Nie Li

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

In his previous life, Nie Li survived Glory City’s destruction and the Divine Family’s abandonment of its defensive lines. Ye Ziyun died saving him, after which he wandered the desert and discovered the Temporal Demon Spirit Book inside the Desert Palace 64 101 121.

At the Feather God Sect, Ying Yue’ru sheltered him when he was gravely injured, healed him, and taught him cultivation techniques. Her death left him with a lasting hatred of those he believed responsible, particularly Long Yuyin. He eventually reached a level at which he claimed he could kill Legend-rank experts with a thought, but died under the claws of God-Level Monster Beasts commanded by the Saint Emperor 57 80 134.

The Temporal Demon Spirit Book enabled his rebirth. Yun Tian witnesses his future soul return through a disturbance in time and space and fuse with his younger body at Sacred Orchid Academy. Awakening among Lu Piao, Du Ze, and Ye Ziyun, Nie Li recognizes that he has another opportunity to protect the people he lost 57 118.

Personality

Nie Li is outspoken, combative, and difficult to intimidate. He challenges Shen Xiu’s claims in class, mocks the Divine Family’s supposed superiority, and deliberately provokes its members to make their treachery surface sooner. His confidence rests partly on the knowledge and fighting experience retained from his previous life 64 67 84.

His loyalty is practical: he shares cultivation techniques, resources, and refined demon spirits rather than pursuing strength alone. He supports the Heavenly Marks Family’s recovery and builds organizations because his previous defeat taught him that he cannot overcome the Saint Emperor by himself 112 136 155.

He initially favors direct repayment of kindness and revenge for wrongdoing over Ying Yue’ru’s ideal of non-contention. Learning that she is safe—and that her former death involved choices he did not understand—softens his hostility toward Long Yuyin 134.

His attachment to his past can also destabilize him. The ruined Desert Palace makes him fear that his new life is false, leaving him trapped in an inner-demon trial until Yun Tian helps him recognize the reality of his present relationships and experiences 121.

Abilities & Skills

Heavenly Dao Divine Art

• Allows him to merge with seven demon beasts, a capacity he considers essential for confronting the Saint Emperor 65.
• Progresses slowly in its early stages compared with other cultivation techniques, but is highly compatible with the Dragon Whisker Domain’s Heavenly Dao power 65 124.
• Includes a forbidden secret technique that multiplies his power severalfold. Combined with the Heavenfall Divine Thunder Sword, it destroys the Demon Lord’s physical body 121.

Demon Spirit Fusion

• In the Ghost Void Land, his panda fusion produces cannon-like attacks with automatic targeting, rapidly destroying swarms of Demon Souls 130.
• Feeding demon spirits to the panda raises its level, but an excessive gap between master and demon spirit risks loss of control 112.
• Infusing his demon spirits with primordial demon blood raises them first to the peak of ninth-level Heavenly Mandate and then to third-level Heavenly Star. Heavenly Way Chains from a jade slip contain them when his vine cannot 175.

Laws of Light, Darkness, and Death

• Comprehends the laws of light and darkness beside Black Spring, despite Yu Yan having already been taken away by Yun Tian 107.
• Alternates light’s scorching heat and darkness’s icy chill in close combat, and combines both laws in a killing sword strike against a Legend-rank Lizard Demon 113.
• Uses Tenfold Light-Dark Energy Burst against the Demon Lord, though it cannot penetrate the latter’s defenses during the attack on Glory City 119 121.
• Absorbs the God of Death’s divine core fragment, bringing his mastered laws to three and substantially strengthening him 117.
• Can switch from panda fusion into a law form when ordinary fusion proves inadequate 119.

Soul Sea Vine and Space-Time Tree

• Reinforces his connection to the panda and Shadow Demon, preventing them from going out of control; also returns nourishment that refines his Soul Power 112.
• Binds and devours an ancient remnant soul attempting to possess him. Yun Tian destroys the escaping residue after the soul detonates itself 120.
• Releases Heavenly Way power and helps forcibly fuse rival Dragon-Blood Demon Spirits inside the Nightmare Demon Pot 136.
• Eventually matures into a tree whose drifting petals freeze space and time, enabling prolonged cultivation within an external instant 182.

Soul Formation and Cross Mantra

• Forms a heart-and-mind bond with his companions during shared cultivation. They can sense one another’s locations, share strength, and benefit from each other’s breakthroughs 112.
• Uses the Cross Mantra to raise the group’s cultivation during the Desolate Flame Tower trial 118.
• Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning’er are explicitly outside his Soul Formation during that breakthrough 118.

Inscriptions, Arrays, and Craftsmanship

• Identifies the Divine Family’s Blazing Fury Inscription as a flawed Silver Rank inscription and cites the source from which it was copied 64.
• Improves Sacred Orchid Academy’s cultivation techniques and helps the Jade Seal Family produce high-quality armor and equipment 84 114.
• Deciphers the Phantom God Palace’s jade wall and dismantles its statues’ hidden inscription formation 176 180.
• Extracts Divine Roots from Divine Pools, securing Spirit Stone sources while destroying the pools’ original islands 155 170.

His Ten Thousand Demon Spirit Great Array provides attacks powerful enough to suppress Legend-level enemies:

• Mountain Suppresses Demons immobilizes Ghost Fiend and restrains his demon spirit 103.
• Great Sun Palm shatters Dragon Fiend’s Darkness Light Shield and severely injures him 103.
• Heavy use nearly exhausts Nie Li’s soul force; Ye Xiu warns that activating it again could endanger his life 103.

Demon Spirit Refinement and Medicine

• Uses the Nightmare Demon Pot to fuse ordinary spirits into saleable God Rank spirits, funding his activities with Lu Piao and Gu Bei 131.
• Finds that Dragon-Blood Demon Spirits can only fuse with their own kind; forcing other spirits into the process results in their being devoured 136.
• Refines Formless Divine Fruits into pills for his allies and the Feather God Sect, later distributing sacred medicine to the six sects 187 190.
• Freely manifests a pure spirit flame, impressing Venerable Red Spirit 125.

Combat, Strategy, and Dao Insight

• Disables Shen Yue’s soul-force circulation through technique and counters a Soul Sea attack by concentrating his own soul force into a piercing point 67.
• Uses real and fake grenades interchangeably to confuse and wear down stronger opponents 113.
• Employs the Divine Movement Combat Skill for rapid escape 130.
• Expresses profound sword intent through the written character “sword,” which Gu Bei, Yan Yang, and several others can perceive 147.
• Teaches the Heavenly Origin Divine Race lost cultivation arts and formations. Three-person formations exceed five times their normal combat strength; six-person formations exceed ten times 186.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Temporal Demon Spirit Book — Ancient space-time treasure responsible for his rebirth. He collects its fragments, leaves one to rescue the Netherworld Controller, and uses its power to disrupt the Saint Emperor’s space-time before restoring the book after the battle 118 196 200 201.
• Heavenfall Divine Thunder Sword — Retrieved safely from the Heavenly Illusion Sacred Realm despite its soul-destroying baleful energy. Channels Nine Heavens Thunder and destroys the Demon Lord’s body 79 121.
• Nightmare Demon Pot — Refines and fuses demon spirits; its changing patterns and resonance with his Soul Sea vine reveal an interior rich in Heavenly Way power 131 136.
• Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains Painting — Given to him by Yun Tian for use. Stores the Phantom God Palace’s treasures and conceals his aura while he cultivates and activates the Demon Blood Sacrifice 180 182.
• Illusory Orb — Ancient treasure capable of trapping opponents several cultivation realms above him in an inescapable illusion 180.
• Sixth-Rank Treasure Artifacts — A full set, including armor, that Murong Yu cannot penetrate during their East Academy duel 164 165.
• Dragon Soul Stone Grenades — Explosives used alongside law-powered attacks against the Legend-rank Lizard Demon 113.
• Ten Thousand Spirits Sword Formation — Received from the Heavenly Origin Great Emperor. In Nie Li’s previous life, this formation killed five of the Saint Emperor’s Shikigami 187.
• Heavenly Origin Great Emperor’s Storage Ring — Bestowed after his oath to lead the Heavenly Origin Divine Race out of the Endless Wilderness 187.
• Heavenly Ancestor Sword Fragments — Obtained from the Six Great Divine Sects in exchange for sacred medicine, with the intention of using the divine artifact against the Saint Emperor 191.
• Divine Seal Auction House VIP Token — Gift from the Jade Seal Family’s head in gratitude for his craftsmanship; eases travel and dealings in the Netherworld 114.

Relationships

• Yun Tian — Protector, adviser, and benefactor. Helps him overcome his inner-demon trial, supplies treasures, and explains why the Demon Lord may become an ally. Nie Li repeatedly struggles to reconcile Yun Tian’s existence with his previous-life memories 73 79 121 122 180.
• Lu Piao and Du Ze — Close friends and cultivation companions. Support him against Shen Xiu and participate in his shared cultivation and expeditions 58 59 112 118.
• Ye Ziyun — His previous-life savior and initially his romantic pursuit. In this life she loves Yun Tian; Nie Li eventually accepts that he is, at most, her friend and takes comfort in her safety 78 83 101.
• Xiao Ning’er — Friend and fellow trial participant. Their relationship is explicitly described as ordinary friendship after Yun Tian’s presence changes their original connection 79 141.
• Ying Yue’ru — Revered previous-life master. Uses the Heavenly Derivation Art at the cost of fifty years of lifespan to understand his past, then helps him release his hatred toward Long Yuyin 128 134.
• Ye Yan — Protection partner rather than accepted master. Agrees to guard Nie Li in exchange for a suitable body in the future 79.
• Nie Yu — Younger sister, included in his group cultivation sessions 112.
• Ye Zong — Collaborator in Glory City’s defense and the campaign against the Divine Family; rewards Nie Li for repeatedly protecting the city 84 98 101.
• Netherworld Controller — Master and hidden protector of Glory City. Nie Li leaves him a Temporal Demon Spirit Book fragment that later saves him from Candle Dragon 120 121 122 196.
• Gu Bei — Close friend, business partner, and political supporter; helps buy resources and organize the Monster Alliance 131 143 155 187.
• Li Xingyun — Customer turned ally. Publicly protects Nie Li and pledges support in Feather God Sect affairs, provided it does not involve betraying the sect 131 144.
• Long Yuyin — Initially hated because of Ying Yue’ru’s previous-life death. After his master corrects his understanding, he seeks her cooperation in taking control of the Dragon Seal Family 134 155.
• Great Emperor Kongming — Source of his space-time inheritance. Reveals the Saint Emperor’s betrayal and transfers his remaining energy to Nie Li 195 196.
• Demon Lord — Enemy responsible for deaths and destruction in Glory City, later accepted as a fellow opponent of the Saint Emperor after recovering his Spirit God memories 121 190.
• Saint Emperor — Greatest enemy across both lives; commands the beasts that killed him previously and threatens to refine the world into nourishment 57 199.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sacred Orchid Academy and the Ruins

• Hunts Horned Sheep with Lu Piao and Du Ze to gather resources 59.
• Exposes the copied origins of the Blazing Fury Inscription and wagers that Shen Xiu must resign if she loses 64.
• Joins Chen Linjian’s ruins expedition and observes people and powers absent from his previous-life memories 69 73.
• Scores 100 on all three examination strikes and enters the genius class with his companions 74.
• Wins fifty million Demon Spirit Coins from the Divine Family during the Genius Battle 77.

Defense of Glory City

• Retrieves the Heavenfall Divine Thunder Sword and asks that his Sacred Realm success remain secret from the Dark Guild 79.
• Warns Ye Zong about the Divine Family’s control of the western wall and defeats Ye Han in a public duel 84.
• Proposes a banquet trap combined with raids on the Divine Family and the Dark Guild’s local base 98.
• Uses the Ten Thousand Demon Spirit Great Array to suppress Ghost Fiend and injure Dragon Fiend 103.
• Establishes cooperation with Black Prison’s Twelve Great Families, contributing to Glory City’s expanding support network 112.

Netherworld Trials and the Demon Lord

• Obtains a Legend-rank treasure at Black Spring and comprehends light and darkness 107.
• Kills a Legend-rank Lizard Demon before entering the Ninefold Deathlands 113.
• Masters the Law of Death, reaches Legend Rank, and survives attempted soul possession 117 118 120.
• Returns to the Desert Palace, falls into an inner-demon trial, and awakens with Yun Tian’s help 121.
• Destroys the Demon Lord’s body during the attack on Glory City, although his enemy’s soul escapes 121.

Feather God Sect and the Phantom God Palace

• Builds a profitable God Rank Demon Spirit business, recruits allies, and establishes the Monster Alliance 131 144 155.
• Defeats Murong Yu using his sixth-rank equipment, sword, and lightning formation 164 165 166.
• Leads attacks that destroy Gu Heng’s three Divine Pools before a space-time formation transports him away 170.
• Gains ancient demon blood through Wu Yazi, deciphers the Phantom God Palace’s formations, and collects its inner treasures 172 176 180.
• Promises to free the Heavenly Origin Divine Race from the Endless Wilderness and brings its experts into the Sect Master election against Long Tianming 187.
• Persuades the Six Great Divine Sects to unite against the Saint Emperor and is chosen to lead their alliance 190.

Final War and Aftermath

• Receives Kongming’s remaining power and learns that this is the final space-time opportunity to defeat the Saint Emperor 195 196.
• Strengthens the righteous alliance and coordinates with the Heavenly God Ancestral Grounds 196 198.
• Uses the Temporal Demon Spirit Book to prevent the Saint Emperor’s true body from escaping into another space-time. The coalition overwhelms him after Yun Tian secretly severs his connection to the world 200 201.
• Restores the book, revealing Earl Lawrence hidden within it. Yun Tian destroys Lawrence after he threatens to possess Yun Tian or Nie Li 201.
• Opens a passage between the two worlds, helps Glory City become the Little Exquisite World’s greatest power, and unifies the Dragon Whisker Domain’s sects 202.

Notable Quotes

“You're true brothers. I won't let you down.” 58

“Forget it. As long as you're safe, Master, I can rest easy.” 134

“Either we defeat him today and claim victory, or we die. The only difference is whether we die immediately or slowly.” 199