Liu Zhan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Liu Zhan (刘湛)
Alias(es)	Liu True Person; True Person Liu; Chi Mo (assumed name) 124 512
Species/Race	Human 1356
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yin Temple Sect; Great Zheng imperial court 181 182
Occupation/Role	Yin Temple Sect Master; Daoist True Person; court-appointed Academician of the Hall of Literary Brilliance 181 182
Status	Deceased; his physical body and divine spirit were annihilated during the Dragon Aura conflict 1356
First Appearance	Chapter 124, as Liu True Person 124

Background

Liu Zhan led the Yin Temple Sect, a state-favored Daoist institution granted official farmland and exemptions from corvée labor and taxes. His positions as True Person and Academician of the Hall of Literary Brilliance were both conferred by Great Zheng. 181 182

He regards the Demon Race as an existential danger. The Yin Temple Sect had spent years killing demons and refining them into pills to nourish its Grotto-Heaven, leaving the sect with no expectation of mercy should demon power rise. 737

Appearance

Liu Zhan is an elderly, tall, straight-backed Daoist who ordinarily wears Daoist robes. 765 1027

• His robe is a Yin Temple Sect artifact capable of resisting weapons, dirt, and rain; severe damage to it visibly marked the extent of his injuries after Coiling Dragon Lake. 181
• He carries himself with the composed bearing expected of an imperial-recognized True Person, even under political pressure. 1028

Personality

Liu Zhan is forceful, suspicious, and difficult to sway. Cao Yiyan considers him violent in temperament but fundamentally crafty and distrustful, while Liu himself is willing to withhold information and test even close subordinates. 182

His hatred of demons is ideological as well as personal. He can delay extermination to gather intelligence, but maintains that official documents or political protection cannot shield demons if their actions threaten the Demon Race’s rise. 437

He is also ruthlessly pragmatic. Liu treats Zheng Yingci as a necessary instrument for obtaining the Dragon Lord’s legacy, later accepts the possibility of his disciple’s death, and proposes deceiving the Emperor with promises of longevity to secure cooperation against demon fortune. 177 531

Abilities & Skills

Daoist Arts and Alchemy

Liu Zhan is an elite Yin Temple Sect cultivator, described as unfathomable even by Cao Yiyan before his injuries. He claims to have cultivated thirty-six Daoist arts. 181 512

• Uses the sect’s Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method, which powered the Heaven Drum Grand Formation against the Dragon Lord. 516
• Casts the Great Five-Element Divine Prohibition, creating restrictive mist, thunder, fire, and binding effects against Xie Zhenqing. 1353
• Offered Su Ziji access to the Yin Temple Sect’s guarded alchemical Daoist Canon collection. 793 801
• Requires explicit imperial permission to cast significant spells inside the Imperial Palace due to the backlash imposed by the Emperor’s Dragon Aura. 1004

Formations and Rituals

Liu Zhan is proficient in large-scale formations, divine invocations, and inheritance-realm phenomena.

• Identified the Dragon Lord’s Inheritance Spirit as a Primordial Spirit fragment capable of creating a lifelike realm where injuries and gains affect the physical body. 167
• Attempted to force the Dragon Lord’s submission through an array while operating under the name Chi Mo. 512
• Organized the Eight-Person Inquiry of Immortals formation to investigate Prince Dai’s concealed nature. 764
• Participated in the capital-wide Divine Praise Scripture Mantra network used to suppress the Demon Race. 1356

Divination and Aura Reading

Liu Zhan can examine fate, spiritual traces, and noble aura, though his insight has clear limits.

• Detected Su Ziji’s unusual and inexpressibly noble aura, but could not determine its source. 437
• Perceived a suggestion of imperial purple qi around Prince Dai and concluded that Su was a dangerous “Hidden Dragon” who should not be antagonized. 793
• Could not detect Su Ziji’s Daoist cultivation despite repeated scrutiny. 406 468
• Failed to read the capital’s tangled fortune through divination. 1244

Martial Arts

Liu Zhan combines Daoist cultivation with formidable close combat ability.

• Fought alongside Zheng Yingci during the struggle for the Dragon Lord’s inheritance. 175
• Kicked a transformed cat demon with enough force to send it crashing down bloodied and helpless. 175
• Wields martial skill strong enough that Su Ziji specifically noted it alongside Liu’s Daoist arts. 175

Painting

Liu Zhan is an accomplished painter whose Daoist insight can be embedded in his work.

• Painted the Yin Guan Grotto-Heaven Map, a layered depiction of celestial, human, and infernal realms. 405
• His style resembles Liu Daoyuan’s Liu School ink-wash painting among the Eight Wei Masters. 405
• The map contained a concealed transmission of the Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method. 405

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Thunder Pearl / Primal Thunder Pearl — A lightning treasure that intimidated demons and injured a python demon; its Primordial Spirit and power were stripped away by the young dragon. 176 179
• Bronze divination mirror — A diamond-shaped mirror on a five-colored cord, activated with vital blood for examination. 744
• Bronze seal — Used while casting the Great Five-Element Divine Prohibition. 1353
• Jade talisman — Permitted entry through the defensive formation protecting the Yin Temple Sect’s Daoist Canon Pavilion. 801

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dragon Palace Inheritance

Liu Zhan entered the Dragon Lord’s Inheritance Realm with Zheng Yingci, quickly recognizing that its apparently historical setting was a dangerous inherited illusion rather than ordinary reality. 167

During the contest for the Dragon Lord’s legacy, he relied on the Thunder Pearl and attempted to profit from the conflict between demons. The young dragon ultimately destroyed his form within the inheritance realm and left both Liu and Zheng severely damaged; Liu’s Thunder Pearl was rendered inert. 176 178 179

Rather than withdraw after the imperial envoy’s ceremony, Liu pursued Sun Buhan with soldiers and Daoists. Sun’s prepared ambush devastated Liu’s force and severely injured his Primordial Spirit, forcing Liu to summon Cao Yiyan and order him to track Sun Buhan through a pearl condensed from the demon’s aura. 181

Conflict with Demon Fortune

After Zheng Yingci’s condition worsened, Liu accepted that his disciple might die and instructed other Daoists to bury him properly if necessary. He then resolved to prevent demon fortune from flourishing after the Dragon Maiden’s transformation. 530 531

Liu proposed securing the Emperor’s cooperation by letting him believe Daoists could extend his lifespan or grant immortality, despite privately acknowledging that the promise could not truly be fulfilled. 531

In the Long’an Era, Liu’s Heaven Drum Grand Formation assaulted the Dragon Lord’s body inhabited by Su Ziji, escalating from crushing drumbeats to Heavenly Wrath. 516

Investigation of Su Ziji

Liu became increasingly intrigued by Su Ziji’s rapid rise, repeated escapes from danger, and unusual fortune. He considered whether Su’s success reflected hidden supernatural power rather than ordinary luck. 433

Although he suspected Su’s connection to demonic forces, Liu repeatedly failed to perceive Daoist cultivation on him. After examining Prince Dai at the residence-opening ceremony, he instead found no Demonic Fortune and detected lingering baleful intent consistent with having slain a Great Demon. 468 767

Liu eventually apologized to Su for the Yin Temple Sect’s suspicions and offered the sect’s resources, including access to its alchemical Daoist Canon. 793 815

Imperial and Sect Politics

Liu’s relationship with Cao Yiyan became increasingly dangerous when the Imperial City Office linked Cao to the Kingdom of Ying. Liu initially defended their connection as an ordinary, informal incense-disciple relationship, but the accusation left him unable to remain detached. 1028 1029

He later faced growing uncertainty over the succession struggle and the Yin Temple Sect’s future. During a Go match with Wenru, Liu could not read the capital’s tangled fortune and conceded, reflecting his inability to confidently control the unfolding conflict. 1244

Death

During the final Dragon Aura conflict, Liu’s Primordial Spirit became trapped in a remote Daoist battle while his body suffered catastrophic damage. He confessed that he had betrayed his sect, the realm, and humanity, warning Huo Wuyong to “beware of the dragon” before red flames consumed him. 1356

His body and divine spirit were both extinguished, leaving no possibility of recovery. 1356

Relationships

• Zheng Yingci — Personal disciple. Liu initially considered Zheng necessary for securing the Dragon Lord’s legacy, but later regarded him as an expendable sacrifice after his cultivation was ruined. 177 179 531
• Cao Yiyan — Senior disciple and subordinate entrusted with hunting Sun Buhan. Their relationship deteriorates into mutual suspicion after Liu’s injuries at Coiling Dragon Lake. 181 182
• Su Ziji / Prince Dai — Initially a subject of suspicion and investigation; Liu later offers the Yin Temple Sect’s alchemical texts and seeks a cooperative relationship. 433 793 815
• Hui Dao — Fellow True Person who repeatedly challenges Liu’s willingness to sacrifice others and deceive the Emperor. 531
• Luo Pei — Imperial envoy whose Dragon Palace operation Liu influenced and accompanied; Luo publicly credited Liu for the weather’s clearing despite Liu’s defeat. 179 181
• Yu Qianzhi — Daoist counterpart from another faction. They sometimes cooperate against demonic threats but remain wary of each other’s agendas. 319 744
• Huo Wuyong — Fellow Daoist who attempted to rescue Liu’s Primordial Spirit during his final battle. 1356
• The Dragon Maiden / Young Dragon — Overwhelming adversary who shattered Liu’s position during the Dragon Palace inheritance struggle and stripped his Thunder Pearl of power. 178 179
• The Emperor of Great Zheng — Liu’s imperial patron and political target; Liu sought to use the Emperor’s desire for longevity to mobilize power against demon fortune. 531

Notable Quotes

“I will never allow demon fortune to flourish again!” 531

“Today it is Zheng Yingci. Tomorrow, perhaps it will be me.” 531

“Beware of the dragon.” 1356