Zhen Yuanzi

Biodata

Background / History

Zhen Yuanzi attended Hongjun’s first sermon at Zixiao Palace, remaining among the few cultivators able to persist in comprehending the Dao until its conclusion. He was seated with his close friend Hong Yun after Hong Yun surrendered his meditation cushion to Zhunti. Zhen Yuanzi understood Hong Yun’s generous nature but privately regretted the loss of such an important opportunity. 12 13

He resides at Longevity Mountain, a serene immortal mountain on the boundary between the eastern and western regions of the Primordial Land. Its earth veins, abundant spiritual energy, and profound Wu Earth aura reflect his cultivation of the Earth Dao. 25

When Dao Xuan arrived at Five Villages Temple seeking a branch of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, Zhen Yuanzi welcomed him as an honored guest. He offered ten Ginseng Fruits, accepted Dao Xuan’s embryonic gourd in exchange, and honored his promise to provide a branch despite recognizing the cost to his companion spiritual root. Dao Xuan then restored the tree’s wound with ten drops of Three Lights Divine Water. 25 26

Zhen Yuanzi and Dao Xuan spent ten thousand years discussing their respective Daos beneath the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Their exchange deepened Zhen Yuanzi’s foundations until he was ready to sever a corpse and enter the Quasi-Saint realm. 27

Dao Xuan warned him that using powerful treasures of shared origin would reduce conflict during Three Corpses Reunification. Zhen Yuanzi realized that his Ginseng Fruit Tree was the only suitable vessel for his self-obsession, but refused to sacrifice the spiritual root that had accompanied him since birth. He abandoned the Three Corpses Severing path and chose the far more difficult Law-Proving Dao instead. Dao Xuan later clarified that shared origins were advantageous rather than strictly necessary: treasures of different origins could also be reunited if they accorded with the cultivator’s Dao. 28 29 81

Zhen Yuanzi subsequently attended Hongjun’s third sermon and was among the small group capable of understanding portions of its Saint-level teachings. He also continued exchanging Dao insights with Dao Xuan, including a later discussion at Five Villages Temple together with Hong Yun. 54 60

Following Nuwa’s attainment of sainthood, Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun reunited with Dao Xuan at the gathering beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. They initially worried that his familiar address to Nuwa might offend her, before Nuwa publicly revealed that Dao Xuan had already attained Hunyuan. After leaving Taisu Heaven, they agreed to escort his disciple Xuanming back to the Primordial World while he answered Hongjun’s summons. 73 74 75 76 77

When Dao Xuan returned to Longevity Mountain, Zhen Yuanzi was a mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal, supported in his Earth Law cultivation by the Earth Book and Ginseng Fruit Tree. He admitted that his cultivation had remained stagnant for two hundred thousand years. Dao Xuan transmitted his own Earth Law insights to him, although Zhen Yuanzi still needed to comprehend and assimilate them personally. 80 81

Dao Xuan then proposed establishing the Earth Immortal Church, with Zhen Yuanzi as leader and Hong Yun as vice sect leader. Zhen Yuanzi initially resisted because he feared the responsibilities and conflicts of leading a church would disrupt his tranquil life. He accepted after Dao Xuan explained that sufficient strength was necessary to preserve peace, and that the church’s merit and fortune would aid his cultivation while also benefiting Hong Yun. 82

More than ten thousand years after the commotion surrounding Minghe’s creation of the Asura race subsided, Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun appeared above Longevity Mountain to establish the Earth Immortal Church. Zhen Yuanzi publicly revealed the Ginseng Fruit Tree, raised the Earth Book, and prayed to the Heavenly Dao. Heaven recognized the church and bestowed merit, raising him from mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal to Grand Primordial Golden Immortal perfection without completing his attainment of the Dao. He subsequently entrusted the church’s practical management and disciple recruitment to Hong Yun. 87

Appearance

Zhen Yuanzi has a youthful, childlike face despite his long beard and venerable bearing. He dresses as a Daoist and carries a fly whisk. 25

• Hair tied in a Daoist topknot.
• Broad robes with wide sleeves.
• Long beard that hangs beneath his chin.
• Usually holds a fly whisk in one hand. 25

Personality

Zhen Yuanzi is modest and deliberately low-profile. Dao Xuan’s grand couplet at the gate of Five Villages Temple embarrassed him because he disliked attracting attention or competing for reputation. Even so, he graciously accepted Dao Xuan’s apology and welcomed him inside. 25

He is sincere, hospitable, and bound by his word. Though he regretted promising to fulfill Dao Xuan’s request before learning it involved the Ginseng Fruit Tree, he still immediately cut off a branch as agreed. 26

His strongest attachment is to the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Rather than refine his lifelong companion into a treasure for severing his self-obsession, he chose to abandon an established route to enlightenment and undertake Law-Proving Dao. 28 29

His sincerity during Dao discussions deeply impresses Dao Xuan. Zhen Yuanzi shares his understanding without reservation, and promises to do everything in his power to repay Dao Xuan’s guidance if the opportunity arises. 28 29

He is protective of his friends and attentive to the dangers posed by status and karma. He privately cautions Dao Xuan about the perceived impropriety of addressing the newly ascended Nuwa as an equal, and becomes anxious when Dao Xuan explains the potentially fatal karmic debt connecting Hong Yun to Jieyin and Zhunti. 74 81

Zhen Yuanzi values tranquility and freedom more than institutional authority. His initial reluctance to found the Earth Immortal Church reflects his fear of endless strife, but he ultimately accepts the undertaking for both his own cultivation and Hong Yun’s sake. Once the church is established, he leaves its day-to-day affairs to Hong Yun. 82 87

Abilities & Skills

Earth Dao

Zhen Yuanzi cultivates an Earth Dao of stability, endurance, and support. He views earth as the foundation that bears all living beings, all laws, and even the Heavenly Dao itself. 27

• Emphasizes stillness, tolerance, and the ability to contain all things.
• Contrasts with Dao Xuan’s transformative Four Symbols Dao: Zhen Yuanzi’s earth provides the stable foundation upon which creation and change can endure.
• His cultivation is closely tied to Innate Wutu Essence and the earth veins of the Primordial World. 25 27
• States that his understanding of the Dao was gained from the Earth Book. 27
• Continues developing the Earth Law with assistance from both the Earth Book and Ginseng Fruit Tree, reaching mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal before encountering a prolonged bottleneck. 80
• Receives Dao Xuan’s personal Earth Law insights through direct transmission, but must independently comprehend them rather than gaining their full benefit automatically. 81

Wutu Divine Thunder

Zhen Yuanzi possesses the Wutu Divine Thunder, a renowned lightning technique counted among the notable divine thunders of the Primordial World. 10

• Associated with his Wu Earth cultivation.
• Ranked below Hongjun’s Zixiao Divine Thunder and the Three Pure Ones’ divine thunders in the stated comparison. 10

Earth Book

The Earth Book is Zhen Yuanzi’s companion treasure and a supreme artifact of the Earth Dao. It is one of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man. 27

• Contains profound Earth Dao rhythms and circulating Innate Wutu Essence.
• Serves as the core of Longevity Mountain’s Innate Wu Earth Formation.
• Links the formation to the earth veins of the Primordial World, making an attack on the mountain potentially disastrous to those veins. 25 27
• Originates from the Earth Womb Membrane and was born alongside Zhen Yuanzi. Its connection to the Primordial Land contributes to his profound fortune. 25 26
• Anchors the Earth Immortal Church’s fortune and receives a share of the Heavenly Dao merit bestowed at its founding. 87
• Helps give the church a stable foundation that is difficult for outsiders to exploit or undermine. 88

Law-Proving Dao

After rejecting the Three Corpses Severing Method, Zhen Yuanzi chooses Law-Proving Dao, also called Dao-Proving Through Strength. 29

• Seeks Hunyuan attainment through complete comprehension of a Great Dao law.
• Can be pursued by integrating laws into the physical body or Primordial Spirit.
• Zhen Yuanzi accepts the path despite its extreme difficulty and the failures of several ancient predecessors. 29
• Yang Mei Immortal’s successful attainment through the Space Law restores his confidence that the path is viable. 29
• His actual cultivation centers on the Earth Law; his mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal cultivation is comparable in stage to a mid-stage Quasi-Saint, but does not result from severing corpses. 80
• Heavenly merit from establishing the Earth Immortal Church advances him to Grand Primordial Golden Immortal perfection, but does not perfect his law or grant Hunyuan attainment. 87

Innate Wu Earth Formation

Zhen Yuanzi protects Longevity Mountain with the Innate Wu Earth Formation, the most defense-oriented of the Innate Five Elements formations. He uses the Earth Book as its core and connects it to the Primordial World’s earth veins. 25

• Even Dao Xuan, as a Primordial Golden Immortal capable of drawing on his Inner World, considers breaching the formation difficult.
• Destroying it could seriously damage the Primordial World’s earth veins and provoke severe Heavenly Dao karmic backlash.
• Zhen Yuanzi calculates Dao Xuan’s arrival and deactivates the formation to welcome him, demonstrating both foresight and deliberate goodwill. 25

Earth Immortal Church

Zhen Yuanzi establishes the Earth Immortal Church to enlighten the living beings of the Earth Immortal Realm. The Earth Book serves as its fortune-anchoring treasure, while Hong Yun assists as vice sect leader. 82 87

• Dao Xuan explains that the church would gather fortune associated with the Earth Immortal Realm, including the Primordial Land, strengthening Zhen Yuanzi’s connection to the land and aiding his comprehension of the Earth Law. 82
• Its founding receives Heavenly Dao recognition and abundant merit, benefiting Zhen Yuanzi, Hong Yun, the Earth Book, and the Ginseng Fruit Tree. 87
• Accepting merit carries a corresponding responsibility to enlighten others and take disciples; Zhen Yuanzi delegates this work to Hong Yun. 87
• The church has an exceptionally stable foundation and a continuing flow of fortune, making it difficult for hostile figures to find an opening against it. 88

Power Progression

Equipment / Spiritual Roots

• Earth Book — Companion treasure and core of the Innate Wu Earth Formation. Later becomes the fortune-anchoring treasure of the Earth Immortal Church and absorbs merit at its founding. 25 27 87
• Ginseng Fruit Tree — His companion spiritual root and one of the Primordial World’s ten great spiritual roots; it produces Ginseng Fruits and was central to his decision to reject Three Corpses Severing. It assists his Earth Law cultivation, is publicly revealed at the church’s founding, and receives Heavenly Dao merit. 25 28 80 87
• Ginseng Fruits / Grass-Restoring Elixirs — Bloom once every three thousand years, bear fruit after another three thousand years, and mature after a further three thousand years; smelling one grants 360 years of longevity, while eating one grants 48,000 years. Each full cycle produces thirty fruits. 25
• Fly Whisk — A mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Zhen Yuanzi had originally considered using for corpse severing. 25 28
• Embryonic Gourd — Gifted by Dao Xuan; it can be refined with Innate Wutu Essence into an earth-element treasure. Zhen Yuanzi later gives it to Hong Yun, who refines it into a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure and uses it to sever his good corpse. 26 28 81
• Splendid Mountains and Rivers Map / Embroidered Geographic Map — Used to cover the tray of Ginseng Fruits offered to Dao Xuan; its covering prevents divine sense from seeing the contents. 25 26

The branch Zhen Yuanzi gives Dao Xuan becomes a separate, lower-grade Innate Ginseng Fruit Tree within Dao Xuan’s Inner World. Dao Xuan nurtures it with Three Lights Divine Water, World Tree origin, and world-origin power. This new tree supports the Inner World’s Earth Law and benefits White Tiger; it is distinct from Zhen Yuanzi’s original companion root. 30

Relationships

• Dao Xuan — Fellow Daoist and companion on the Great Dao. Dao Xuan exchanged an embryonic gourd for a Ginseng Fruit Tree branch, healed the tree afterward, discussed the Dao with Zhen Yuanzi for ten thousand years, and guided him toward Law-Proving Dao. Their friendship continues through later Dao discussions. Even after revealing his Hunyuan attainment, Dao Xuan asks to retain their familiar form of address, shares Earth Law insights, and persuades Zhen Yuanzi to establish the Earth Immortal Church. 25 26 27 28 29 60 77 80 81 82
• Hong Yun — Close friend and later vice sect leader of the Earth Immortal Church. Hong Yun gave his Zixiao Palace meditation cushion to Zhunti, then sat beside Zhen Yuanzi; Zhen Yuanzi understood his kindness but worried over the opportunity he had lost. Zhen Yuanzi later gives him Dao Xuan’s gourd and becomes alarmed upon learning the full danger of his karmic debt with Jieyin and Zhunti. They establish the church together, and Zhen Yuanzi entrusts its administration and disciple recruitment to him. 12 81 82 87
• Hongjun — Teacher at Zixiao Palace. Zhen Yuanzi was among the cultivators who endured Hongjun’s first sermon until the end, and later grasps portions of his third, Saint-level lecture. 13 54
• Ginseng Fruit Tree — Companion spiritual root that has remained with Zhen Yuanzi since his birth. He refuses to sacrifice it even when it is revealed to be the ideal treasure for his self-obsession. Although it has not developed spiritual intelligence, he values its long companionship and continuing provision of fruit. It remains an aid to his cultivation and shares in the merit of his church’s founding. 28 80 87
• Xuanming — Dao Xuan’s disciple. Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun accept responsibility for escorting Xuanming back to the Primordial World when Dao Xuan is summoned by Hongjun; the disciple waits with them at Longevity Mountain until Dao Xuan returns. 77 80
• Nuwa — Zhen Yuanzi attends the gathering celebrating her sainthood and initially worries that Dao Xuan’s familiar address to her is improper. Nuwa later recognizes Dao Xuan’s guidance behind Zhen Yuanzi’s founding of the Earth Immortal Church. 73 74 87

Story Role / Major Arcs

Zixiao Palace Sermons

Zhen Yuanzi attends Hongjun’s first sermon and remains in enlightenment until its conclusion, establishing him among the Primordial World’s more capable great powers. His friendship with Hong Yun is highlighted during the dispute over the meditation cushions. 12 13

By the time of Dao Xuan’s first visit, he has also heard Hongjun’s second lecture and accumulated enough understanding of the Three Corpses Severing Method to attempt a breakthrough. During the third sermon, he is among the few cultivators able to grasp portions of Hongjun’s Saint-level discourse. 26 54

Dao Xuan’s Visit to Longevity Mountain

Dao Xuan approaches Zhen Yuanzi for a Ginseng Fruit Tree branch to cultivate within his Inner World. Their exchange of treasures, Dao Xuan’s healing of the tree, and their shared Ginseng Fruits establish mutual respect. 25 26

Zhen Yuanzi initially regards Dao Xuan as a younger cultivator whose foundation is inferior to his own, despite treating him courteously. Dao Xuan’s generosity and hidden cultivation force him to revise that assumption. The branch he provides subsequently grows into a separate Innate Spiritual Root within Dao Xuan’s world. 26 30

Choosing Law-Proving Dao

Following their ten-thousand-year Dao discussion, Zhen Yuanzi nearly pursues the Three Corpses Severing Method. He refuses when its completion would require sacrificing the Ginseng Fruit Tree, then resolves to cultivate the Earth Dao through Law-Proving Dao instead. 27 28 29

His determination survives Dao Xuan’s explanation of the path’s difficulties and the failures of Ancestral Dragon, Primordial Qilin, and Yuanfeng. Yang Mei Immortal’s successful Space Law attainment provides evidence that the path is possible. Zhen Yuanzi thanks Dao Xuan, promises future assistance, and firmly commits himself after Dao Xuan’s departure. 29

Nuwa’s Sainthood Gathering

Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun warmly greet Dao Xuan beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, but privately warn him that addressing Nuwa as a fellow Daoist may be interpreted as arrogance. Nuwa’s subsequent revelation that Dao Xuan attained the Dao before her overturns the assumptions behind their concern. 73 74 75

They leave Taisu Heaven with Dao Xuan and Xuanming. When Hongjun summons Dao Xuan, the two friends agree to take Xuanming back to the Primordial World. Although they initially address Dao Xuan as Heavenly Venerable, he explicitly asks them to continue calling him a fellow Daoist. 76 77

Cultivation Bottleneck and Hong Yun’s Karmic Danger

At Five Villages Temple, Zhen Yuanzi admits that his mid-stage Primordial Golden Immortal cultivation has not advanced for two hundred thousand years. Dao Xuan provides Earth Law insights to assist him, while emphasizing that cultivation ultimately depends upon individual comprehension. 80 81

The conversation also reveals the danger surrounding Hong Yun’s surrendered Saint seat. Zhen Yuanzi had previously focused on the risks of Hong Yun’s Primordial Purple Qi, but had not fully recognized the connection to Jieyin and Zhunti. He becomes anxious when Dao Xuan explains that the western pair might seek to erase their karmic debt through Hong Yun’s death if they attain sainthood first. 81

Founding the Earth Immortal Church

Dao Xuan proposes founding the Earth Immortal Church as a means of gathering merit and fortune, aiding Zhen Yuanzi’s Earth Law cultivation, and improving Hong Yun’s prospects. Zhen Yuanzi initially objects to the loss of tranquility, but accepts that strength is necessary to protect both himself and his friend. 82

Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun formally establish the church above Longevity Mountain. Zhen Yuanzi unveils the Ginseng Fruit Tree, designates the Earth Book as the treasure anchoring its fortune, and appoints Hong Yun vice sect leader. Heavenly recognition brings merit that advances Zhen Yuanzi to Grand Primordial Golden Immortal perfection and Hong Yun to Quasi-Saint perfection, while also benefiting the Earth Book and tree. Neither the founding nor Zhen Yuanzi’s breakthrough completes his attainment of the Dao. 87

The event inspires other powerful beings to imitate church-founding, but those lacking the Earth Book or equivalent qualification receive no response from Heaven or suffer backlash. Minghe studies Zhen Yuanzi’s success, while the Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, and Zhunti recognize church-founding as a possible clue to their own sainthood opportunities. Nuwa identifies Dao Xuan’s guidance behind the development. 87

Zhen Yuanzi delegates the church’s enlightenment duties, disciple recruitment, and practical management to Hong Yun. The Earth Book helps secure an enduring and stable foundation for the institution. Not long afterward, Hong Yun sends his evil-corpse incarnation to Sumeru Mountain to meet Jieyin and Zhunti. 87 88

Notable Quotes

“Do I have any other choice?” 29

“But I will not walk the path of Three Corpses Severing!” 28

“If that day comes, Zhen Yuanzi will certainly do everything in his power.” 29

“Since Dao brother Dao Xuan has given me his guidance, then from this day onward, I shall walk the path of Law-Proving Dao!” 29

“Not to make Fellow Daoist laugh, but my cultivation base hasn't made a single bit of progress since two hundred thousand years ago.” 80

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