Tianyang

Biodata

Power Progression

• Next rank: Eradicator; no advancement to that rank is documented 6 10 41.
• Source discrepancy: The first status update records an eleven-point increase after Qin Wu’s death, while later passages recall it as ten points 10 30 41.

Background / History

Tianyang grew up with his mother, Nanfei, in Skyhold’s impoverished Lower City. His childhood reading included Fortress law, the Nine Great Classes, Inverse Realm survival, and analyses of Ascender battles. The books contained male handwriting, leading him to suspect that his absent father had left them behind. Kaidi helped him enter the Gathering Team, where Tianyang hoped to earn enough to give Nanfei a better life 3 11 12 13.

After becoming an Upper Citizen, Tianyang discovered a seventeen-year-old storage receipt hidden behind a photograph of Nanfei holding him as a baby. The stored case contained a diary associated with Su Lie. Its final surviving entry recorded his father’s choice of the name Tianyang, wishing him “a heart as vast as the sky and a future as bright as the sun.” Later pages had been torn out 14 15.

Appearance

Tianyang has a youthful face that still retains boyish features. His awakening changes his black hair to silver-white and makes his skin smoother and finer 2 5.

• Silver-white hair: Sometimes lifts and sheds faint, stardust-like motes when he channels Star Essence 5 8 24.
• Left-eye replacement: His damaged left eye is removed and later replaced with a Tactical Electronic Eye, which occasionally shows a tiny blue glow within its pupil 8 9 17.
• Avenger emblem: A hand formed from black flames holds a crescent scythe on the back of his right hand; the blade bears the numeral Ⅰ 6.
• Concealment: Uses fingerless gloves to hide his class emblem and initially wears a black eyepatch after surgery 8 9.
• Uniform: Wears the Nightwalkers’ black uniform with second lieutenant insignia 16 17.

Personality

Tianyang’s ambition is rooted in devotion to Nanfei rather than military prestige. He plans better housing and work for her after awakening, but reacts impulsively when she demands that he leave the Nightwalkers. He quickly regrets his harsh words; her death makes his postponed apology an enduring source of grief 13 14 46.

He rejects the idea that social standing excuses cruelty. He challenges Cang Du’s defense of Upper Citizen privilege and repeatedly protects Xun from Zhou Wang’s coercion. Learning why Xun chose dangerous medical work deepens his respect for her determination to remain independent 17 24 31 41.

Tianyang is vengeful but not indiscriminately violent. At the Black Mine, he spares an overseer’s life because Nanfei taught him not to let hatred rule him or punish people for another person’s actions. Nevertheless, he insists that Qin Jie must die and refuses to substitute imprisonment for personal revenge, even when warned of the consequences 45 49.

Abilities & Skills

Weakness Sense

An Assassin-rank ability that lets Tianyang perceive vulnerabilities within Children of Darkness 6 32.

• Makes the Demon Hound’s flesh fade from his perception, exposing its internal Will Cage 32.
• Does not produce the same effect when he looks at Han Shu; Tianyang questions whether it works on humans 32.
• Initially fails to see beyond Ghost Car’s skin, preventing him from locating its Will Cage from outside 36.

One-Strike Annihilation

An Assassin-rank offensive ability used to destroy Ghost Car’s Will Cage from inside its body 6 39.

• Tianyang channels Star Essence through his arm into his Particle Warblade before striking 39.
• The strike produces intersecting black rays inside the Will Cage, shattering it into countless particles 39.
• Using it does not protect him from surrounding hazards: Ghost Car’s internal heat severely burns him during the attack 39.

Explosive Speed

Tianyang can bring his Star Essence to peak activity extremely quickly, producing exceptional bursts of movement 32.

• Intercepts Zhou Wang’s hand before it can strike Xun 24.
• Reaches Xun in time to kill a charging Mad Dog 28.
• Crosses beneath Ghost Car and enters its body during Lida’s brief opening 38 39.
• Heavy Star Essence and stamina expenditure leaves him weak and sore after fighting the Demon Hound 30.

Combat Strategy and Fieldcraft

Han Shu teaches Tianyang to exploit enemy expectations, anatomy, and weaknesses while conserving strength 19.

• Uses his Assaulter Rifle rather than closing with Wanderers, destroying their Will Cages at a safer distance 21.
• Exploits Zhou Wang’s vulnerability at close range by placing a Particle Warblade against his neck before he can launch an elemental spear 24.
• Performs emergency self-treatment, including extracting a bullet, disinfecting the wound, and repairing his protective suit 3.
• Uses thermal surveillance, concealment, memorized enemy photographs, and an escape plan while preparing to attack Qin Jie 50.
• Has no professional counter-sniper training; relies on knowledge drawn from his books when planning against Qu Gao 50.

External Will Intervention

During his awakening, an immense unidentified will integrates with Tianyang’s consciousness and temporarily activates a puppet system while his own functions are unavailable. These feats are not established as abilities he can consciously repeat 5 6.

• Directs the Star Marrow Pillar’s radiance to purge black mist and repair and strengthen his damaged body 5.
• Raises a barrier that deflects and shatters the Spreader’s tendrils 5.
• Forms a crystalline longsword from the pillar and releases a silver slash that leaves a fracture extending a thousand meters through the city’s foundations 6.
• Withdraws after defeating the creature; Tianyang wakes without knowing what occurred 6.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Alloy dagger — Nanfei’s gift and the first present Tianyang remembers receiving. He treasures it even after Wanderer fluids corrode its edge 3.
• Particle Warblade — High-vibration blade used against Children of Darkness and to deliver One-Strike Annihilation 19 24 39.
• Assaulter Rifle — Energy rifle used to shoot Will Cages, melt the Black Mine gate’s locking mechanism, and wound Nanfei’s abusers 21 44 45.
• Tactical Electronic Eye — Left-eye prosthetic providing ordinary vision, thermal imaging, infrared vision, and long-range observation. Costs him 2,000 contribution points, half his available points at the time 17.
• Class-data recorder arrangement — Lin Yang informs him that his eye surgery will include a recorder in exchange for a special allowance 16.
• Nightwalker equipment — Standard defensive armor, uniform, and communicator issued before his retrieval mission 16 17 47.
• Electromagnetic vehicle — Registration benefit used for travel; described as a unicycle in some passages and a motorcycle in others 14 17 43 47.
• Su Lie’s diary — Retrieved from the Upper City Storage House; contains information about his parents and his naming, but has missing later pages 14 15.
• Blade supplied by Kaidi — Obtained while preparing to avenge Nanfei 47.

Relationships

• Nanfei — Mother and the central motivation behind his desire for advancement. Dies in his arms at the Black Mine before he can apologize for their argument 3 13 45 46.
• Su Lie — Father; his diary records choosing Tianyang’s name before his birth 15.
• Kaidi — Family friend and Nanfei’s employer. Helps Tianyang join the Gathering Team and later supplies a blade for his revenge 12 47.
• Ling Feng — Nightwalker chief of staff and patron. Grants Tianyang membership and citizenship, protects his class secret, and investigates Nanfei’s imprisonment; later tries to prevent his retaliatory attack 8 45 47 49.
• Han Shu — Raven Squad captain and combat mentor. Disciplines Tianyang, trains him personally, and repeatedly shows concern for his safety 17 19 30 39.
• Xun — Medical worker whom Tianyang repeatedly protects. Helps heal his severe burns and invites him to a home-cooked meal in gratitude 24 28 31 39 41 42.
• Cang Du — Raven Squad comrade initially hostile to Tianyang’s origins and killing of Qin Wu. Their first confrontation escalates when Cang Du insults Nanfei 17.
• Lida — Commander who assigns him the Demon Hound assassination and creates the opening needed to enter Ghost Car 29 38 39.
• Qin Wu — Former captain who shoots Tianyang and abandons him as bait. Tianyang later kills him after Qin Wu threatens him and draws a handgun 2 9.
• Zhou Wang — Antagonistic Nightwalker whose attempts to coerce Xun repeatedly bring him into conflict with Tianyang. Also interferes with Tianyang’s escape from Mad Dogs 24 30 33 41.
• Qin Jie — Qin Wu’s father and chief of the Third Security Office. Frames Nanfei and arranges her imprisonment, becoming Tianyang’s next revenge target 47 50.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Betrayal, Awakening, and Revenge on Qin Wu

During a collection mission in Inverse Realm No. 127, Qin Wu shoots Tianyang in the right thigh to make him bait for Wanderers. Tianyang secures medical supplies by threatening to kill himself, barricades a room, and treats his injury. Investigating an area the Wanderers avoid leads him to Star Crystal Grass and an underground Star Marrow Pillar 2 3.

A Spreader pierces his left eye and injects contaminating black mist. His determination to survive and take revenge drives him to grasp the pillar’s root, triggering the external will’s intervention and his Avenger awakening. After returning with live Wanderer specimens, he secures Nightwalker backing and Upper Citizen status. He then confronts Qin Wu at the Black Bullet bar and kills him under the Fortress law protecting Ascenders 4 5 6 7 8 9.

Raven Squad and the Retrieval Operation

Ling Feng assigns Tianyang to guide Han Shu’s Raven Squad in retrieving the Star Marrow Pillar. Following eye surgery and an antagonistic introduction to Cang Du, Tianyang receives combat training from Han Shu and joins the joint operation at Metropolis 16 17 19 24.

During the convoy’s fighting, he rescues Xun from a Mad Dog and undertakes Lida’s mission to kill the mutated pack leader, the Demon Hound. Zhou Wang nearly kills him by firing an elemental spear across his escape route and claiming it was accidental 28 29 30.

Ghost Car

When external attacks fail against Ghost Car’s heat field, Tianyang volunteers to enter its body. Lida’s Withering creates an opening lasting approximately five seconds. He destroys the internal Will Cage with One-Strike Annihilation and escapes with severe burns 38 39.

Xun repeatedly uses Light of Compassion during his recovery. After leaving intensive care, he again intervenes when Zhou Wang assaults her; Zhou Wang is subsequently expelled from the Nightwalkers and handed over to Iron Wall 39 41 42.

Nanfei’s Death and the Qin Residence Plan

Returning to Skyhold, Tianyang finds Volcano Bar closed, Kaidi injured, and his home ransacked. Kaidi directs him to the Black Mine, where Nanfei dies in his arms. Tianyang wounds the overseer who whipped her and the manager, Yingqi, before accepting Ling Feng’s promise of an investigation 42 43 44 45.

The investigation identifies Qin Jie as the mastermind. Tianyang refuses to accept imprisonment as sufficient punishment and attempts to separate his actions from the Nightwalkers so they will not bear the consequences. By the last documented chapter, he has surveyed the Qin Residence and planned to eliminate the rank-three sniper Qu Gao, kill Qin Jie, and escape before public security arrives. The attack’s outcome is not provided 47 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“Say whatever you want about me, but you don’t get to insult my mother!” 17

“She told me never to let hatred rule me, never to vent my anger on people who weren’t responsible.” 45

“But tonight, I’m not a member of the Nightwalkers. I’m just an ordinary fortress citizen from the Lower City.” 49