Shen Qingzhou

Biodata

Name	Shen Qingzhou (沈青舟)
Alias(es)	Han Li — identity used while operating in Flower-Washing City 47
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Profound Heaven Sect; Sword-Coming Peak; Kan Water Lineage; outer member of the Zhou Family 63
Occupation/Role	Inner-sect disciple, sword cultivator, talisman master
Status	Active
First Appearance	Sutra-Copying Boy 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Marrow Cleansing	1	The original body had comprehended Tidal Sword Intent at sixteen, earning second place in the sect entry assessment.
Scripture Master — Sutra-Copying Boy	1	Unlocked by copying the Supreme Clear Heart Mantra; gained Focused Concentration, Unforgettable Recall, and Infer Ten from One through continued scripture-copying.
Scripture Master — Azure Satchel Scholar	2	Advanced after completing the Tidal Sword Canon; unlocked Investigation of Things, allowing perception of an object's essential Dao resonance.
Qi Refining, First Layer	4	Chose a high-grade Kan Water Qi Seed in the White Tiger Lodge Domain; its imagery revealed an abyss and a submerged rusted sword.
Source Tracing	6	Fusion of Scripture Master and Qi Collector abilities; analyzes the principles of things and traces their Dao source.
Qi Refining, Second Layer	11	Advanced after absorbing Wall-Water Essence; his spiritual qi increased in both quantity and quality.
Talisman Master — Talisman-Making Apprentice	11	Unlocked through talisman drawing; successfully produced Constellation Concealment, Jade Well Purification, and Star-Felling Spirit-Breaking talismans.
Qi Refining, Third Layer	18	Broke through with Premium Qi Refining Powder; his qi sea became deeper and his spiritual qi began liquefying.
Sword Disciple	18	Gained Swordheart Clarity after refining his swordsmanship; improves qi circulation, reduces expenditure, and enhances sword attacks.
Dao Strife / Karmic Severance	26	Fused Qi Collector and Sword Disciple professions. Dao Strife raises cultivation speed when others target him; Karmic Severance can cut a segment of karma at immense mana and divine-sense cost.
Qi Refining, Fifth Layer	29	Revealed his true cultivation during the tournament final and defeated Lu Chen by neutralizing Heavy Domain with Abyssal Descent Momentum.
Qi Refining, Sixth-Layer Peak; Swordsman	32	Reached the threshold of Late Qi Refining after a year of seclusion; Sword Disciple advanced to Swordsman and unlocked Traceless.
Qi Refining, Seventh Layer	36	Advanced at Kan Water Lake after absorbing accumulated spiritual qi and stabilizing his enhanced Abyss-Hiding Sword Essence.
Source Heaven Master	42	Qi Collector advanced after the Blackwater Marsh conflict; gained Dao-Rhyme Revelation, which exposes spiritual-power structures and weak nodes in formations, restrictions, and artifacts.
Qi Refining, Eighth Layer	43	Refined thirty drops of Kan Water Jade over seven days in a hidden karst cave, substantially increasing his mana and sharpening his sword essence.
Scripture Annotator	53	His Scripture Master profession had advanced by the time he returned from Flower-Washing City.
Qi Refining, Ninth Layer	56	Broke through after a little over three years of cultivation, increasing his spiritual power by more than thirty percent and strengthening his divine sense and body. The profession panel began classifying professions by tier and permitting one equipped main profession and two secondary professions.
Vast Sea Azure Boat Art	61 62	Created a cultivation method suited to his Kan Water path by drawing on multiple scriptures, especially the Kan Water Boundless Jade Canon; its nine planned layers extend into Foundation Establishment.
Second-Order Talisman Master	71	Advanced after drawing a complete Black Tortoise Wall talisman; gained Rune Imprint, which can anchor a talisman's effect permanently to his body. He kept the advancement secret.
Qi Refining Perfection	72	Spent two years refining the purity and control of his spiritual power and settling gaps in his foundation before the grand competition.
Physical Body Foundation Establishment	77	Refined demonic-beast flesh and essence until his qi and blood became unified and all 365 acupoints resonated together, overcoming the last of his four Foundation Establishment barriers.
Gravekeeper	85	Unlocked the profession after killing a Dream Demon in Peach Blossom Spring; gained Tombsoil Body and Soul-Calming Banner.
Foundation Establishment	86 88	Began the breakthrough through the Fallen Abyss Gate after his memories and mana returned in Peach Blossom Spring; completed Foundation Establishment with his spiritual power, divine sense, physical body, and Dao attainment prepared in advance.
Avatar Foundation Establishment — Cloud-Rising Torrent Path	98	His Spirit Pearl avatar passed all four trials and condensed a second Dao Foundation. Feedback from its breakthrough raised the main body's spiritual awareness from the Foundation Establishment Early Stage to the Middle Stage.

Background

Shen Qingzhou is a twenty-first-century Blue Star soul transplanted into the body of a cultivation prodigy. The original Shen had comprehended Tidal Sword Intent in the Marrow Cleansing realm, but the reincarnated Shen initially possessed only inherited memories rather than the instinctive understanding needed to wield it. Fearing exposure as an abnormal soul or a ruined genius, he searched for a way to survive the impending Qi-Gathering Ceremony. 1

His turning point came when copying the Supreme Clear Heart Mantra unlocked the Scripture Master profession. Through copying the Tidal Sword Canon, he replaced the original body's instinctive talent with perfect recall, deduction, and systematic comprehension, even deriving variations absent from the original canon. 1

He chose Sword-Coming Peak despite its shortage of water-element Qi Seeds, then entered the Kan Water Lineage after gathering a Kan Water Qi Seed. Cloudveil True Person initially left his instruction to Su Yu, but later publicly acknowledged Shen as his final disciple after Shen won the Sword-Inquiry Platform tournament. 4 5 30

Wang Jing later revealed that the original body's Heaven-Born Kan-Water Fate was manufactured by the Zhou Family using the Ginseng Star Mirror and the karmic fortune of an entire city's inhabitants. Shen was the sole person to seize the opportunity, but the family regarded his accumulated fortune as a resource it could harvest. Rather than leave the sect or submit without terms, he negotiated for access to its resources while seeking enough strength to determine his own future. 54 55 57 58

Appearance

Shen Qingzhou is a handsome, increasingly tall and refined young cultivator. His composed bearing becomes particularly striking after breakthroughs in cultivation and sword Dao. 19

• Usually wears Sword-Coming Peak disciple robes; he also uses plain or ordinary clothing when traveling among mortals. 7 47
• Carries the Ripple-Pattern Sword, whose water-rippled blade complements his Tidal Sword Intent and Kan Water cultivation. 14
• Can conceal his aura and obscure his presence through movement, illusion, and stealth arts. 23 32

Personality

Shen is cautious, observant, and strongly self-reliant. He accepts gifts, gathers information, and uses his reputation pragmatically rather than pretending to be above worldly resources. He views cultivation as a struggle requiring manuals, spirit stones, connections, and careful planning. 2 11

He is controlled under pressure and prefers analysis over reckless confrontation. His Kan Water swordsmanship reflects this temperament: conceal intent, exploit weaknesses, and strike decisively when an opening appears. 18 23 41

His morality is practical rather than simple. He silently kills the corrupt prefect of Peace River City and later watches the Earth Spirit Sect exploit villagers in order to understand its techniques. However, he also repays the kindness of his cousin's family, settles the Xu Family's karma, exposes the Earth Mother's deception to A-Lian, and leaves a legitimate body-tempering method for her gifted son. 7 8 9 39 44

His response to the Zhou Family's claim over his fate shows his willingness to accept useful patronage without mistaking it for freedom. He can defuse a public provocation through humility, yet retaliate ruthlessly when he detects a concealed attack. 54 55 63 65 66

Abilities & Skills

Profession Panel

Shen's central advantage is a profession system awakened through specific actions. It turns study, cultivation, talisman work, and sword practice into measurable advancement. 1 26

• Focused Concentration — strengthens mental focus while copying scriptures. 1
• Unforgettable Recall — perfectly recalls copied text, including individual strokes and errors. 1
• Infer Ten from One — deduces and completes related systems of cultivation knowledge from texts he studies. 1
• Investigation of Things — distinguishes the underlying Dao resonance of objects, allowing him to identify Qi Seeds and hidden spiritual treasures. 2 4 9
• Source Tracing — traces the principles and Dao origins of cultivation methods, arts, and objects. 6
• Dao-Rhyme Revelation — reveals spiritual-power circulation structures and weak nodes; its use consumes divine sense heavily. 42 43
• Profession equipment — after the panel's update, he can equip one main and two secondary professions. Equipped professions provide their attribute bonuses and active abilities; unequipped professions retain passive traits. 56
• Tombsoil Body — grants resistance to toxins, curses, and death aura, with improved recovery in graveyard-like environments. 85
• Soul-Calming Banner — uses divine sense to soothe spirits, suppress lesser ghosts, and control frenzied spirits. 85

Kan Water Cultivation

Shen cultivates the Abyss-Sinking Formula, a Metal-Water method built around hiding sharpness beneath gentle ripples and gathering killing intent within an abyss. His Qi Seed developed into Abyss-Hiding Sword Essence. 5 35

• Uses Kan Water's concealment, fluidity, and undercurrents rather than direct force.
• Draws on water-element spiritual materials, including Wall-Water Essence and Kan Water Jade, for major breakthroughs. 11 43
• Identified three possible future Dao paths: Azure-Ripple Dissolution, Fallen Abyss Gate, and Cloud-Rising Torrent Path. 43
• Created the Vast Sea Azure Boat Art by integrating his earlier cultivation and insights from the Kan Water Boundless Jade Canon. He subsequently established his main body's foundation through the Fallen Abyss Gate and his Spirit Pearl avatar's through the Cloud-Rising Torrent Path. 61 62 86 88 98
• The avatar's Cloud-Rising Torrent foundation emphasizes soul cultivation and resonance with clouds and rain; its breakthrough also strengthened the main body's spiritual awareness. 98

Sword Dao

Shen began with Tidal Sword Intent but gradually reshaped his style into an unpredictable, silent Abyss-Hiding Sword path. 1 23

• Tidal Sword Canon — channels the rise and fall of tides, building force before unleashing overwhelming attacks. 1
• Swordheart Clarity — improves sword affinity, qi efficiency, endurance, and attack power. 18
• Abyssal Descent Momentum — an inward-drawing Sword Force that absorbs or neutralizes enemy sword qi and pressure. 28 29
• Abyssal Concealment True Meaning — used to destroy Zhou Huan's Dao foundation after he employed a Corroding Bone Miasma Talisman in their tournament match. 27
• Traceless — triples Shen's maximum speed for three breaths; suited to sudden assassination or escape. 32
• Stars-Separated Unseen Sword — used with Traceless to ambush an Earth Spirit Sect cultivator. 41
• Radiant Boundless Domain — a domain he deployed during the Myriad Mechanisms Sea-Quelling Tower trial, where he combined it with sword techniques against demonic beasts. 99
• Great Abyss Burial Seal — a technique he devised and used to destroy the tower's second-floor bronze puppet. 99

Talisman Arts

Su Yu taught Shen talisman drawing, and he developed it into both a source of income and a flexible combat discipline. 7 11

• Constellation Concealment Talisman — hides an object and the space it occupies from spiritual perception. 7
• Jade Well Purification Talisman / Jade Well Purifying Radiance — purifies harmful influences and helps resist mental corruption. 11 41
• Star-Felling Spirit-Breaking Talisman — a basic Kan Water attack talisman. 11
• Thick Earth Nurturing Body Talisman — a first-rank Wèi Earth talisman that nourishes the body and stabilizes a cultivator's foundation. 47
• Earth Dragon Armor-Trapping Talisman — a rare first-rank Wèi Earth talisman sold alongside the Nurturing Body Talisman. 47
• Black Tortoise Wall — a second-order talisman he successfully drew using a Zhou Family formula, triggering his Talisman Master advancement. 71
• Rune Imprint — permits him to anchor a talisman's effect permanently to his own body. 71

Movement and Illusion Arts

Shen reinterpreted gifts from his fellow disciples rather than practicing them rigidly. 23

• Abyssal Step — blurs an opponent's lock-on by manipulating spiritual-energy fluctuations.
• Water-Curtain Radiance — distorts visual perception and makes Shen appear and disappear.
• His aura-concealment spell complements these arts, enabling him to vanish from ordinary observers. 32 45

Body Cultivation and Immortal Martial Arts

Shen developed his physical strength alongside his mana and divine sense. Ink Dolphin Dragon meat helped him assess his progress through Tendon Transformation and Marrow Cleansing; later, demonic-beast resources brought his body to Unity of Qi and Blood and simultaneous resonance of all 365 acupoints. 68 77

• Eight Forms Demon-Shaking Fist — a fighting style he developed while learning physical techniques from Fourth Lord Li in the fog of Peach Blossom Spring, where his Dharmic power was steadily drained. Continued practice brought its martial intent into accord with his Kan Water lineage. 83 86
• Divine-sense cultivation — studied a dangerous visualization diagram from Su Yu's second-rank talisman inheritance to strengthen the divine sense needed for Foundation Establishment. 69 70 88

Equipment

• Ripple-Pattern Sword — purchased from Ruan Yu for fifty low-grade spirit stones; initially a suitable low-grade sword for his Tidal Sword Intent. 14
• Mid-Grade Dharma Artifact Ripple-Pattern Sword — reforged by Ruan Yu using Essence of Kan Water, Azure Jade Marrow, and Cliffspring Stone; infused with Abyss-Hiding Sword Essence and increased in power by at least thirty percent. 35
• Kan Water Talisman Compendium — Su Yu's reward containing foundational talisman methods of the Kan Water Lineage. 10
• Abyss-Sinking Formula jade slips — cultivation method and later supplemental spells and sword arts provided by Cloud Hermit. 5 31
• Parent-Child Message Talisman — given to Ruan Yu as a conditional recommendation for Ya'er's future entry into the Profound Heaven Sect. 35
• Four Constellation Yin Waters — water-aspected resources taken from Xu Sheng's ritual preparations in Flower-Washing City. 51 53
• Second-rank talisman inheritance and visualization diagram — a bone cylinder given by Su Yu; its divine-sense visualization carries a dangerous trace and requires cautious use. 69 70
• Profound Abyss Platform Star Map fragment — a black fragment with Kan Water Dao resonance discovered inside a Mountain-Sea Clam. 77
• Sword Embryo — chosen as a tower-trial reward to serve as the core of his domain's Sword Case image and, with refinement, a future Life-Bound Treasure. 100
• Xuanyuan heavy water — chosen alongside the Sword Embryo to help perfect his Fallen Abyss Gate Dao Foundation and strengthen its images. 100

Relationships

• Cloudveil True Person / Cloud Hermit — Shen's master and the leading figure of the Kan Water Lineage. He eventually declares Shen his final disciple and shields him from sect pressure. 5 30 31 He rescues Shen from Xu Sheng and later returns wounded with Foundation Establishment Elixirs intended for Shen and Su Yu. 52 100
• Su Yu — senior sister, talisman mentor, and Shen's most direct guide within the Kan Water Lineage. Her teaching is often teasing or transactional, but she repeatedly protects and supports him. 6 10 13 Shen defends her against the Sun Family; she later gives him a second-rank talisman inheritance and guidance on Foundation Establishment. They endure the dreamlike Peach Blossom Spring together, where he cares for her as her memory and strength fade. 59 60 69 81 86
• Ahu — Shen's young Daoist attendant. Shen disciplines him without needless cruelty, while Ahu becomes increasingly loyal and proud of his master's accomplishments. 5 11 31 Ahu later accompanies him to his cave abode in the Soaring Firmament Blessed Land. 71
• Lu Chen — former entry-assessment rival and tournament opponent. Shen defeats him in the Sword-Inquiry Platform final; their relationship later shifts into an uneasy mission partnership. 29 36
• Zhao Heng — initially repays Shen for past guidance with a Zhao Family jade slip, but later becomes a rival in the minor tournament. Shen defeats him through Abyssal Descent Momentum. 2 28
• Chen Song and Lin Wei — fellow Kan Water Lineage disciples who give Shen movement, illusion, and meditation resources before the tournament. 23
• Ruan Yu — rogue artifact forger who sells Shen the Ripple-Pattern Sword and later refines it into a Mid-Grade Dharma Artifact. 14 35
• Liu Chengyuan and the Liu Family — attempted to recruit Shen as a furnace cauldron for Liu Yinghan's Foundation Establishment; Shen recognizes their offer as a threat. 24 26 Their conflict continues through sect politics and retaliation against people associated with his recommendations. 67 71
• Liu Qingyan — Plain Maiden Sect overseer who approaches Shen under his Han Li identity and invites him to the Union Festival. 47 She offers access to the Heart Moon Canon in exchange for deeper ties with her sect, which he declines. 48
• A-Lian and her son — villagers Shen warns about the Earth Mother's deception. He urges them to flee south and leaves a cultivation method for the boy. 44
• Xu Sheng / Tan You — Earth Spirit Sect cultivator whose city-sacrifice ritual Shen disrupts by taking its water resources. Xu Sheng pursues him after reaching Foundation Establishment; their enmity persists, and Cloudveil later identifies him among the attackers in a sect conflict. 51 52 53 60 100
• Wang Jing and Zhou Yan — Wang Jing discloses the Zhou Family's claim over Shen's Kan Water fortune and introduces him to Zhou Yan. Shen bargains for resources and Scripture Repository access, then accepts a talisman-supply contract as an outer member of the family while remaining conscious of its leverage over him. 54 57 58 59 63
• Sun Lie and Sun Wuji — Sun Lie's attack leaves Su Yu injured; Shen defeats Sun Wuji and announces an intention to challenge Sun Lie. Their courteous dealings at Sun Lie's banquet conceal a serious rivalry. 59 60 62 63 67
• Qin Bufan — the top-ranked Dao Foundation Seed. Their initial encounter becomes a competitive duel, but they later cooperate to hunt a Mountain-Sea Clam and part on good terms. 74 77
• Fourth Lord Li and the Earth Spirit — Fourth Lord Li teaches Shen physical combat in Peach Blossom Spring but also guides him through a coercive inheritance scheme. After Shen's breakthrough, the Earth Spirit helps direct his cultivation and introduces him to the True Lord's trial sites. 83 86 98 99

Story Role / Major Arcs

Entry Assessment and Qi Gathering

After placing second in the entry assessment, Shen uses the newly awakened Scripture Master profession to understand Tidal Sword Intent and chooses a Kan Water Qi Seed in the Twenty-Eight Lodges Qi Repository. He enters Sword-Coming Peak's inner sect at Qi Refining First Layer. 1 4 5

Talisman Learning and Peace River City

Under Su Yu's instruction, Shen learns Kan Water talismans and returns to the mortal world to retrieve an iron box connected to her past. He cures his cousin's illness, kills the corrupt prefect of Peace River City, settles the Xu Family's karmic debt, and acquires Wall-Water Essence. 7 8 9 10

Blackwind Market and Sword Acquisition

Shen sells his early talismans at Blackwind Market, earning 210 low-grade spirit stones. Su Yu then disguises him as bait for rogue cultivators, during which he purchases the Ripple-Pattern Sword from Ruan Yu. 13 14

Sword-Inquiry Platform Tournament

Shen earns full marks in Dao discernment by identifying the celestial-star core and its Bi Mansion moonlight resonance. He later defeats Zhou Huan, Zhao Heng, and Lu Chen, becoming champion at Qi Refining Fifth Layer and gaining Cloud Hermit's formal protection. 20 27 29 30

Blackwater Marsh Investigation

After advancing to Late Qi Refining, Shen travels to Sunken-Sand Fort and uncovers the Earth Spirit Sect's system of exploiting mortals as incense-and-fire resources and Dao soldiers. He destroys an Earth Mother ritual by exploiting its suppressed water vein, advances Qi Collector into Source Heaven Master, and reaches Qi Refining Eighth Layer. 36 40 41 42 43

Flower-Washing City and the Union Festival

Evading the Earth Spirit Sect, Shen travels to Flower-Washing City to investigate the Plain Maiden Sect's Heartmoon and yin-yang Dao arts. Operating as Han Li, he sells rare Wèi Earth talismans through Hundred Treasures Pavilion and uses the resulting reputation to secure an invitation to the Union Festival. 45 47 48

When Xu Sheng turns Flower-Washing City into the site of a sacrificial ritual, Shen takes its crucial Four Constellation Yin Waters and flees. Xu Sheng, newly advanced to Foundation Establishment, pursues him until Cloudveil True Person and a Plain Maiden Sect elder intervene. Shen returns to the sect determined not to leave its protection before he can contend with such an opponent. 51 52 53

Zhou Family Patronage and the Dao Foundation Seed Ranking

Wang Jing reveals the Zhou Family's role in creating Shen's Kan Water fate and its interest in harvesting his fortune. Shen negotiates with Zhou Yan for resources and access to the Soaring Firmament Blessed Land while working toward a place on the Dao Foundation Seed Ranking. When Sun Lie injures Su Yu and Sun Wuji arrives to challenge her, Shen defeats Sun Wuji and his companions. He then creates the Vast Sea Azure Boat Art, accepts a Zhou Family talisman contract, and rises to sixteenth on the ranking after the confrontation at Sun Lie's banquet. 54 55 58 59 60 61 63 65 66 69

Shen claims a cave abode in the blessed land, secretly becomes a Second-Order Talisman Master, and spends the next two years settling his cultivation at Qi Refining Perfection before the sect grand competition. 71 72

Langhuan Blessed Land and Foundation Establishment

Within Langhuan Blessed Land, Shen duels Qin Bufan and later joins him to hunt a Mountain-Sea Clam. After obtaining demonic-beast resources and a Profound Abyss Platform Star Map fragment, he enters seclusion and overcomes the Physical Body Barrier. 74 77

Shen subsequently becomes trapped with Su Yu in Peach Blossom Spring, a dreamlike place tied to Xuan Yuan Runji True Lord's inheritance. He learns physical martial arts from Fourth Lord Li and gains the Gravekeeper profession. As years pass within the dream, his mana and memories fade while Su Yu ages and loses much of her memory. A Kan Water resonance eventually restores Shen's memories and power, allowing him to begin his Fallen Abyss Gate breakthrough and achieve Foundation Establishment. 81 83 85 86 88

Avatar Cultivation and the Sea-Quelling Tower

Shen refines a Spirit Pearl avatar that subsequently establishes a Cloud-Rising Torrent Path Dao Foundation, strengthening the main body's spiritual awareness through their connection. Seeking techniques and treasures suited to his new realm, he enters the Myriad Mechanisms Sea-Quelling Tower. He clears two floors but is defeated by the coordinated puppets on the third, then chooses a Sword Embryo and xuanyuan heavy water as rewards. Cloudveil later returns injured and warns him that an ambush involving Xu Sheng may herald a wider sect war. 92 98 99 100

Notable Quotes

“A master led one through the gate; cultivation depended on the individual.” 5

“The profession panel only granted him the most basic abilities of every kind; it could not completely replace his own thought.” 35

“What he wanted was never fame itself, but the status and convenience that fame could bring.” 47