Li Chen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Li Chen (李尘)
Alias(es)	Cheng Li; Commandant Cheng, his military disguise 144 287 606.
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Heavenly Strategy Dynasty; imperial Li family; Frostwolf Tribe and the Great Luo shamanic community 1 669.
Occupation/Role	Emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty; formerly its sixth prince; later accepts the title of Witch Ancestor 1 669.
Cultivation	Saint Realm, great perfection at the beginning of the story; later also described as Saint Realm peak 1 175 513.
Bloodline	Starry elven imperial bloodline, which resonates with the ancestral scepter Words of the Stars 669.
Status	Alive and reigning in the latest provided material 739.
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1.

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Saint Realm — great perfection	1	Already attained before the Accumulation System activates. Its beginner pills and cultivation art are consequently of little use to him.
Lightstream Disintegration Method — training begun	207	Receives holy blood from the Snow Leopard God and begins studying the escape art alongside five Saint Realm subordinates. Completion is not specified.
Emperor Dragon Sutra — first three volumes practiced; fourth studied	210	Obtains a fourth volume and rapidly understands its practice through exceptional comprehension. Begins extrapolating the missing fifth volume’s power to “shatter all arts.”
Further cultivation and strength increase	246	The Emperor Dragon Sutra dramatically increases his cultivation and physical prowess; no new realm is named.
Shamanic cultivation — rapid initial progress	636	Studies captured Great Luo scrolls and totem artifacts. Within minutes, his aura becomes ancient and eerie.
Starry elven imperial bloodline — ancestral recognition	669	The Words of the Stars responds to his bloodline during his installation as Witch Ancestor, producing a phenomenon sensed by Emperor Ivan.

• The narration calls his level the Supreme Realm in one passage, but later explicitly identifies him as Saint Realm great perfection or peak. The supplied material does not establish a separate breakthrough between these descriptions 148 175 513.
• The system’s Meridian Opening Realm objectives are not evidence that Li Chen is at that realm. He already exceeds them and redirects its resources toward Li Sining’s cultivation 1 36 82.

Background / History

Li Chen is a transmigrator who begins the story as the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s sixth prince. Royal status gives him ready access to cultivation arts and resources, allowing him to reach Saint Realm great perfection before his system becomes active. His original plan is to leave for his fief after succeeding in cultivation and enjoy a free, comfortable life 1.

The crown prince’s sudden death and the previous emperor’s fatal illness overturn that plan. With the other princes away from the capital, the Empress Dowager and senior officials rush Li Chen onto the throne before his brothers can return. They consider him a politically convenient successor whose accession will avoid a destructive succession struggle; the Empress Dowager intends to govern through him from behind the curtain 1 2.

His lack of interest in court initially reinforces their belief that he is incapable. That assessment collapses when Second Prince Li Xian challenges the succession and Li Chen reveals nine saint-level divine rings, establishing that the supposed puppet is overwhelmingly stronger than his challenger 1 2.

Appearance

Li Chen is consistently described as exceptionally handsome, with an upright bearing and a distinguished, almost celestial presence 8 19 104 234.

• Build and posture: Tall and straight-backed 469.
• Hands: Long, strong fingers; Chu Ruoyan notices the elegance of his brushwork while he reviews memorials 16.
• Cultivation display: Nine Sage Divine Rings revolve behind him, accompanied by golden light, purple qi, and oppressive divine might 2 268.
• Incognito clothing: Wears ordinary clothes for inspections and an ordinary officer’s uniform when serving as Commandant Cheng Li 73 606.

Personality

Li Chen is irreverent, pleasure-seeking, and impatient with unnecessary work. He originally cultivates to enjoy himself rather than shoulder political responsibility, and early morning court frequently leaves him tired. His relaxed behavior is repeatedly mistaken for incompetence before his strength becomes known—and for calculated imperial majesty afterward 1 61 93.

Despite disliking bureaucracy, he develops into a practical administrator. He delegates routine matters, consults capable ministers, and expects institutions to perform their own duties. By the time he has spent months reviewing memorials and official records, he can assess important officials’ abilities and conduct for himself 11 93 189.

His treatment of others is deliberately selective. He encourages self-reliance, protects Li Sining, rewards talent generously, and refuses to pressure Zhou Ye into accepting promotion. Conversely, he repeatedly arrests Xu Zifeng for leverage and threatens Orchid Fairy’s sect to force cooperation. His expanding harem is both a personal indulgence and a means of cultivating political dependence 6 67 82 122 156.

His confidence does not prevent preparation. He equips himself with defensive treasures, lays counter-formations, and refuses Romanov’s proposed duel because an emperor’s responsibility matters more than personal glory. He prefers a decisive, coordinated victory to giving a dangerous opponent an unnecessary chance 108 119 266 726.

Abilities & Skills

Saint Realm Cultivation

• Overwhelming aura: His pressure immobilizes Li Xian and later breaks the Eight Gates Heaven-Sundering Hall’s protective formation, disarms its disciples, and injures its elders without a conventional exchange of attacks 2 495.
• Unarmed combat: Kicks away a pseudo-saint-tier Black-Scaled Tyrant Tiger and defeats Jun Wuhui and another Saint Realm expert with a punch and palm strike 293 403.
• Golden-dragon attack: Kills a peak-Saint-Realm Giant Squid Monster with a single strike, then slays two more Saint Realm sea beasts that day 273.
• Fine control: Uses invisible barriers to block Li Sining’s poison-lightning attacks and invisible force to stop a pursuing demon spider 278 534.
• Ice technique: Freezes and shatters a powerful demon wolf with one finger 630.
• Deliberate restraint: Leaves defeated Saint Realm opponents alive when he wants captives rather than corpses 403.

Swordsmanship and Sword Dao

• Separation Sword display: Turns a five-segment sword into a thousand glowing fragments, defeats Qiu Youneng with one swing, and cuts a scar through the clouds 96.
• Battle of the Three Saints: Overwhelms True Person Red Kite and High Person Clear Void with a devastating sword strike, securing their submission 179.
• Transferable sword intent: One percent of his sword intent, placed in Luo Yong’s weapon, is enough to win the Sword Debate Tournament’s final against Fang Qian 266.
• Effortless defense: Catches a Jade Sword Immortal Sect elder’s sword in one hand while disguised as Cheng Li 287.
• Precision: Parts spring water, steam, and vegetation without cutting a leaf or petal; Hua Rumeng detects neither sword intent nor mobilized spiritual power in the demonstration 552.
• Instant comprehension: Reproduces the difficult Star-River Shattering Shadow Sword Art perfectly after seeing it once 630.

Emperor Dragon Sutra and Imperial Cultivation Arts

• Rapid growth: The Emperor Dragon Sutra increases cultivation through “plundering” and later produces a dramatic increase in Li Chen’s strength 93 246.
• Advanced properties: The first volume describes divine protection against attacks, injuries, evil arts, and curses, as well as consciousness alteration through intercourse at its highest level 93.
• Independent interpretation: Rejects later emperors’ annotations and develops his own understanding of the founding emperor’s cultivation teachings 93.
• Incomplete text: Has four volumes by Chapter 210 and begins theorizing about the absent fifth rather than waiting to obtain it 210.

Artifact Refining

• Transformation by touch: An ability associated with the imperial Li clan’s cultivation technique lets him transform objects he touches 96.
• Weapon reinforcement: Refines the Separation Sword because its original form cannot withstand his sword intent; the result becomes celebrated as a peerless divine weapon 150.
• Artifact-refining flame: Converts ordinary weapons into three Heaven Grade swords for Frostwolf Tribe youths 668.
• Custom forging: Forges Oksana a sword with greater spiritual power than those earlier weapons 669.
• Tracking instrument: Refines the Soul-Controlling Needle carried by Orchid Fairy, enabling him to sense her location 128.

Formations and Collective Combat

• Automated deployment: His formations can establish themselves, retrieve themselves, and be reused 108.
• Sword Dao Demon-Slaying Formation: Combines supreme sword intent with the laws of heaven and earth, filling its area with cutting sword qi 108.
• Dragon Roar Violet Firmament Divine Formation: Uses his violet firmament dragon qi as its catalyst 108.
• Void Shackles Domain Formation: Protects Li Chen and Fang Qian inside the Sea Clan’s corrosive Demon God Blood Refining Array, then overcomes the enemy array after Jingtun Hai’s death 266.
• Combined military power: Withstands energy gathered from hundreds of thousands of soldiers and seven Saint Realm experts during the Sasanian campaign 227.
• Battlefield amplification: Linked formations temporarily raise his aura beyond its usual peak, strengthen his defenses, obscure his position, and suppress Romanov’s power by nearly thirty percent 726.

Comprehension and Mentorship

• Individualized instruction: Adjusts cultivation methods to suit a practitioner’s body and abilities rather than requiring rigid imitation of their predecessors 124 295.
• Formless swordsmanship: Teaches Lin Yue’e to thoroughly integrate her techniques before abandoning fixed forms. He explicitly does not recommend this approach to someone with only superficial understanding 124.
• Breakthrough guidance: Helps Yue Shuang comprehend ancient sword intent and shows Yun He how to modify his formation against a lightning-absorbing Thunder Beast 538.
• Resource-backed cultivation: Uses system rewards, manuals, pills, and personal guidance to train Li Sining from an uncultivated beginner 36.
• Patient instruction: Teaches Hua Rumeng respectfully and without the improper conduct she initially expects 552.

Unfamiliar Cultivation Systems

• Lightstream Disintegration Method: Begins learning a spatial escape art that can function even while sealed; it requires revival capability and has severe side effects 199 207.
• Sacred power: Demonstrates an unusual power associated with the Eternal Day Empire during his discussion with True Person Ice Lotus 629.
• Great Luo shamanism: Rapidly studies a tradition involving curses and communication with the spirit realm, distinct from Southern Borderlands poison and witchcraft arts 636.
• Ancestral resonance: His starry elven imperial bloodline awakens an immense response from the Words of the Stars 669.

Governance and Technical Development

Initiative	Action and result
Accountability for privileged offenders	Makes Yan Hai hear academy students’ grievances and investigate the fathers of disruptive noble youths 10.
Service-based resource distribution	Places the Ancient Immortal Spirit Lake’s resources under court control, offering access for assignments, defense work, and action against evil cultivators or Former Dynasty Remnants 179.
Transportation	Builds the Railway Train for ordinary people and proposes linking cultivation “leveling routes” through a railway network 246 270.
Underwater cultivation tools	Shares the Water-Repelling Talisman, Return-to-Sea Pill, Fishbone Dagger, and improved Water-Avoidance Art, enabling wider exploration and combat beneath the sea 273.
Official assessment	Plans a dynasty-wide review after finding Commander Zhou Jing neglected his duties for secluded cultivation 294.
Sect mediation	Uses the Ministry of Sect Affairs and the National Symposium on Cultivator Development to encourage cooperation, assignments, and dispute resolution 513.
Indirect conquest	Selects Sergei as a controllable native claimant through whom he intends to rule Great Luo, avoiding the cost of conquering and pacifying every city directly 650.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Acccumulation System — Activates on his first day as emperor. Issues time-limited missions and rewards designed for a much weaker cultivator; Li Chen eventually uses many rewards to support Li Sining 1 36.
• Emperor Dragon Sutra — Incomplete cultivation text; four volumes are in his possession by Chapter 210 210.
• Sidearm Sword — Produces dragon-roaring sword radiance during his clash with Venerable Youhen 221.
• Li Imperial Family’s divine armor — Defensive equipment prepared for the confrontation with Heaven-Topping High Person, but not needed in that encounter 119.
• Spatial-cutting dagger — Concealed in his sleeve; can cut space and create spatial turbulence 119.
• Heart-protecting mirror — Another precaution brought to the same confrontation and left unused 119.
• Formation stones — Carry different grand formations, including reusable, automatically deployed arrangements 108.
• Recording Stone — Secretly placed in Heaven-Topping High Person’s room during Li Chen’s investigation 109 114.
• Saint Tiger — Saint Beast mount used for inspections and journeys with his companions 219 246.
• Words of the Stars — Ancestral shamanic scepter that apparently recognizes him as its true master during the Witch Ancestor ceremony 669.

Relationships

Imperial Family

• Empress Dowager Wu — Installs him as a prospective puppet, then shifts toward alliance once his strength makes replacing or controlling him unrealistic. Their cooperation grows close enough that she manages his harem and secretly makes him clothing 1 138 246 531.
• Li Sining — Younger sister and cultivation student. He protects her from an arranged marriage, supplies her cultivation resources, and gives her practical instruction 36 82 111 278.
• Consort Yi — Li Sining’s mother. Regards his protection as a source of security for her daughter; later becomes personally intimate with him 110 278.
• Li Xian — Second brother and recurring rival for the throne. His direct challenge fails, but he continues seeking sect patrons and foreign support against Li Chen 2 100 183 353.
• Li Yu — Third brother. Li Chen initially accepts his offer to attack the Prince of the South, then strips him of military command after discovering his eastern campaign maneuvering 160 268.
• Li Xueying — His sixteenth aunt, titled Eldest Princess. Helps the Empress Dowager administer the harem 233 531.
• Yun Shang — Widowed crown princess who seeks a new political future through him. He initially suspects her motives; her aunt Yun Yuehua later helps her gain access to the palace 190 230 243.

Consorts and Close Companions

• Chu Ruoyan — First Imperial Consort. Her initial aversion gives way to attraction and comfort in palace life; she remains serious about improving her cultivation 16 19 67 122.
• Wu Nanzhi — Consort and frequent traveling companion. Their relationship develops through teasing meals and jealousy before she joins his palace and accompanies his inspections 83 103 154 183 246.
• Mu Qingrou — Abode Master of the Purple Cloud Immortal Abode, imperial consort, and Dao companion. His swordsmanship humbles her confidence, while her sect becomes closely connected to his household 151 287 502.
• Orchid Fairy — Initially participates in a plot against him. Captured and pressured through her loyalty to the Heavenly Evolution Divine Sect, she later helps arrange political and personal alliances for him 102 122 127 134.
• Moonlight Fairy / Yun Yuehua — Palace companion and Yun Shang’s aunt. Helps her niece approach Li Chen 134 230.
• Dai Hongling — Drawn into Orchid Fairy’s scheme and later revealed as one of Li Chen’s lovers despite having a Dao partner 134 151.
• Ji Lianyu — Xu Zifeng’s aunt. Becomes dependent on Li Chen’s protection and increasingly attached to him; later stays in the palace 90 109 127.
• Princess of the South — Ji Lianyu’s elder sister and Xu Zifeng’s mother. Becomes close to Li Chen and joins Ji in petitioning for her son’s military advancement 156 414.
• Pei Wanyu — Consort who becomes empress of the Heavenly Martial Dynasty during a succession crisis and seeks his support against its threats 151 214.
• Elissa — Former Sasanian empress. Administers the conquered region under him, transfers the throne to her younger sister, and joins his harem 230.
• Zhu Zhuying — Imperial consort from the Starfall Kingdom. His generosity during the tomb expedition impresses her; she later petitions him on behalf of her homeland 175 414.
• Tuoba Anyu — Former Northern Court empress dowager and close companion. Plays his wife during the Cold Iron Pass inspection and hopes his favor will protect her son, Tuoba Zhen 606 636.
• Lü Mumu — Disciple of True Person Ice Lotus whom Li Chen mentors and protects during sect trials. Learning his imperial identity changes how she views becoming involved with him 629 630.
• Oksana — Frostwolf Tribe companion who facilitates his tribal activities and receives a specially forged sword from him 668 669.

Ministers and Allies

• Zhao Wenyuan — Chancellor and adviser on major government matters. Supports Li Chen after recognizing that useful, loyal service can preserve his position 11 12.
• Guo Poyun — Grand General and expedition commander. Li Chen reprimands his interference during an incognito outing but later entrusts him with major campaigns 6 122 127.
• Lin Yue’e — Trusted investigator and cultivation student, later Minister of Sect Affairs. His Insignia Plaque protects her enforcement work; his gifts and instruction deepen her loyalty 61 91 124 513.
• Pang Jin — Minister of Justice. Investigates the royal deaths and Former Dynasty Remnants and helps prepare operations against hidden enemies 148 151 160.
• Li Sixing — Imperial Guard commander and imperial clansman. Coordinates with Pang Jin on investigations and security operations 42 148 151.
• Late Breeze True Person — Spiritflame Dao Sect leader who aligns his sect with the court, seeks Li Chen’s support for Xia Qing, and assists in major formation operations 134 137 726.
• High Person Clear Void — Jade Void Immortal Manor leader. Submits after defeat, becomes a recurring ally, and helps execute the plan against Romanov 179 270 726.
• True Person Red Kite — Sunken Sand Dao Sect leader. Moves from opponent to cooperative supporter after Li Chen’s victory at the Ancient Immortal Spirit Lake 179 183.
• Helan Xuan — Saint Realm general serving Heavenly Strategy; assists Li Chen’s campaigns and is a longstanding enemy of Tuoba Zhen 214 635 726.
• Luo Yong — Sword cultivator whom Li Chen meets at a Wilderness Secret Realm and later supports with borrowed sword intent, enabling his tournament championship 73 266.
• Sergei — Great Luo noble and student whom Li Chen intends to install as a puppet emperor. Does not realize his revered master and the Heavenly Strategy emperor are the same person 650 720.

Rivals and Enemies

• Xu Zifeng — Ambitious Child of Fortune and the Prince of the South’s heir. Li Chen treats him as a manageable nuisance, using repeated arrests to benefit Lin Yue’e and increase his family’s dependence on imperial protection 60 67 90.
• Xiao Ming — Child of Fortune whose romantic resentment makes Li Chen his imagined final obstacle. At times he fails to recognize that the man thwarting him is also the emperor he hates 67 91.
• Heaven-Topping High Person — Li Xian’s master and Orchid Fairy’s Dao companion. Attacks Li Chen, is defeated and imprisoned, and is later unsettled by Orchid’s cooperation with his captor 119 122 127.
• Venerable Youhen — Outwardly submits while retaining mercenary loyalties. His assistance to the Sasanian Dynasty earns Li Chen’s condemnation; later accounts state Li Chen destroyed his sect 183 214 495.
• Tuoba Zhen — Northern opponent forced to use the Lightstream Disintegration Method to escape Li Chen. Remains an unpredictable enemy rather than a controlled pawn 199 726.
• Romanov — Great Luo adversary who proposes single combat. Li Chen rejects the duel and coordinates a formation-assisted attack intended to eliminate him without leaving future risks 726.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Accession and Establishing Authority

• Reveals his Saint Realm strength when Li Xian attempts to displace him, reversing the court’s perception of the new emperor 2.
• Rejects Guo Poyun’s staged “peaceful” inspection route and insists on seeing the capital without concealed interference 6.
• Uses Yan Hai’s banquet to address academy grievances, punish privileged misconduct, and redirect a faction-aligned minister toward public service 10.

System Missions and Academy Involvement

• Recognizes that the system’s rewards can cultivate someone else to its advertised maximum and begins training Li Sining 36.
• Enters a Battle Academy as Cheng Li, takes first place with perfect comprehension and aptitude scores, and completes the system’s assignment 144.
• Continues interpreting mission conditions independently, including considering entering the Sword God’s inheritance grounds without competing in the associated tournament 246.

Bringing the Sects Under Imperial Control

• Defeats Heaven-Topping High Person and uses Orchid Fairy’s loyalty to her sect as leverage 119 122.
• Secures cooperation from sect leaders, tours their institutions, and delegates routine coordination to Pang Jin 134.
• Defeats Red Kite and Clear Void, then replaces exclusive control of spirit-lake resources with rewards for service to the realm 179.
• Compels more than a hundred sects to support the dynasty’s Sasanian war, threatening destruction if they disobey 183.

Northern and Western Expansion

• Rejects the Northern Court’s expected marriage concessions and instead issues an ultimatum demanding women, horses, and premium beef 30.
• Completes his Northern Expedition objectives and gives Huyan Lan the title of Khan while retaining outside administrative oversight 207 214 224.
• Enters the conquered Sasanian capital, organizes its government, disciplines quarreling ministers, and selects 216 consorts to relocate to Heavenly Strategy 230.

Sea Clan War and Cultivation Development

• Defeats Jingtun Hai with a counter-formation, saving the Five Great Sword Sects and hundreds of thousands of spectators 266.
• Leads more than 40,000 sword cultivators toward the eastern coast and removes Li Yu from military command 268.
• Turns the invasion into a resource and training opportunity. After a month, approximately 430,000 cultivators have arrived, and the army increasingly maintains order among competing hunting parties 270.
• Opens dangerous deep-sea areas by killing Saint Realm beasts and allowing the following cultivators to claim their remains 273.

Imperial Consolidation and Hidden-Sect Inspections

• Plans official performance assessments rather than allowing cultivation strength alone to justify holding office 294.
• Forces the Eight Gates Heaven-Sundering Hall to receive him after shattering its defensive formation with his aura 495.
• Hosts the National Symposium on Cultivator Development, encourages sword tournaments and court service, and announces future ancient-resource opportunities 513.

Cold Iron Pass and Great Luo

• Joins an ordinary garrison as Commandant Cheng Li to experience military life without revealing his imperial identity 606.
• Earns soldiers’ respect by confronting powerful families and enforcing military authority against their privileged members 610 621.
• Studies Great Luo shamanism and develops a plan to control the dynasty through Sergei rather than rely solely on costly direct conquest 636 650.
• Accepts the Witch Ancestor title, gains ancestral recognition, and uses his northern influence as another piece of his campaign 669 684.
• Rejects Romanov’s duel and combines allied fighters and formations before preparing his seven-colored sword attack 726.

Notable Quotes

“In the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, I never cared about anyone’s background when I hit them.” 57

“The sword is me, and I am the sword.” 538

“I have a sword to shatter all arts and settle heaven and earth.” 726

Trivia

• Li Chen compares training Li Sining with his surplus system rewards to using a “max-level main account” to raise a “max-level alt” 36.
• The narration describes him as the court’s biggest “NPC”: he gives subordinates assignments and distributes rewards according to his own priorities 91 118.
• Li Xian’s faction spreads contradictory rumors that Li Chen is both a powerless puppet and a debauched tyrant 84.
• He declines the Sword God’s Sacred Sword even when it resonates with him, leaving the inheritance available to future cultivators 266.
• His harem’s relative peace is attributed partly to its members having work of their own—commerce, cultivation, sect administration, and research—rather than spending their time competing for favor 531.