Laozi

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Laozi (老子)
Alias(es)	Taiqing Laozi; Li Er, his assumed identity among humans 81 88
Gender	Male; eldest brother of the Three Pure Ones 26
Origin / Lineage	Pangu Orthodox; inherits fragments of Pangu’s Primordial Spirit and the largest share of his Heaven-Opening Merit 74 83 87
Affiliation	Three Pure Ones; Hongjun’s direct disciples 26 35
Occupation / Role	Cultivator; creator of the Golden Core Dao; founder of the subsequently abolished Human Sect 83 84 88
Residence	Daoist Abode in the Kunlun Mountains 80 83
Cultivation	Peak Quasi-Saint 81 86
Status	Alive; his intended path to Sagehood through humanity is severed 88
First Appearance	Mentioned collectively through the “Friend of the Three Pure Ones” option; first direct appearance in the supplied narrative occurs during the brothers’ choice of teacher 1 26

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Great Firmament Golden Immortal	31	Confirmed before Hongjun’s second lecture. Having benefited from the first lecture, he now seeks the Quasi-Saint Dao.
Early Primordial Unity Supreme Immortal / Early Quasi-Saint	35	Severs his Kind Corpse into the Supreme Unity Whisk using Hongjun’s Three Corpses Severing Method. Both his original body and the resulting Jade Clarity Daoist attain this realm.
Peak Quasi-Saint	81	Confirmed when he enters the human tribes as Li Er. The intervening breakthroughs are not described in the supplied passages.

Background / History

Laozi is the eldest of the Three Pure Ones, with Yuanshi as his second brother and Tongtian as his youngest. His Pangu inheritance gives him a privileged claim to enlighten humanity: he bears the greatest Heaven-Opening Merit and inherits most of Pangu’s legacy. This claim is conditional rather than absolute—he must still contribute to the Human Race, and another cultivator can displace him by fulfilling that role first 26 74 83.

He initially chooses Hongjun over Heaven-Earth Daoist, agreeing with Yuanshi that Hongjun’s origins, reputation, and leadership in the Dao-Devil War make him the appropriate teacher for the Pangu Orthodox. Tongtian rejects their choice and attends Heaven-Earth Daoist’s lectures instead 26.

Appearance

• Usual bearing: Presents an air of serene, detached indifference, often concealing anxiety or pride beneath a composed expression 26 72.
• Li Er disguise: Changes his appearance and bearing to resemble an ordinary spiritual-root-born demon. He adopts an approachable elderly manner, kind brows and eyes, and humble speech 81.
• Kind Corpse: Jade Clarity Daoist looks exactly like Laozi but wears red robes and has a warmer smile and kinder expression 35.

Personality

Laozi’s outward detachment conceals strong pride in his lineage and position. The narration describes him as even prouder than Yuanshi beneath his serene exterior. He is troubled when Tongtian overtakes him in cultivation and later grows anxious that Di Jun’s rise will eclipse his standing as the foremost of the Three Pure Ones 26 31 72.

He is more restrained than Yuanshi when concealment serves his interests. During their disguised visit to Yingzhou Island, he prevents his brother from confronting Kunpeng and exposing their identities. Both nevertheless justify their secret attendance as an effort to protect Tongtian from supposedly unorthodox teachings 43.

His efforts among humanity combine genuine creation of a cultivation method with a desire for personal advancement. He regards teaching as a debt that humans must repay through Fortune, even when few listeners understand his Dao. When his sect lacks popular recognition, he considers Heavenly Dao approval sufficient 83 84.

Laozi also becomes fearful and dependent when confronted with Li Yi’s power. After witnessing Hongjun’s defeat, he cannot settle into cultivation; after failing to divine Huang’s identity, he flees and asks Hongjun for help 80 82.

Abilities & Skills

Three Corpses Severing

Laozi practices Hongjun’s method of separating aspects of his Primordial Spirit into Innate Spiritual Treasures 35.

• Severs his kind intent into the Supreme Unity Whisk, producing Jade Clarity Daoist 35.
• Gains a Quasi-Saint-level second body that can manifest independently or return to his original body 35 37.
• Sends the Kind Corpse to Yingzhou Island while his original self attends Hongjun’s lecture 43 44.
• His original body and Kind Corpse together possess less than seventy percent of Tongtian’s strength during their early Quasi-Saint confrontation 37.

Li Yi reveals that final Three Corpses Unity requires three treasures of the same origin. Hongjun privately recognizes the criticism as correct, but persuades his disciples to pursue Heavenly Dao Merit after reaching Peak Quasi-Saint instead 45 46.

Karmic Divination

Laozi can investigate Karma and discern opportunities connected to his destiny 31.

• Recognizes that Hongjun’s meditation cushion carries the promise of a Sage Position 31.
• Attempts to investigate Huang’s identity, but can perceive only scattered deeds involving humanity; Huang’s broader past and future remain blank 82.
• Interprets Hongjun’s guidance as a path to establishing a sect and attaining Merit Sainthood 72 80.

Golden Core Dao

Laozi creates the Golden Core Dao over three assemblies, modeling it on the human body 83.

• Teaches it under the name Li Er and selects gifted humans as prospective inheritors 83.
• Spreads it across multiple tribes, although very few people in each tribe can understand it 83.
• Recognizes that Li Yi’s Human Race Supreme Method surpasses it 87.
• Loses his claim to humanity’s Sage opportunity when the Great Dao rewards Li Yi’s competing methods 88.

Disguise and Escape Arts

• Conceals his identity as Li Er and presents Supreme Unity Golden Immortal cultivation; this is a disguise, not a loss of his Peak Quasi-Saint realm 81.
• His Kind Corpse similarly conceals its strength during the visit to Yingzhou Island 43.
• Uses escape techniques to retreat after Hongjun’s apparent death and after suspecting Huang is Li Yi’s incarnation 79 82.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Supreme Unity Whisk — High-grade Innate Spirit Treasure used as the vessel for his Kind Corpse, Jade Clarity Daoist 35.
• Unnamed Supreme-grade Innate Spirit Treasure — Gifted by Hongjun after the lecture; described as among the weakest treasures of that grade 48.
• Purple Cloud Palace meditation cushion — A privileged lecture seat rather than a personal weapon. Laozi claims it through his Pangu lineage and associates it with a future Sage Position 27 31.

Relationships

• Pangu — Father God and source of Laozi’s lineage, Primordial Spirit inheritance, and Heaven-Opening Merit 72 74 87.
• Hongjun — Master; accepts Laozi as a direct disciple after his Kind Corpse breakthrough. Repeatedly directs him toward humanity as a route to Sagehood and as a means of securing Human Fortune for the Heavenly Dao 35 72 79 80 83.
• Yuanshi — Second brother and frequent ally. They choose Hongjun together, criticize Tongtian’s teacher, and secretly send their Kind Corpses to hear the rival lectures 26 36 43.
• Tongtian — Youngest brother and cultivation rival. Their disagreement over teachers deepens when Tongtian surpasses Laozi and expels both elder brothers for insulting his master 30 31 37.
• Li Yi / Heaven-Earth Daoist / Huang — Rival over humanity’s teaching authority and Fortune. Li Yi’s concealed Yin-Yang incarnation pre-empts Laozi’s civilizing role, while his later methods and Great Dao recognition defeat Laozi’s Human Sect claim 79 82 87 88.
• Jade Clarity Daoist — Laozi’s Kind Corpse, formed from his kind intent and the Supreme Unity Whisk 35.
• Cang — Human host who welcomes Laozi as Li Er, introduces him to tribal customs, and identifies Huang as humanity’s First Teacher 81 82.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Choosing Hongjun and Competing with Tongtian

• Chooses Hongjun’s teaching over Heaven-Earth Daoist’s, expecting Tongtian to regret his alternative choice 26.
• Refuses Tongtian’s invitation to the second Yingzhou lecture because he prioritizes Hongjun’s Quasi-Saint teaching and the Sage opportunity associated with his cushion 31.
• Becomes a Quasi-Saint and Hongjun’s disciple, then discovers that Tongtian’s Law Dao cultivation is substantially stronger 35 37.
• Secretly investigates Li Yi’s lectures through his Kind Corpse. The revelation of the Three Corpses method’s hidden requirement briefly turns his confidence into despair and suspicion of Hongjun 43 45 46.

Witnessing Hongjun’s Defeat

• Expects Hongjun’s Three Corpses Sainthood to prevail against Li Yi, but becomes frightened as the battle turns against his master 77 78.
• Flees after Hongjun’s apparent death and subsequently struggles to focus on cultivation 79 80.
• Accepts restored Hongjun’s claim that the defeat was a deliberate step toward merging with the Heavenly Dao 80.

The Failed Human Sect

• Follows Hongjun’s advice to wait until humanity has endured hardship before offering instruction 80.
• Enters the tribes as Li Er, only to find clothing, housing, agriculture, marriage rites, and writing already established 81.
• Learns of Huang, fails to divine his identity, and retreats to Hongjun for guidance 82.
• Creates and spreads the Golden Core Dao, then rushes to found the Human Sect when Huang announces the Immortal Human Dynasty 83 84.
• Receives Heavenly Dao recognition despite minimal human support and resistance from the Human Dao Will 85.
• Challenges the abolition of his sect, but the Great Dao rewards Li Yi’s superior methods and validates its abolition. Laozi leaves defeated, with this Sage Path severed 86 87 88.

Notable Quotes

“I, too, believe we should take Daoist Hongjun as our teacher!” 26

“What gives you the right to call the method I created trash?” 87