Duan De

Biodata

Background

Duan De first appears in the Sea of Reincarnation Secret Realm, where he discovers a small cauldron before realizing that Qin Sheng is nearby. He immediately regards Qin as an intolerable misfortune and invokes “Boundless Heavenly Venerable” in frustration. 12

A habitual explorer of ancient burials, Duan frames his grave robbing as the recovery of lost history. At Emperor Qing’s Tomb, he identifies the Yin Tomb and explains its relationship to the outer Yang Tomb, though his greed for Emperor-level relics repeatedly puts him at odds with Qin Sheng and Ye Fan. 13

In the Emperor’s Daoist Arena, Duan’s expertise becomes indispensable when he identifies the lingering substances left by a Great Emperor’s transformation and teaches Qin Sheng and Ye Fan the Furnace Dao Pattern needed to refine them. Their cooperation establishes the pattern of his later partnerships: Duan finds the opportunity, while his companions pressure him into sharing it. 28

Duan had only recently awakened in his current lifetime when he dared to enter Emperor Qing’s Yin Tomb. He escaped the tomb despite the deaths of numerous powerful cultivators, reinforcing his reputation for surviving dangers that should kill him. 28 183

Appearance

Duan De is usually recognized as a plump Daoist priest in a worn or tattered Daoist robe. He frequently adopts alternate faces and identities when operating in unfamiliar regions. 12 133 323

• Often described as fat, chubby, or plump. 12 28
• Wears a tattered Daoist robe during tomb expeditions. 323
• Uses the identity Righteous Qi Daoist when attempting to conceal himself. 133 296
• Xiao Nannan persistently calls him “Fat Uncle,” much to his annoyance. 210

Personality

Duan De is greedy, opportunistic, and intensely possessive of anything he considers treasure. He regularly claims to be motivated by archaeology and historical preservation, but he excavates the tombs of both ancient figures and their descendants whenever profit is involved. 28 181

He is also resourceful and exceptionally resilient. He will enter lethal tombs, endure formations, Yin corpses, and ghost generals, and continue deeper as long as there is a chance of obtaining a major prize. 183

Despite his shamelessness, Duan is not reckless in the face of truly overwhelming danger. He recognizes the threat posed by Great Emperor karma, Ruthless Emperor’s surviving Dao imprints, and powerful ancient formations. 28 70 318

His relationships with Qin Sheng, Ye Fan, and Black Emperor are built on mutual exploitation, extortion, and repeated betrayal. However, he remains connected to them through a durable, if deeply dysfunctional, sense of brotherhood. He also shows genuine care for Xiao Nannan by giving her a defensive talisman when they reunite in Ziwei. 181 296 606

Abilities & Skills

Tomb Exploration and Historical Knowledge

Duan De possesses extensive knowledge of ancient tombs, burial customs, relics, and hidden historical records.

• Located Emperor Qing’s Yin Tomb and identified its connection to the outer Yang Tomb. 13
• Explained the Great Emperor Dao aura and transformation remnants within the Emperor’s Daoist Arena. 28
• Identified the false and true tomb structure of the Saint’s Burial Mound, having manipulated major sacred lands into opening the false tomb for him. 181 184
• Recognized the Yin-Yang Fish as materials capable of establishing a Saint Weapon foundation or creating a Saint Weapon prototype. 183
• Identified the Fire Pearl and the mechanism surrounding Zhenming Half-Saint’s Blood-Colored Pyramid. 212

Dao Patterns and Formations

Duan De understands specialized Dao Patterns, tomb formations, and methods of accessing sealed burial sites.

• Taught Qin Sheng and Ye Fan to use the Furnace Dao Pattern to refine rare essence through their bodies. 28
• Used a Forbidden Artifact mirror to distort Yin-Yang and force open a tomb entrance. 211
• Prepared illusion, trapping, and Spirit-Dazing formations against Ye Fan before Qin Sheng countered them. 228
• Can still be caught by sufficiently concealed formations; he was repeatedly injured by ancient Dao fire and lightning traps in the Immortal Spirit Burial Ground. 318

Concealment and Escape

Duan De frequently evades enemies through disguises, hidden treasures, and retreat rather than direct confrontation.

• Assumed the identity of the Righteous Qi Daoist to deny his connection to Qin Sheng. 133 296
• Escaped Emperor Qing’s Yin Tomb despite its peerless killing intent. 28
• Retreated after losing a confrontation with Qin Sheng rather than risking destruction by the Swallowing Heaven Devil Canopy. 43
• Considered fleeing Beidou for Ziwei specifically to escape Qin Sheng’s pursuit. 210

Artifact Appraisal

Duan recognizes rare materials and relics whose value is hidden from ordinary cultivators.

• Explained that Chaotic Ruin Dust carries death and extinction, potentially turning a vessel into a Netherworld Treasure. 29
• Identified Dao-Life Mother Stone as a life-aligned material capable of balancing Chaotic Ruin Dust’s deathly nature. 29
• Recognized the relationship between the Fish Talisman, Peng Talisman, and Kunpeng’s hidden inheritance. 356 357
• Identified the Quasi-Emperor Formation surrounding Kunpeng’s Nest as an obstacle that could not be overcome by brute force. 357 358

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Corpse Shroud — A tattered cloth with terrifying deathly power; when attacked, its blood manifested the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Qin Sheng speculated that it may be a Great Emperor Burial Shroud. Each use causes wear. 43 297
• Bronze Lamp — A rust-covered Demon Race King Weapon used to lead the group into Zhenming Half-Saint’s pyramid. 212
• Fish Talisman — A token paired with the Peng Talisman; together, the two opened a route toward Kunpeng’s Nest. 356 357
• Yin-Yang Fish — A pair of legendary black-and-white fish refined from a ruined King-level pill furnace. Duan concealed them in natural wood before Qin Sheng’s group forced him to surrender a portion. 183 184
• Great Ability Jade Bottle — A weapon capable of dissolving captives into blood and pus within three quarters of an hour; surrendered to Qin Sheng under pressure. 43
• Treasure-Gathering Basin — Concealed in Duan’s Sea of Consciousness; Qin Sheng and Ye Fan seized and suppressed it beneath the Swallowing Heaven Devil Canopy. 229
• Sea God Pearls and God-Thread Jade Garment — Valuable defensive and cultivation treasures stripped from Duan while he was unconscious. 228
• Spirit-Dazing Powder — Powder designed to muddle Divine Sense and incapacitate cultivators; intended for Ye Fan before Qin Sheng and Ye Fan used it against Duan instead. 228

Relationships

• Qin Sheng — Recurring rival, reluctant partner, and self-proclaimed sworn brother. Qin repeatedly exploits Duan’s greed, forces him to share tomb loot, and pursues him across Beidou and Ziwei; Duan considers their connection “cursed fate.” 28 42 209 296 323
• Ye Fan — Fellow tomb explorer and frequent target of Duan’s schemes. Duan attempted to steal Ye Fan’s dagger, embezzled nearly all of Ye Fan’s 500,000 jin of Source, and later became the victim of Ye Fan’s revenge. 13 181 228 229
• Black Emperor — Long-standing hostile companion. They insult, bite, ambush, and scheme against one another, but also cooperate in treasure hunts and the activities of the Beidou Three Scourges. 118 181 569 804
• Xiao Nannan — Treats Duan with innocent familiarity and calls him “Fat Uncle.” Duan gave her a protective jade talisman capable of withstanding Great Ability-level attacks. 210 296
• Tushan Doudou — Addressed by Doudou as “Martial Uncle” through her connection to Qin Sheng. 575

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Emperor Qing’s Tomb and Emperor’s Daoist Arena — Competes with Qin Sheng and Ye Fan for relics, identifies the Yin Tomb, and helps refine Great Emperor transformation essence. 13 28 30
• Four Heroes of the Firmament — Rejoins Qin Sheng and Black Emperor in Holy City, where the trio’s supposed brotherhood becomes increasingly defined by attempts to inspect or seize one another’s treasures. 118 127
• Saint’s Burial Mound — Tricks sacred lands into opening an empty tomb, embezzles Ye Fan’s Source, enters the true tomb alone, and obtains the Yin-Yang Fish before being ambushed outside. 181 183 184
• “End of Duan De’s Criminal Life” — Qin Sheng and Ye Fan use Black Emperor’s formations to knock him unconscious and strip him of much of his hidden wealth. 228 229
• Ziwei Reunion — Flees Beidou and adopts the Righteous Qi Daoist identity, only for Qin Sheng and Xiao Nannan to expose him shortly after arriving in Ziwei. 296
• Human Emperor Tomb and Moon Relics — Uneasily explores the Taiyin Human Emperor’s memorial tomb with Qin Sheng, then loses out again when Qin and Xiao Nannan claim the hidden lunar treasures. 323 325
• Kunpeng’s Nest — Uses his Fish Talisman knowledge to help open the route to the Kunpeng inheritance, then continues traveling with Qin Sheng despite mutual distrust. 356 359
• Beidou Three Scourges — Reappears alongside Black Emperor in schemes against the Heavenly Crow Nest and later joins the gathering at Heaven-Severing Mountains. 569 804 805

Notable Quotes

“Archaeology. It was all archaeology. I was doing it to restore the truth of history.” 181

“The Yin Fish undergoes Divine Transformation, while the Yang Fish sacrifices itself. When Yin and Yang unite, they can forge the foundation of a Saint Weapon, even create a Saint Weapon Prototype.” 183

“Before there were people after Beidou, this Daoist was already here before Beidou.” 802

Trivia

• Duan spent only fifty jin of the 500,000 jin of Source entrusted to him by Ye Fan, embezzling the remainder in what became known as the “Fifty Jin Source Incident.” 181
• He considers entering Emperor Qing’s Tomb the beginning of his misfortune because it led to his repeated encounters with Qin Sheng. 183 323
• Qin Sheng once jokingly framed Duan as a member of the Ruthless lineage by describing his tomb robbing as devouring the Origins of the dead. 66
• Duan’s survival ability is considered exceptional: he loudly panics in dangerous situations, yet repeatedly escapes alive from threats that kill stronger cultivators. 799