Emperor Daye

Biodata

Power Progression

History

Great Li and the Grand Formation

Emperor Daye ascended Great Li’s throne more than thirty years before Chen Lingxi investigated his reign. He ordered widespread canal construction, reshaping rivers, mountain passes, and terrain into the vast Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation. The project devastated settlements and consumed immense numbers of laborers; its formation nodes were supplied through methods including the sinking of coffins containing cultivators beneath waterways. 99

Using the Mirror-Listening Cauldron Artifact Fragment, Daye identified people with exceptional fortunes—most of them reborn Truth-Seekers. He instigated the extermination of a hundred families because severe upheaval could awaken those individuals’ memories of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm. 175 Those he captured were studied in the palace, where he read, erased, and implanted memories to create obedient identities and puppets, including Crown Prince Ying Chi. 148

The forty-nine canals alone cost tens of millions of lives, with subsequent wars causing further mass casualties. Although Xiao Changlü initially suspected that an outside cultivator had possessed or coerced the emperor, Chen Lingxi confirmed that Ying Xian remained the native sovereign himself and that the outsiders in his palace were his servants rather than his masters. 188

Daye later explained that his subordinates consisted of reborn people with fabricated memories and ordinary martial artists forcibly elevated through the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation. Their obedience did not make them genuine companions on his cultivation path. 243

Dao Foundation Cultivation

A native mortal, Ying Xian cultivated to the Dao Foundation Realm despite the grotto-heaven’s depleted spiritual environment. His first Dao Foundation grand divine ability, Sundial Reversal of the Mysterious Brightness Grand Splendor Way, was cultivated without its required Spirit Item. The backlash rapidly aged him, confined him near the palace formation, and forced him to recover after significant exertion. 168 187

He later nurtured the Void-Disrupting Flower with the Immortal Husk and his grand formation, using it as the Divine-Ability Spirit Item for Heavenly Decline Method. Its refinement gave him a second Profound Root and elevated him to the Dao Foundation Middle Stage. 193 219

His initial refinement was interrupted by conflict with Daoist Shurong. After their battle, he concealed himself in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, where the Immortal Husk’s essence qi healed both his recent injuries and the chronic damage caused by Sundial Reversal. Chen Lingxi observed the Emperor of Great Zhou kneeling before him and suspected that Daye had implanted memories in the other ruler. 194 196 199

By the time Daye sent the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror into Void Turbulence, one of his two Profound Roots had borne a Wondrous Fruit, while the other was developing branches and leaves toward tree form. His realm remained Dao Foundation Middle Stage. 255

Conflict and Cooperation with Chen Lingxi

Daye initially intended to monitor Chen Lingxi until he reached the Heavenward Realm, viewing him as potential cultivation nourishment. 150 175 During their first direct dealings within the Total Perception Divine Chamber, they signed a Jade Law Document and temporarily agreed to seek escape from the grotto-heaven together. When Chen Lingxi attempted to take the Dao-Seizing Fruit for himself, Daye revealed his restored prime form and tried to confine him; Chen Lingxi escaped back to the present world. Daye’s apparent agreement in that encounter used a Qi-Walking Jade Law Book rather than the later Dao Foundation agreement. 175 176 187

Their relationship later shifted into a wary alliance against the threat of the World-Refining Furnace and the Quexing Xi Family. Daye welcomed Chen Lingxi at the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, provided him with a Golden Finger Bone talisman, and eventually entered a Dao Foundation Jade Law agreement concerning the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror. 204 205 249

Chen Lingxi secured Daye’s protection by proposing that the Immortal Husk could awaken Great Sage Luo Yuan’s sleeping incarnation on Ancestral Mountain. Daye had not previously known of the Great Sage’s presence. Chen Lingxi’s display of Heaven-Inviting Might and knowledge of Daye’s concealed treasures and cultivation methods persuaded him to consider the proposal and protect Chen Lingxi’s advance toward Dao Foundation. 204 205

Despite this cooperation, Chen Lingxi continued to regard Daye as the ultimate source of the Mirror-Listening prophecy that destroyed his family. He recognized Daye as both an enemy and the person repeatedly protecting his cultivation path. 232 235

After Chen Lingxi reached Dao Foundation and returned to Ancestral Mountain, Daye solemnly bowed to him and acknowledged him as a fellow Daoist who could stand beside him in seeking survival. Their alliance subsequently expanded from awakening the Great Sage to confronting the dangers posed by both the Great Sage and the True Lord’s furnace. 243 255 256

Defense of the Grotto-Heaven

When Dao-Below Academy disciples attempted to seize the Immortal Husk through the Heaven-Fishing Great Formation, Daye uncovered their plan with the Mirror-Listening Cauldron and shattered three projected incarnations, killing one. 187

He subsequently fought Daoist Shurong’s perfected Early Stage incarnation over the capital. Drawing on the essence accumulated by his grand formation, he contended with her Seven-Star Sword Formation and held the upper hand. He also exposed the Immortal Husk’s aura, deliberately drawing the attention of powerful cultivators from the Great Xuanzhuo Realm before withdrawing into concealment. 194 195 199 203

After entering the Dao Foundation Middle Stage, he descended on Nanche Province through the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation. He used Heavenly Decline Method to defeat Luan Shu, Bai Lingze, Yu Jiangwei, and Daoist Zhuxu, capturing Luan Shu and Daoist Zhuxu before withdrawing upon Zhao Duanxuan’s arrival. 218 220 He exchanged a direct blow with Zhao Duanxuan before retreating unscathed, and afterward ranked second on the Immortal Ranking behind him. 220 222

Xiao Changlü and the Volcano Immortal Pivot

Daye secretly maintained and tempered the avatar Xiao Changlü at the Volcano Immortal Pivot. He fed captured Dao Foundation incarnations to the avatar through a vast formation, using their Dao Origin and the lingering spiritual energy of the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation to restore its combat strength. 224 234 242

After taking direct control of Xiao Changlü and adapting to the body for three days, Daye traveled to Ancestral Mountain. To expose the positions of hidden opponents, he transmitted Immortal-Husk Aura through the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation, attracting the divine senses of the grotto-heaven’s powerful cultivators. He concealed Chen Lingxi from those observers, supplied a map to Ou Ningzi, and promised to hold off the Dao Foundation cultivators while Chen Lingxi pursued the Immortal Ranking fortune needed for his breakthrough. 234 235

During the resulting conflict, Zhao Duanxuan’s Gold-Suppressing Tripod placed Daye under considerable pressure. Xiao Changlü’s rapid recovery through the grand formation later helped deter Zhao Duanxuan from continuing against Daye and Chen Lingxi. 239 242

Ancestral Mountain and the Escape Safeguard

Daye and Chen Lingxi witnessed the overwhelming gaze of a True Lord before entering Ancestral Mountain. Daye used the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation to reveal its hidden world, and Chen Lingxi guided him to the ancient Long River and the sleeping Great Sage Luo Yuan. Daye questioned why the Quexing Xi Family would dare refine a grotto-heaven containing such a being. 242

As an alternative means of survival, Daye offered to share the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror, which could carry souls and spirits through Void Turbulence. By their Dao Foundation Jade Law agreement, Daye entrusted the Immortal Husk to Chen Lingxi and accompanied him in activating the four Immortal Pivots with Luo Yuan River Water. He had already placed the three souls and seven spirits of his Myriad-Nurturing incarnation inside the mirror, preserving an escape contingency if their attempt failed. 247 249

Chen Lingxi later explained that awakening the Great Sage’s incarnation would draw the True Lord into refining the world, while the descent of the Great Sage’s true body would itself threaten to devour the grotto-heaven. Daye agreed to exchange paths to survival and renewed their cooperation through a Dao Foundation Jade Law Document. Its central safeguard forbade the souls within the mirror from devouring one another without permission. He then placed Chen Lingxi’s Myriad-Nurturing Dao Lotus Qi souls and spirits in the mirror and launched it into Void Turbulence. 255

Daye ultimately accepted that merely escaping was not their only possible response. He recognized that the calamity had been imposed upon them by the True Lord and the Great Sage, and agreed to attempt Chen Lingxi’s plan while awaiting his signal. 256

Final Battle at Heaven Gate Sea

At Heaven Gate Sea, Daye warned the outside cultivators against seeking the complete Cauldron Vessel. Zhao Duanxuan instead challenged him directly, recognizing his extraordinary achievement in reaching Dao Foundation Middle Stage within the qi-depleted grotto-heaven. Daye fought him with Heavenly Decline Method and Sundial Reversal against the blazing sun and mountain spirit artifact. Their collisions shook the sea and produced radiance capable of tearing apart the heavens. 259 262

When the True Lord appeared with the World-Refining Furnace and began burning Weiji Grotto-Heaven, Chen Lingxi contacted Daye. Daye activated the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation and sent a drop of river water into the Volcano Immortal Pivot. The four Immortal Pivots responded together, opening a black hole through which an ancient Long River entered the grotto-heaven. Great Sage Luo Yuan formed from its vapor, extinguished the furnace’s flames, and confronted the True Lord. 263

Appearance

Emperor Daye normally appears as an extremely aged, emaciated sovereign in dragon robes, with sparse white hair, deep wrinkles, and an apparently frail posture. His golden, flame-like eyes remain his most unmistakable feature. 147 174

When exerting his Dao Foundation power, the effects of age recede: his hair darkens, his body straightens, his physique returns to its prime, and his bearing becomes overwhelmingly imperial. 176 187

• Bright yellow or dark dragon robes and an imperial crown. 147 204
• Two clusters of golden flame burning within his eyes. 147
• A hunched, skeletal old-man form when damaged by Sundial Reversal. 168
• A tall, black-haired, powerfully built prime form while unleashing Dao Origin. 194
• In his restored prime, he appears a little over thirty years old. 176
• Prolonged nourishment from the Immortal Husk gradually makes his resting appearance younger and more vigorous, although he still appears as a white-haired old man at the Volcano Immortal Pivot. 203 204 213 249

Personality

Daye is patient, calculating, and relentlessly pragmatic. He treats memories, identities, cultivators, and even entire populations as resources in a larger plan to escape the grotto-heaven’s destruction. His extermination campaigns and experimentation on captives demonstrate extreme ruthlessness. 148 175

Despite this cruelty, he is capable of recognizing useful equals. He gradually treats Chen Lingxi as a fellow native cultivator with whom cooperation may offer a path to survival, though every agreement between them remains shaped by caution, leverage, and concealed contingencies. 204 249

Cultivation, longevity, and the possibility of reaching the Great Xuanzhuo Realm take precedence over his throne and territorial rule. He dismisses imperial majesty as insignificant before the impending destruction of the grotto-heaven, and justifies his massacres by claiming that those killed would otherwise have perished with the realm. 174 175 188

His pursuit of the Dao is also marked by isolation. He regards obedient servants and artificially elevated subordinates as fundamentally different from a companion who genuinely shares his path. Chen Lingxi’s return after achieving Dao Foundation earns a solemn acknowledgment of fellowship, even while mistrust remains between them. 243 254

The True Lord’s overwhelming presence exposes the limits of Daye’s strength and leaves him visibly unwilling yet helpless. Nevertheless, he continues seeking contingencies and ultimately agrees to resist the calamity rather than rely solely on flight. 242 255 256

Abilities & Skills

Dao Foundation Cultivation

Daye possesses two Dao Foundation Profound Roots, granting him Dao Origin far beyond Qi Circulation cultivators.

• Sundial Reversal — reverses the years and restores his body from decrepitude to a youthful, powerful state. 168 255
• Heavenly Decline Method — spreads a decaying force that corrodes objects, defenses, and opposing Dao Foundation power. 193 219
• His Dao Origin and physical pressure can inhibit the circulation of weaker cultivators’ spiritual qi merely through proximity. 174
• Maintaining peak strength after using Sundial Reversal previously required prolonged recovery and healing. 187
• Heaven-Seizing Seal — the palm technique he used to suppress three Dao-Below Academy projected incarnations, destroying one. His mastery of the divine art was assessed as likely having entered the Mystic Realm. 187
• Can condense Dao Origin into a golden blade aura several hundred zhang long, powerful enough to tear visible cracks in the void when strengthened by the grand formation. 194
• By the time he launched the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror, one Profound Root had borne a Wondrous Fruit and the other was approaching tree form. 255
• In battle against Zhao Duanxuan, Sundial Reversal’s manifestation continuously strengthened his bearing and increased his Dao Origin while contending with the opponent’s mountain spirit artifact. 262

Weaving Delusion Golden Eyes

Daye possesses the complete Cauldron Vessel known as the Weaving Delusion Golden Eyes. 204

• Reads a target’s bones, meridians, Qi Sea, Consciousness Sea, cultivation history, and memories as though they were exposed in a scroll. 148
• Extracts, alters, and implants memories to fabricate identities and histories. 148
• Created false Rebirth Realm identities and converted figures such as Crown Prince Ying Chi into puppets. 148
• Its golden flames are visible in Daye’s eyes and in avatars under his direct control. 147 234

Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation

A continent-spanning formation built by reorganizing Great Li’s rivers, canals, mountains, and terrain. 99 Its routes extend beyond Great Li into surrounding nations, and its influence ultimately spreads throughout Weiji Grotto-Heaven. 218 224

• Draws on spiritual and vital energies gathered across the realm. 194
• Allows Daye to travel extraordinary distances through rainbow bridges and formation routes. 218
• Sustains and rapidly restores Xiao Changlü’s avatar with stored spiritual energy. 242
• Served as the foundation for nurturing the Spirit Item used to cultivate Heavenly Decline Method. 193
• Plunders residual essence and true yuan left behind by the deaths of countless living beings to strengthen Daye. 194 203
• Forcibly elevates ordinary martial artists serving under him. 243
• Can distribute Immortal-Husk Aura throughout the grotto-heaven, drawing the attention of concealed experts. 234 235
• Reveals the hidden world within Ancestral Mountain. 242
• Enabled Daye to deliver river water into the Volcano Immortal Pivot at Chen Lingxi’s signal, triggering the four pivots’ coordinated summoning of Great Sage Luo Yuan. 263

Heavenly Decline Method

Daye’s second grand divine ability manifests as gray-white mist carrying profound decay. 224 It belongs to the Shangdie Ruanle Way. 168

• Corrodes the defenses and techniques of Dao Foundation opponents. 219
• Defeated four Dao Foundation cultivators in Nanche Province, capturing two of them. 220
• Strips pure Dao Origin from imprisoned incarnations, which Daye used to nourish Xiao Changlü’s avatar. 224
• Its decay can be weakened by sufficiently powerful opposing forces, such as the blazing sun manifested in battle at Heaven Gate Sea. 262
• Can be continuously replenished to grind away an opposing force even while much of its mist is being destroyed. 262

Incarnation Control

Daye can control Xiao Changlü’s avatar directly.

• His golden flames and distinctive bearing appear in Xiao Changlü when he takes control. 234
• The avatar can recover most of its peak combat strength within moments by absorbing spiritual energy from the grand formation. 242
• Daye used the avatar as a recipient for Dao Foundation incarnations and volcanic formation power. 224
• His connection to Xiao Changlü was exposed when Chen Lingxi found Daye’s Dao Origin and Myriad-Nurturing Dao Lotus Qi within the avatar’s blood essence. The treasure qi can create independent souls. 188
• Daye preserved the three souls and seven spirits of a Myriad-Nurturing incarnation within the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror as a survival contingency. 249

Concealment and Restrictions

Daye concealed his refuge in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace behind three layers of formations, using Immortal-Husk essence qi to seal the side hall’s aura. He stated that even the Dao Foundation cultivators on the Immortal Ranking would perceive only chaos if they swept the area with divine sense. Chen Lingxi’s Wandering Sight nevertheless located him. 204

He also employs golden restrictions to imprison Dao Foundation incarnations and can conceal Chen Lingxi from the divine senses of multiple powerful observers. 220 224 235

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mirror-Listening Cauldron Artifact Fragment — marks individuals with great fortune, tracks targets, and exposed the Dao-Below Academy’s scheme for the Immortal Husk. 175 187
• Weaving Delusion Golden Eyes — complete Cauldron Vessel used for reading and fabricating memories. 148 204
• Immortal Husk — source of essence qi used to heal damage from Sundial Reversal and support Daye’s cultivation. 199 He later entrusted it to Chen Lingxi under their Dao Foundation Jade Law agreement. 249
• Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror — preserves three souls and seven spirits within its yin and yang sides for passage through Void Turbulence, though its occupants cannot guide its course. 247 Daye placed his Myriad-Nurturing incarnation’s souls and spirits inside, later added Chen Lingxi’s, and sent the mirror into Void Turbulence as a shared safeguard. Their agreement forbids mutual devouring without permission. 249 255
• Golden Finger Bone Talisman — a single-use protective spell given to Chen Lingxi; its activation manifested Daye’s face and trapped Bai Lingze in a golden cage. 205 218
• War chariot — a golden chariot drawn by nine phantasmal five-clawed dragons, used alongside the Mountains-and-Rivers Grand Formation during his descent on Nanche Province. 218
• Void-Disrupting Flower — Divine-Ability Spirit Item nurtured through the Immortal Husk and grand formation, then refined to cultivate Heavenly Decline Method. 193 219
• Dao Foundation Jade Law Document — binds his agreements with Chen Lingxi through the Great Dao, including their exchange of survival contingencies and protections for the souls within the Spirit-Placement Treasure Mirror. 249 255
• Communication jade slip — a pure-white jade slip engraved with the character “Ying” and containing a thread of Daye’s Dao Origin, given to Chen Lingxi to coordinate their subsequent plans. 244

Relationships

• Chen Lingxi — Initially a target Daye planned to cultivate or confine; later his most important reluctant ally in seeking survival from the grotto-heaven’s destruction. 175 176 204 249 Chen Lingxi still regards him as responsible for the calamity that destroyed his family, while Daye comes to recognize him as a genuine fellow Daoist. They exchange survival contingencies, send their souls and spirits into Void Turbulence within the same treasure mirror, and coordinate the summoning of Great Sage Luo Yuan against the World-Refining Furnace. 232 243 255 263
• Xiao Changlü — Daye’s incarnation/avatar, tempered at the Volcano Immortal Pivot and directly controlled through the Weaving Delusion Golden Eyes. 189 234
• Crown Prince Ying Chi — His crown prince, whose memories and identity were fabricated by Daye, turning him into a puppet. 148 149
• Purple-Robed Marquis — Court subordinate rescued by Daye after defeat at Chen Lingxi’s hands. 150 165
• Yuan Yuan — Court powerhouse and manipulated identity; rescued alongside the Purple-Robed Marquis. 165 167
• Daoist Shurong — Dao-Below Academy adversary who sought the Immortal Husk and opposed Daye’s control of the grotto-heaven. 187 220
• Woman from Lotus Pool Prefecture — A captive Dao Foundation cultivator who mocked Daye’s damaged condition and challenged his resolve. 168
• Emperor of Great Zhou — A ruler observed kneeling reverently before Daye while the latter used the Great Zhou palace as a hidden refuge. Chen Lingxi suspected that Daye had implanted his memories. 199
• Zhao Duanxuan — A major rival whose strength and spirit artifacts challenged Daye despite the latter’s native advantages. They exchanged blows after the Nanche battle, fought around Ancestral Mountain, and clashed again at Heaven Gate Sea. 222 239 242 259 262
• Great Sage Luo Yuan — Initially viewed as a possible source of salvation through his sleeping incarnation. After learning that the Great Sage’s descent also threatened the grotto-heaven, Daye nevertheless cooperated with Chen Lingxi to summon him against the True Lord’s furnace. 204 242 255 263
• True Lord of the Quexing Xi Family — The overwhelming enemy whose planned refinement of Weiji Grotto-Heaven drove Daye’s escape preparations and eventual coordinated resistance with Chen Lingxi. 174 242 256 263

Notable Quotes

“This time, to whom should I grant your memories?” 147

“Daoist friend, I welcome you with this rainbow light!” 204

“For that alone, I will still call you Dao companion.” 243

“Weiji Grotto-Heaven... and even you and I—why should we suffer such a calamity for nothing?” 256

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