirit Weapon, he used the technique as a primary killing art against Body Tempering and Qi Refining opponents. 58 97 111

Five Elements Qi Refining Formula and Chaos True Qi

Chen Huai'an chose the difficult Five Elements Qi Refining Formula to cultivate all five of his spiritual attributes rather than abandon their versatility for a single-attribute path. 100 102

• Requires the balance of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth spiritual power; a shortage of metal-element power initially obstructed his breakthrough. 92 94
• Its cultivation demands immense resources, with his initial Qi Refining breakthrough alone consuming high-grade Five Elements Spirit Stones worth 25,000 low-grade Spirit Stones. 102
• The Chaos True Qi he develops can power techniques of different attributes and allows him to absorb ordinary Spirit Stones for cultivation. 131
• His five attributes can generate and restrain one another, giving him tactical options against opponents focused on a single element. 58 112

Five Elements Spells

Chen Huai'an acquired and began cultivating the Five Elements Basic Spells to compensate for the limits of relying solely on the Flame Blade Technique. 109 112

• Water Condensation Technique — A water-attributed minor spell acquired in Qingyun Market. 94
• Earth Spike Technique — Obtained from a deceased Outer Sect disciple's cave abode; Chen Huai'an uses it as a concealed killing move. 87 111
• Wood techniques — Includes Wood Escape, Vine Entanglement, Vine Armor, and related wood-attributed spells used for concealment, defense, and restraint. 109 111 118
• Fireball Technique — Can be cast with Chaos True Qi and used in rapid succession against Yin Puppets and cultivators. 131 155
• Earth Escape Technique — Allows him to evade pursuers and reposition through underground terrain. 138 152
• Qi-Seeking Art — A method given by Qin Muyao that he mastered in one night, enabling him to assess others' cultivation and identify concealed realms. 149

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Purple-Skinned Gourd — Chen Huai'an’s principal secret and greatest source of support; contains an internal space and alters stored resources. 3 19
  • Stores large quantities of water, goods, corpses, medicinal herbs, spirit grain, and living Five-Colored Golden Pheasants. 3 9 43
  • Refines Spirit Spring Water, improves pills and spirit stones, accelerates herb growth, and provides healing effects. 9 12 25
  • Its cultivable area expands as Chen Huai'an's cultivation rises, although the increased space slows the rate at which stored pills and Spirit Stones advance. 91
  • In the spiritually dense Qingyun Mountain Mine, its refinement of Spirit Stones and growth of crops accelerate. 152
• Dagger — Taken from Wang Tong; later used against Zhang Mu. 9 32
• Elephant Armor Technique manual — Acquired from Zhang Hu. 20
• Nameless Breath-Concealment Art — Purchased concealment method. 27
• Flame Blade Technique — Technique cultivated despite his difficulty sensing fire spirit power. 47
• Five-Colored Golden Pheasants — Six birds hatched in the gourd space; raised as spirit food and for future resource production. 43 47
  • Li Fugui later acquired one hundred fertilized Five-Colored Golden Pheasant eggs for Chen Huai'an to expand his supply of spirit food. 47
• Low-grade fire-attributed longsaber — A Spirit Weapon gifted by Steward Wu during the Challenge Tournament; it enhances Chen Huai'an's Flame Blade Technique and fire spiritual power. 57 58
• Storage Bags and Spirit Weapons — Obtained from the cave abode of a deceased Qingyun Sect Outer Sect disciple and later enemies. 87 90 119
• Flying sword — Found in the cave abode inheritance; Chen Huai'an could not initially activate it before reaching the Qi Refining Realm. 87
• Iron Armored Corpse — A corpse puppet deployed by Chen Huai'an during his battle with Yin Baleful Sect disciples. 118
• Pill furnace — Acquired as part of his plan to learn pill refinement and secure an independent source of cultivation resources. 145 163
• Five Elements Qi Refining Formula — Ancient cultivation manual selected from the Scripture Repository. 100
• Five Elements Basic Spells — Collection of elemental spells used to expand his combat options. 109

Relationships

• Su Wanying — Childhood friend and former betrothed. Their paths diverged when she entered Qingyun Sect’s inner sect as the sect master’s disciple; Chen Huai'an later agreed to dissolve their engagement after she sought a more advantageous Dao companion in Wu Zhihao. 1 3 120 121 She continued to resent and target him after his rise, but at the end of the story she regretted abandoning him and unsuccessfully begged to reconcile. 144 145 177
• Qin Muyao (Senior Sister Qin) — Inner-sect cultivator of Misty Peak who found Chen Huai'an after his fall and brought him to Qingyun Sect for registration. 2 3 She later provided him with talismans, pills, and the Qi-Seeking Art, and they became Dao companions after his return as a Foundation Establishment Realm expert. 149 177
• Zhang Hu — Servant Peak bully who targeted Chen Huai'an over Spirit Spring Water; Chen Huai'an ultimately killed him and took his technique and resources. 5 20 21
• Wang Tong — Zhang Hu’s follower who tracked Chen Huai'an in search of the spirit spring; Chen Huai'an lured and killed him in the forest. 7 8 9
• Zhang Long — Zhang Hu’s cousin who benefited from the theft of Chen Huai'an’s entrance-test ranking; later killed by Chen Huai'an to contain the Spirit Spring Water secret. 15 23 24
• Zhang Mu — Zhang Family cultivator who investigated Zhang Hu and Zhang Long’s deaths; Chen Huai'an killed him after Zhang Mu confronted him. 31 32
• Zhang Kui and Zhang Tao — Zhang Family members who continued pursuing Chen Huai'an through bounties and challenges. Chen Huai'an crippled Zhang Kui, the twenty-fifth-ranked Spirit Elegance Ranking disciple, after forcing the Zhang Family to transfer one hundred Sect Contribution Points. 70 97 98
• Liu Qiaogui — Fellow water-carrying servant disciple and a mutually beneficial associate. He warns Chen Huai'an of threats and obtains spirit fowl eggs for him. 30 35 39 40 He remains a loyal admirer and supporter as Chen Huai'an rises through the Challenge Tournament and beyond. 53 63 119
• Li Fugui (Old Li) — Formerly exploited Chen Huai'an’s labor; after being defeated, he was forced to secretly handle Chen Huai'an’s water-carrying duties. 19 38 39 He later uses his Servant Peak connections to procure fertilized Five-Colored Golden Pheasant eggs. 47
• Steward Wu — Servant Peak authority who offered Chen Huai'an a dining-hall kitchen position; Chen Huai'an declined to preserve his independence. 22 42 43 Steward Wu nevertheless invested in him by providing spirit cuisine and a low-grade fire-attributed Spirit Weapon during the Challenge Tournament. 57 58
• Zhang Biao — Spirit Elegance Ranking disciple seeking Chen Huai'an after learning of high-grade pills associated with him. 39 40 48
• Su Daqiang — Su Wanying's relative who attempted to murder Chen Huai'an in Huai Tree Village to erase the childhood engagement. Chen Huai'an later killed him after gaining sufficient strength. 1 99 105
• Wu Zhihao — Inner Sect prodigy and Su Wanying's preferred prospective Dao companion, whose status initially emboldened Su Wanying to break the engagement. He was publicly silenced after Chen Huai'an reached Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak. 120 121 177
• Han Mu — Outer Sect senior brother who assists Chen Huai'an in obtaining talismans and cultivation resources and warns him about Su Wanying's schemes. 143 144 149
• Huang Kunlin — Su Wanying's Inner Sect senior brother and accomplice in efforts to obstruct Chen Huai'an's purchases and send him into the dangerous mine. 144 145
• Pi Peng — Twelfth-ranked Spirit Elegance Ranking prodigy of the Pi Family. Chen Huai'an killed two of Pi Peng's companions and wounded him, but Pi Peng survived through a protective jade pendant. 90 91
• Luo Yang — Yin Baleful Sect cultivator who waited outside Moonview Market for more than two months due to a tracking mark on Chen Huai'an; Chen Huai'an killed him after reaching Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak. 177
• Mother — Chen Huai'an’s ill mother remains in Huai Tree Village and was a central reason he initially sought strength and a way home. 2 15

Trivia

• Chen Huai'an’s father left him a Purple Jade Gourd pendant before disappearing; the pendant was missing when Chen woke after falling from the cliff. 3
• He uses an old scholar’s outfit rather than servant robes when leaving Qingyun Sect, changing his apparent temperament and making him less conspicuous. 25
• He views the Purple-Skinned Gourd as both his greatest advantage and a danger that must never be exposed. 19 48
• His Myriad Forms Bone-Shifting Art lets him avoid recognition even from people familiar with his true appearance, allowing him to use multiple identities while trading or traveling. 69 71 82
• His Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak cultivation ultimately exceeds Su Wanying's Peak Qi Refining Realm by an entire major realm. 177