Lin Chen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Lin Chen (林尘)
Alias(es)	Gu Chen and Master Gu Chen in his first simulated future; Asura King and one of the Canaan Twin Stars in his second simulated future 4 15
Gender	Male
Age	Sixteen at his introduction; entered Jia Nan Academy at ten 1 2
Origin	Qingshan Town; formerly lived with the Xiao Clan, where his father worked as a guard 2 10
Affiliation	Jia Nan Academy and its Alchemy Department; joins the Gu Clan in both documented simulations 4 11 16 19
Occupation/Role	Alchemist; Jia Nan Academy Honorary Elder. Gu Clan guest elder in simulated futures 4 19
Cultivation	Two-Star Dou Wang in the actual timeline 26
Alchemy Rank	Fifth-Rank Alchemist, capable of refining a Peak Fifth-Grade pill 1 26
Status	Alive in the actual timeline; both documented simulations end in his death 4 16 26
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Power Progression

Actual Timeline

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Ninth Stage of Dou Qi	2	His cultivation when he entered Jia Nan Academy at ten, recalled retrospectively.
Nine-Star Great Dou Master	1 2	Reached within six years through extensive pill use; a Fifth-Grade Crimson Flame Pill purifies his accumulated medicinal power and unstable Dou Qi.
Fifth-Rank Alchemist	1	Publicly completes a fifth-grade pill at sixteen.
Peak Dou Ling	5	Takes the Lesser Life Devouring Pill extracted from his first simulation. The pill leaves only three years of remaining lifespan; he subsequently practices to control the sudden increase in strength.
Ninefold Phoenix Flame Art conversion	8	Completes the switch to an intermediate Earth-tier cultivation method in seven days. Remains at Peak Dou Ling, but his Dou Qi becomes denser and hotter.
One-Star Dou Wang	17 18 26	Refines the Sea Heart Flame obtained from his second simulation, shattering his Dou Crystal and gaining Dou Qi wings.
Heavenly Dragon Roar — entry stage	25	After a month of practice, combines soul power with natural energy to manifest a water-dragon phantom and blast through a waterfall.
Peak Fifth-Grade pill refinement	26	Successfully produces a Dou Ling Pill using the Sea Heart Flame and knowledge from a seventh-grade alchemist’s inheritance.
Two-Star Dou Wang	26	Refines and consumes a second Dou Ling Pill after the first raises Zi Yan to Four-Star Dou Wang.

First Simulated Future

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Five-Star Dou Ling; mid-level fifth-grade alchemy	3	Reaches this level in the simulation’s second year through pill-assisted cultivation; rises to thirtieth on the Inner Academy’s Strong Ranking.
Peak Dou Ling	4	Reached in the third year with the Ancient Realm’s dense energy and continued pill use.
Dou Wang; Sixth-Grade Alchemist	4	Refines and takes the Gu Clan’s King-Breaking Pill, finally meeting its normal alchemical qualification for a Third-Rank Guest Elder.
Green Lotus Core Flame refinement	4	Refines the Heavenly Flame supplied by Xun’er.
Dou Emperor	4	Reached in the fourth year. Uses his Heavenly Flame and Ling Quan’s Divine Flame Foundation-Stabilizing Pill to correct his unstable foundation.
One-Star Dou Emperor	4	At this documented level in the fifth year, defeats the Nine-Star Dou Emperor Ling Quan.
Dou Zong; High-Grade Seventh-Rank Alchemist	4	Reached in the seventh year. Develops the Lesser Life Devouring Pill, earning promotion to Second-Rank Guest Elder and the name Gu Chen.
Five-Star Dou Zong	4	Reached after consuming the Eighth-Tier Three-Colored Pill offered by Gu Yao in the eighth year.

Second Simulated Future

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Wang	15	Emerges from a month of tower cultivation with a solid foundation at the simulation’s opening.
Three-Star Dou Wang	15	Takes a Peak Fifth-Grade Dou Ling Pill in the first year’s sixth month.
Five-Star Dou Wang	15	Refines the stolen Green Lotus Core Flame in the ninth month.
Peak Seven-Star Dou Wang	15	Uses three varieties of cultivation-boosting fifth-grade pills, then tempers his strength in the tower.
Sixth-Grade Alchemist	15	Reached in the first year’s twelfth month after stabilizing his cultivation.
Heavenly Dragon Roar; Eight-Star Dou Wang	16	Learns the roar’s first stage after Xun’er rewards him with the technique; continues advancing within the Gu Clan.
Nine-Star Dou Wang	16	Reached before obtaining the secret Emperor-Breaking Pill formula.
Dou Emperor	16	Refines and consumes the Emperor-Breaking Pill.
Three-Star Dou Emperor	16	A later documented cultivation level during his Gu Clan training.
Nine-Star Dou Emperor; Elephant King Roar	16	Reached in the fourth year through intensive pill use while preparing to avenge Jia Nan Academy.

Background / History

Lin Chen came from a mercenary background in Qingshan Town and lost both parents during childhood. His father had worked as a Xiao Clan guard, allowing Lin Chen to live there for a time. When bullied, he defended himself by throwing stones. One such incident seven years before Xun’er’s invitation caused him to leave the clan; Xun’er later described it as a favor she owed him, without fully explaining why 2 10.

He entered Jia Nan Academy at ten. Hu Gan fed him when he first arrived and supplied a Xuan-tier cultivation method, although he declined Lin Chen’s requests to become his disciple or be treated as his father. Lin Chen nevertheless came to regard him as an adoptive father 2 6 13.

Before acquiring the simulator, Lin Chen already relied heavily on pills for advancement. He refined, consumed, and sold medicines in a cycle that brought him to Nine-Star Great Dou Master and Fifth-Rank Alchemist by sixteen, but also repeatedly destabilized his cultivation 1 2 6.

Appearance

• Face: Handsome and delicate-featured; his appearance contributes to the crowd of admirers surrounding his public alchemy demonstration 1.
• Clothing: Wears blue robes during his later cultivation at the academy 26.
• Dou Qi manifestations: Initially forms scarlet, flame-patterned armor; after refining the Sea Heart Flame, manifests deep-blue flame wings 1 18 25.
• Black-Corner Region disguise: Uses a human-skin mask, a blue-green robe, a folding fan, several Storage Rings, and magical-beast-hide boots to impersonate a wealthy, inexperienced noble 10.

Personality

Lin Chen is openly ambitious, resource-conscious, and willing to exploit shortcuts. He considers pills a legitimate advantage of being an alchemist rather than an inferior substitute for cultivation. His enthusiasm for rewards is obvious: Hu Gan’s offer of 2,000 Fire Energy points immediately changes his opposition to entering the Inner Academy early into wholehearted agreement 2 6.

He frequently disguises self-interest as generosity or principle. He flatters powerful patrons, delays decisions to preserve his options, baits robbers with a wealthy disguise, and uses Zi Yan’s appetite to negotiate favors. His boasts often attribute pill-driven breakthroughs to “tireless effort,” while his public modesty rarely prevents him from accepting gifts 5 9 10 14 22.

His opportunism coexists with genuine gratitude and attachment. He brings Hu Gan rare treasures and a Sect Breaking Pill, returns Zi Yan’s borrowed Fire Crystal Card once he no longer needs it, and refuses an administrative academy post without abandoning his obligation to help it. In his second simulation, loyalty to the academy drives him to pursue Han Feng despite the danger of the Hall of Souls 16 19 21 23.

Although willing to risk his lifespan, Lin Chen is not careless about every danger. He refuses to refine a Heavenly Flame without proper protection, trains to control sudden breakthroughs, and solves difficulties in the Heavenly Dragon Roar by analyzing its underlying principles 5 17 25.

Abilities & Skills

Future Life Simulator

The Future Life Simulator activates while Lin Chen examines Xun’er’s Gu-marked token 2.

• Projects a possible future up to twenty years ahead, with one simulation available every hundred days 3.
• Presents future skills, knowledge, or possessions as selectable rewards 3.
• Allows Lin Chen to bring rewards into reality: he chooses the Lesser Life Devouring Pill after his first run and the Sea Heart Flame after his second 5 17.
• Supplies actionable information, including the location of an alchemist’s tomb and the dangers of Gu Clan politics 5 10.
• Simulated attainments do not automatically become his actual cultivation; his real breakthroughs require separate action 5 17 18.

Alchemy and Soul Perception

Lin Chen becomes a Fifth-Rank Alchemist at sixteen and later demonstrates Peak Fifth-Grade pill refinement 1 26.

• Explains ingredient-processing methods to junior alchemists during a public teaching session 1.
• Uses soul perception to assess concealed cultivation and estimate the grades of treasures in the Book Collection Pavilion 2 8.
• Identifies medicinal plants and scents to locate the hidden alchemist’s burial site 10.
• Refines sweetened medicines for Zi Yan and understands how to prepare Earth Core Body Tempering Milk for more effective absorption 13 21 23.
• In the first simulation, modifies the Life Devouring Pill into a sixth-grade Lesser Life Devouring Pill 4.
• In the second simulation, improves a pill formula to create a fifth-grade Youthful Beauty Pill 16.

Sea Heart Flame

His actual Heavenly Flame is the Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It is deep blue, with a waterlike appearance and wave-like movement 19.

• Obtained as a simulator reward and refined using a Naling, Earth Spirit Pill, and Ice Spirit Cold Spring 17.
• Burns away impurities and strengthens his meridians and body during refinement 17 18.
• Greatly accelerates ingredient processing and supports his successful Dou Ling Pill refinement 26.
• Used in combat against an ice-type magical beast and for cooking magical-beast meat 20 21 25.
• Refined outside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower to avoid provoking the suppressed Fallen Heart Flame 17.

Ninefold Phoenix Flame Art

An intermediate Earth-tier cultivation method selected from the Book Collection Pavilion instead of the Azure Nether Longevity Pill 7 8.

• Converts his original crimson Dou Qi into a more condensed, hotter form 8.
• Works alongside the tower’s heart flame to temper his body and Dou Qi 12.
• Provides the substantial Dou Qi reserves used to force the Sea Heart Flame’s seed into the Naling 17.

Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Subduing Roar

A low-grade Earth-tier sonic Dou Technique obtained through Xun’er, with instruction preserved in an imprint of its creator, Venerable Mountain-Suppressor 23 24.

• Heavenly Dragon Roar: Entry stage, mastered in reality; manifests a water-dragon phantom through soul power and natural energy 25.
• Elephant King Roar: Minor-mastery stage, learned in the second simulation 16.
• Dragon-Elephant Roar in Unison: Major-mastery stage; the creator claims it can kill a Dou Zong and shake a Dou Zun. Lin Chen has not demonstrated this stage 24.
• Consumes Dou Qi as well as blood and vital energy; forcing it with an inadequate physique risks backlash 24.
• Its soul-shaking effect does not work against Spirit-Realm souls 24.

Other Combat Techniques

• Crimson Flame Palm: Projects enormous flaming palms; shatters Blue Steel Rock and kills robbers during his Black-Corner Region expedition 5 10.
• Dragon Roar Art: Advanced Yellow-tier sonic technique that disrupts opponents’ Dou Qi control; holds the robbers vulnerable for three seconds 10.
• Blazing Flame Raging Tide Slash: Advanced Xuan-tier blade technique used to fatally wound the berserk Snow Demon Ape after it reaches Five-Star Dou Wang strength 20.
• Dou Qi weapon formation: Demonstrated after reaching Peak Dou Ling 5.
• Dou Qi wings: Gained upon reaching Dou Wang and used to carry Zi Yan during forest outings 18 25.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Jade-Green Ring: High-grade Storage Ring recovered from the alchemist’s tomb; stores the inheritance, medicines, and later gifts 11 26.
• Seventh-grade alchemist’s inheritance: Includes preserved ingredients, dozens of formulas per rank from first through sixth, and a little more than a dozen seventh-tier formulas 11.
• Azure Flame Asura Blade: Acquired intermediate Earth-tier fire-and-wood Dou Technique, described as capable of rivaling a high-grade Earth-tier technique when mastered 11.
• Thousand-Leaf Heaven-Burning Palm: Acquired low-grade Earth-tier Dou Technique 11.
• Azurewood Myriad Life Art: Acquired low-grade Earth-tier method that absorbs plant vitality and promises a hundred additional years of lifespan at each realm. Lin Chen identifies its potential to offset the Life Devouring Pill’s cost, but is not shown adopting it 11.
• Life Devouring Pills and Earth Spirit Pills: Recovered from the tomb; an Earth Spirit Pill is used during Sea Heart Flame refinement 11 17.
• Earth Core Body Tempering Milk: Secured with Zi Yan; their haul totals three undiluted bottles and thirteen diluted bottles. He gives Hu Gan one undiluted bottle 21.
• Fifth-rank ice-type magic core: Taken from the Snow Demon Ape 20.
• Single-use Communication Jade Slip: Given by Xun’er, who invites him to contact her about selling another Heavenly Flame 23.
• Sixth-rank magical-beast inner armor: Crimson, scale-patterned armor gifted by Hu Gan; described as capable of withstanding sixth-rank magical-beast attacks 26.

Fire Crystal Cards

Card	Source	Benefit
Blue, third-tier	Hu Gan	Contains 2,000 Fire Energy points; permits cultivation through the sixth floor 6 11 12.
Blue, borrowed	Zi Yan	Contains 3,000 Fire Energy points and accompanies access to her sixth-floor No. 1 training room; later returned 14 19.
Red, fourth-tier	Su Qian	Granted with Honorary Elder status; opens the seventh and eighth floors 19.
Purple	Hu Gan	Opens the ninth level. Hu Gan explicitly warns him to avoid the forbidden final level 26.

Relationships

• Hu Gan — Mentor and father figure whom Lin Chen regards as his adoptive father. Their affectionate relationship includes scolding, flattery, and outrageous teasing. Lin Chen obtains the Sect Breaking Pill that helps him reach Dou Zong; Hu Gan reciprocates with armor and tower access 6 13 22 23 26.
• Xun’er — Prospective patron and negotiating partner. She offers Gu Clan guest-elder status to repay the childhood “Stone-Throwing Favor” and later supports him with a sonic technique and communication jade slip despite his reluctance to join 2 3 9 23 24.
• Zi Yan — Close companion and treasure-hunting partner. Her friendship begins through sweetened pills and grows into protection, shared meals, bargaining, and frequent teasing. She lends him cultivation resources and guards his Heavenly Flame refinement 13 14 17 20 21 25.
• Su Qian — Grants Lin Chen Honorary Elder status while accepting his wish to avoid teaching and administration 19.
• Liu Qing — Attempts to recruit him into the Mountain-Splitting Gang. After Lin Chen declines and reveals Peak Dou Ling strength, Liu Qing respects his independence and anticipates a future spar 14.
• Liu Fei — Fellow selection-tournament finalist who hopes to recruit him through Liu Qing and resents Hu Gan’s preferential treatment 7 11 14.
• Gu Qingyang — Ally in the second simulation; helps attack the Hall of Souls, protects the retreat, and entrusts Lin Chen with the Sea Heart Flame 16.
• Ling Quan — Jealous rival in the first simulation. Lin Chen accepts his valuable gifts while postponing their duel, then defeats him despite the large cultivation gap 4.
• Gu Yao — Political enemy in the first simulation. Lin Chen exposes his staged-rescue scheme to Xun’er and later identifies him as responsible for his simulated murder 4 5.
• Han Feng — Revenge target in the second simulation after attacking Jia Nan Academy. In reality, he senses Lin Chen’s Sea Heart Flame and becomes suspicious of its resemblance to his own 16 18.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Public Recognition and the First Simulation

Lin Chen’s public fifth-grade pill refinement establishes his reputation at Jia Nan Academy. Xun’er then offers him either an alchemist’s inheritance or guest-elder status in a powerful faction. Examining the Gu token activates his simulator 1 2.

The first simulation explores accepting the Gu Clan’s patronage. His alchemical contributions bring power, rank, and the name Gu Chen, but his loyalty to Xun’er entangles him in Gu Yao’s marriage ambitions. Even a protective marriage arranged by Xun’er fails to save him: he is killed outside the Ancient Realm by the Great Annihilation Finger, and investigators classify the death as suicide. Lin Chen blames Gu Yao and reconsiders how to secure his future 3 4 5.

Inheritance Hunt and Inner Academy Entry

Using his simulation reward, Lin Chen reaches Peak Dou Ling. He chooses the Ninefold Phoenix Flame Art over a longevity pill, stalls Xun’er’s recruitment, and searches the Black-Corner Region for the tomb seen in his simulated future. After recovering its inheritance, he enters the Inner Academy and uses the tower to temper his pill-raised cultivation 5 8 9 10 11 12.

His encounter with Zi Yan produces a valuable friendship and access to better training conditions. He also rejects Liu Qing’s recruitment, preferring independence over gang membership 13 14.

Second Simulation and the Sea Heart Flame

In the second simulation, Lin Chen becomes the academy’s Asura King, steals and refines the Green Lotus Core Flame, and joins the Gu Clan. His later campaign against Han Feng succeeds with Gu Qingyang’s help, but Hall of Souls heavenly venerates intercept the retreat. After receiving the Sea Heart Flame, Lin Chen is killed by spatial strangulation 15 16.

He selects that flame as his real-world reward and refines it with the tomb’s protective materials. The resulting breakthrough to Dou Wang earns him an honorary position at Jia Nan Academy without requiring him to become a full-time instructor 17 18 19.

Academy Patronage and Preparations for Jia Ma

Lin Chen and Zi Yan defeat the Snow Demon Ape and recover Earth Core Body Tempering Milk. He then negotiates with Xun’er for a Sect Breaking Pill and an Earth-tier sonic technique, sending the pill to Hu Gan and training the roar himself 20 21 22 23 24 25.

By the latest documented chapter, he has refined Dou Ling Pills that raise Zi Yan to Four-Star Dou Wang and himself to Two-Star Dou Wang. He plans to take her outside the academy, privately intending to exploit her barrier-breaking spatial ability in an attempt to steal the Green Lotus Core Flame 26.

Notable Quotes

“This is all cultivation I earned through tireless effort!” 5

“Today, I take pride in the academy. One day, the academy will take pride in me. As long as I live, Jia Nan Academy's name will resound throughout the Dou Qi Continent!” 19

Trivia

• Lin Chen knows details of the “original timeline” and recognizes that his presence may have changed Xun’er’s relationship with Xiao Yan 4 5.
• Liu Fei privately believes a rumor that he is Hu Gan’s illegitimate son; Lin Chen instead identifies Hu Gan as the man who raised him, not his birth father 7 13.
• His actual Sea Heart Flame is extracted from a simulated future while Han Feng still possesses his own flame, prompting Han Feng to investigate the familiar aura at Jia Nan Academy 17 18.