Elder Chen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Elder Chen (陈老; also called Old Chen) 2
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Spirit Hall; Tieyan Junior Soul Master Academy 2
Occupation/Role	Spirit Hall senior professor; academy instructor; An Chen’s mentor 2 12
Martial Soul	Myriad Beasts Codex 5
Soul Power	Seven-ring Soul Master 13
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Elder Chen voluntarily taught at Tieyan Junior Soul Master Academy to identify and cultivate promising children from remote areas. Although stationed at the academy, he was a senior professor associated with Spirit Hall headquarters and intended to take exceptional students there for advanced study. 2

He recognized An Chen’s Innate Full Soul Power despite being baffled by the boy’s Iron Pot Martial Soul. He accepted An Chen as a student, personally arranged his first soul-ring hunt, and later formally became his teacher. 2 6 12

During the hunt in the Soul Hunting Forest, Elder Chen revealed both his Elder Token and his true seven-ring strength. He pursued the ten-thousand-year Crystal Scale Basilisk while leaving a summoned Stone Armor Bear to guard An Chen. 4 5

When Evil Soul Masters created the Blood Moon crisis north of Tieyan City, Elder Chen took command of the defense, ordered civilian evacuations, and prepared to confront the phenomenon himself after conventional attacks failed. 13 14

Appearance

Elder Chen is an older Soul Master with graying hair and a prominent white beard. Though he initially presents himself as an ordinary academy professor, his bearing and authority change sharply when he acts in Spirit Hall’s name. 2 4

• Carries an ancient book-shaped Martial Soul, the Myriad Beasts Codex. 5
• Possesses a Spirit Hall Elder Token. 4
• Often receives students in his courtyard over tea. 8 12
• His white beard visibly trembles when amused, irritated, or pleased. 2 8 12

Personality

Elder Chen is practical, perceptive, and demanding. He gives An Chen room to choose his own path—accepting the boy’s preference for Shadow-attribute Soul Rings despite favoring a safer defensive build—but insists that every decision be supported by physical preparation and sound judgment. 3 4 8

He is also unusually open-minded for a Spirit Hall elder. Though Spirit Hall publicly rejects Yu Xiaogang’s theories, Elder Chen privately evaluated the Basic Meditation Cultivation Method and passed it to An Chen because he believed it was genuinely useful. 4

His concern for An Chen is usually expressed through action rather than sentiment: providing training methods, meals, equipment, research material, money, and warnings about the wider world. 8 15 18 51

Abilities & Skills

Myriad Beasts Codex

Elder Chen’s book Martial Soul can record, summon, and employ Soul Beasts.

• Summoned a thousand-year Stone Armor Bear to protect An Chen in the Soul Hunting Forest. 5
• Summoned a cyan bird to pursue the burrowing Crystal Scale Basilisk. 5
• Used Soul Power chains from the Codex in an attempt to subdue and imprint the ten-thousand-year Crystal Scale Basilisk. 5
• Produced a century-old Hibiscus Bird for message delivery and remote observation. 12

Seventh Soul Skill: Myriad Beasts Possession

Elder Chen’s seventh Soul Skill merges the power of multiple Soul Beasts into his body. 13 14

• Manifested traits from an azure bird, armored wolf, golden python, and other Soul Beasts. 14
• Enlarged his body, formed dark-golden beast patterns and vertical pupils, and grew azure phantom wings. 14
• Enhanced his speed further while attempting to destroy the Blood Moon before its light reached Tieyan City. 14
• The Blood Moon vanished before he could test whether the technique could affect it. 14

Mentorship and Soul-Ring Theory

Elder Chen is an experienced instructor in Martial Soul development, Soul Rings, and Soul Skills.

• Evaluates Soul Beast age and attributes for compatibility with a student’s Martial Soul. 4 6
• Taught An Chen that Soul Ring color and age alone do not determine a Soul Skill’s quality; Martial Soul and attribute compatibility are equally important. 15
• Authored the Soul Skill Compendium, recording likely Soul Skill outcomes from different Soul Ring and Martial Soul combinations. 15
• Identified the limits of An Chen’s predictive combat style and praised his ability to adapt after it failed. 12

Equipment / Items

• Spirit Hall Elder Token — Granted him authority to enter the sealed Soul Hunting Forest. 4
• Basic Meditation Cultivation Method — A confidential cultivation manual he gave An Chen despite Spirit Hall’s official opposition to its creator. 4
• Body Forging Method — Spirit Hall training method for Tool Martial Soul users. 8
• Storage Soul Tool ring — An old black ring he gifted to An Chen; it contained Combat Insights and Soul Skill Compendium. 15
• Supplementary Black Card — A card under his account that allows An Chen to withdraw funds from major banks in the Heaven Dou Empire. 18
• Youxiang Grass — One of Elder Chen’s remaining stalks, sent to An Chen to treat Spirituality damaged by the Babble. 51 52

Relationships

• An Chen — Mentor and formal teacher. Elder Chen personally guided his soul-ring choices, training, physical development, and later supported his travels with money and supplies. 2 8 12 18 51
• Wang Gang — Spirit Hall colleague who brought An Chen to Tieyan Junior Soul Master Academy and entrusted the child to Elder Chen. 2
• Woman Wen — Spirit Hall associate who coordinated with Elder Chen during the Blood Moon emergency and handled the aftermath after its disappearance. 13 14
• Yu Xiaogang — Respects his research despite Spirit Hall’s public rejection of his theories and their political disputes. 4
• Flender — Knows Flender as the founder of Shrek Academy and one of the Golden Iron Triangle. 18

Story Role / Major Arcs

Training An Chen

Elder Chen identifies An Chen as an extraordinary talent and becomes the primary mentor behind his early growth. He oversees An Chen’s first Soul Ring, helps him select a Shadow-attribute path, gives him cultivation and body-forging methods, and supervises his academic and combat development. 2 4 6 8 12

Blood Moon Incident

Elder Chen responds directly to the Evil Soul Masters’ massacre and ritual. After witnessing the Blood Moon’s ability to nullify ordinary ranged attacks and corrupt summoned Soul Beasts, he prioritizes evacuating civilians before activating Myriad Beasts Possession to confront it. 13 14

Continued Support

After the incident, Elder Chen orders An Chen to stabilize his foundation rather than cultivate recklessly, equips him with a storage Soul Tool and research texts, and warns him that the escaped ritual leader remains dangerous. 15

When An Chen leaves Tieyan City for Shrek Academy, Elder Chen approves the decision, gives him a supplementary Black Card, and warns him not to underestimate the dangers beyond the city. 18

Later, after receiving An Chen’s letter about mental instability, Elder Chen sends Youxiang Grass and explains the danger surrounding Xiangshi Valley, where the plant had once been harvested. 51