Sky Screen

Biodata

Background / Broadcast History

The Sky Screen first appeared while Nie Li and his friends were celebrating his appointment as the Holy Orchid Institute’s library collections steward. A thunderclap audible throughout Glory City preceded golden light and moving images overhead. Neither Nie Li nor the city’s leadership understood what it was 1.

Its opening broadcast replayed Nie Li’s return to the classroom and exposed his memories of Glory City’s destruction in his previous life. After initially showing events that had already occurred, later broadcasts revealed a future Nie Li explicitly described as one in which the Sky Screen never appeared. The present timeline consequently diverged from the events shown overhead 1 11 22 26 43.

As Nie Li traveled, the phenomenon appeared in additional locations. Its seventh broadcast manifested over both Glory City and the Black Prison World, giving the latter’s inhabitants knowledge of Nie Li’s rebirth and the route to the outside world. It subsequently appeared at the Heavenly Fortune Tribe and followed him into the Draconic Ruins Realm, where its golden light covered the Heavenly Spirit Institute but did not extend beyond it 132 198 261 262.

The broadcasts continued to follow the alternate sequence of Nie Li’s adventures even after the present-day cast had overtaken or resolved many of its conflicts. Nie Li increasingly treated the display as a story rather than a prediction of his own immediate future, although its revelations still supplied useful information and exposed private matters 90 92 185 232.

Documented Broadcasts

• The first two appearances were a week apart; the third also appeared after a week 26 32.
• After the third broadcast, Nie Li expected the continuation to air the following week 43.
• The screen returned a month after the period of rebuilding and preparations following the present timeline’s beast tide 76.
• Broadcast lengths were not fixed. During the sixth, Nie Li noticed that the usual ending time had passed without the golden light fading; its eventual conclusion surprised the viewers because it had lasted so long 97 128.
• Weekly intervals continued to occur later, including before the tenth and thirteenth broadcasts 177 219.

Final Cessation

During the final sequence, the golden light flickered several times and the images blurred, a disturbance the audience had never witnessed before. The screen recovered and continued briefly before displaying a blessing for the future Demon God and going dark for good 314.

Nie Li’s subsequent rise to Feathered God Sect Master, century of cultivation, defeat of the Sacred Emperor, restoration of the Book of Time and Space Spirit, and peaceful family life occurred after the broadcasts had ended 314.

Appearance

The Sky Screen manifests as golden light above Glory City, containing moving scenes accompanied by audible speech. Its first appearance is heralded by thunder 1.

• Golden glow: Returns with subsequent broadcasts and recedes when they end 14 22 32.
• Changing viewpoints: Shifts between locations, memories, and internal scenes such as Nie Li’s Soul Sea 14 35 40.
• Broadcast termination: Images can gradually vanish or abruptly turn black before the golden light disperses 11 43.
• Expanded manifestations: Golden light also appears over the Black Prison World and the Heavenly Fortune Tribe. At the Feathered God Sect, it covers the entire Heavenly Spirit Institute without spreading beyond the institute 132 198 262.
• Final instability: Its last appearance includes unprecedented flickering golden light and blurred imagery, followed by a temporary recovery 314.
• Written message: Before its permanent disappearance, it displays a blessing for the future Demon God 314.

Abilities & Functions

Public Audiovisual Display

The screen makes its contents visible and audible to viewers across Glory City, including residents at the academy, family estates, and City Lord’s Mansion 1.

• Displays conversations, battles, private treatment sessions, and recollections 1 8 39.
• Presents explanatory imagery, including a diagram of arm joints during Nie Li’s pressure-point demonstration 16.
• Shows internal processes such as damage to, and repair of, the Taiji Pattern within Nie Li’s Soul Sea 40.
• Visibility through obstructions: People in Glory City can see it even through ceilings, allowing imprisoned Sacred Family members to watch from their cells. Trees likewise do not block its visibility 76 80 98 132.
• Simultaneous regional audiences: The seventh broadcast appears over both Glory City and the Black Prison World 132.

Revelation of Memories and Future Events

Its broadcasts expose information inaccessible to ordinary observers, from Nie Li’s previous-life experiences to events not yet experienced by the present-day cast 1 22.

• Reveals the deaths of Ye Mo, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and Ye Ziyun during the original beast tide 1.
• Shows Nie Li considering cultivation arts within his memories 14.
• Reveals events outside Nie Li’s immediate viewpoint, including Winged Dragon Family deliberations and Dark Guild orders 35 36 41.
• Not an unavoidable future: Present-day outcomes differ. Nie Li advances faster than his screened counterpart, and his expedition kills the ape that the broadcast leaves him facing alone 35 43.
• Past-life cultivation: Reveals that Nie Li surpassed Legendary in his previous life, broadening the audience’s understanding of the cultivation hierarchy 107.
• Different choices remain possible: The screened Duan Jian spares Sikong Yi and Sikong Red Moon, whereas his present-day counterpart has already killed them 217 220.
• Useful discoveries: Reveals treasures, locations, methods, and threats that viewers can investigate or exploit, including the Black Spring, law-power cultivation, and the Necromancer God’s shattered Divine Core 195 199 201 232.
• Private plotting: Shows conversations involving Flameless Venerable and Long Tianming, as well as schemes targeting Gu Heng’s followers 298 299.

Transmission of Broadcast Memories

Directly watching the screen is not always necessary to acquire its contents 32 47.

• People who missed earlier appearances while outside Glory City receive the broadcasts’ contents in their minds upon returning 47.
• When the third broadcast begins, the Golden Feather Eagle gains memories of the preceding two and recognizes Nie Li as a reborn expert 32.
• When the screen reaches the Black Prison World, inhabitants receive memories concerning Nie Li and his rebirth, together with knowledge of the outside world 132.
• The Heavenly Fortune Tribe receives a sudden influx of memories during its first encounter with the screen, learning about Glory City, the beast tide, and Nie Li’s rebirth 198.
• Yu Yan also receives memories forcibly when the twelfth broadcast begins. This explains to her why Nie Li had known so much during their first meeting 206.

Transmission of Killing Intent

During Nie Li’s confrontation with Shen Yue, killing intent from his Soul Sea seeps through the screen and frightens viewers, including Glory City’s experts 17.

• This demonstrates that at least one sensation beyond images and sound can reach the audience 17.

Following Nie Li Across Locations

The screen’s appearances are not confined to Glory City. It manifests in places Nie Li visits, including the Black Prison World, Heavenly Fortune Tribe, and Heavenly Spirit Institute 132 198 262.

• Nie Li recognizes this pattern and worries that traveling to the Draconic Ruins Realm will expose further deeds from his alternate future 198 234.
• The Feathered God Sect’s Five Divine Venerables learn of the phenomenon through the Nether Realm Controller’s report and discuss whether it will follow Nie Li into their sect 261.
• Its appearance at the Heavenly Spirit Institute confirms that it can manifest in the Draconic Ruins Realm, although that manifestation has a clearly limited local extent 262.

Concealment of Heavenly Fate

After the sixteenth broadcast, Ying Yueru explains that the Sky Screen appears to have cut off the heavenly secrets surrounding Nie Li. His Heavenly Fate has become completely concealed, preventing the Sacred Emperor from divining his existence 276.

• Ying Yueru’s Heavenly Derivation Technique reveals a chaotic future beneath the screen; she can divine the future displayed on it, but not the changed reality outside its images 276.
• To the Sacred Emperor’s divination, Nie Li has effectively become someone who does not exist 276.
• This protective function is distinct from the screen’s public disclosure of Nie Li’s identity and actions: it makes his circumstances widely known to ordinary viewers while hiding his Heavenly Fate from supernatural calculation 1 276.

Power Progression

The Sky Screen has no stated cultivation rank. Its documented progression consists of newly demonstrated functions and an expanding manifestation range 1 17 132 262 276.

Impact on Glory City

Nie Li’s Public Recognition

• Rebirth exposed: Nie Li’s secret becomes common knowledge, explaining his command of ancient texts and exceptional cultivation knowledge 1 2 47.
• Official protection: After the first broadcast, Ye Sheng arranges his transfer to the City Lord’s Mansion, with his companions accompanying him and Ye Xiu providing an escort 11.
• Citywide reputation: Even Sacred Family branch members Shen Ning and Shen Xiao recognize him from his repeated appearances 50.
• Reverence for his former strength: The revelation that he cultivated beyond Legendary causes viewers to regard him as a peerless powerhouse and look toward the City Lord’s Mansion with reverence 107.
• Pressure on those shown opposing him: Chu Yuan fears the consequences of his screened attack, while Nie Xiaori and Nie Xiaofeng seek reassurance and prepare apologies after seeing their own hostility. Nie Wei kowtows before Nie Ming as his treatment of Nie Li is exposed 39 84 91.

Political and Family Consequences

• Emergency response: Ye Zong orders residents calmed, Ye Mo located and brought back, and the major families summoned after the destruction of Glory City is revealed 1.
• Sacred Family scrutiny: Its flight during the beast tide damages its standing, while Ye Zong resolves to watch it cautiously and gradually weaken its influence 2 9 14.
• Xiao Yi exposed: The broadcast reveals his intention to sacrifice Xiao Ning’er’s marriage prospects for personal advancement, prompting Xiao Yunfeng to confront him 35 36.
• Dark Guild secrecy threatened: Li Yunhua fears that a clear view of his face will expose him; Shen Hong prepares to have him killed if necessary to conceal their connection 38 42.
• Engagement and family alliances altered: The Winged Dragon Family breaks off Xiao Ning’er’s engagement to Shen Fei, while the Wind Snow Family supports it against Sacred Family business pressure 34.
• Conflicts outpaced by reality: By the time later broadcasts revisit the Sacred Family’s machinations, its present-day leadership has already been defeated. Shen Yue, Shen Xiu, and Shen Fei watch their alternate selves from prison, while Shen Ning and Shen Xiao administer the family’s diminished holdings 76 77 80 92 98.
• Heavenly Marks Family accountability: The broadcast of Nie Wei’s conduct leaves him unable to remain Law Enforcement Elder in the present timeline 92.

Knowledge and Personal Revelations

• Cultivation assumptions challenged: Viewers learn that Soul Sea forms and attributes matter, and that initial soul force alone does not determine talent 14.
• Purple Mist Grass demand: Its displayed treatment effects trigger buying by noblewomen and contribute to a citywide purchasing frenzy 20.
• Private relationships publicized: Xiao Ning’er learns why Nie Li loves Ye Ziyun, while the display of her own treatment embarrasses her and Nie Li and enrages Shen Fei 2 8.
• Changed expectations: After seeing Nie Li’s extraordinary techniques and talented companions, Ye Zong finds Ye Han’s otherwise impressive three-star Gold rank less remarkable 47.
• Treasure revelations can arrive too late: Viewers regret learning of Gulan City’s riches only after Chen Linjian’s present-day expedition has already recovered and begun selling them 56.
• Law-power instruction: Nie Li follows Yu Yan’s displayed explanation to sense law power himself and proposes taking his companions to the Black Spring after the broadcast 201.
• New investigative targets: The Necromancer God’s shattered Divine Core prompts Nie Li to ask that the Glory Guild investigate it, hoping to reconstruct the Death Law as he had reconstructed the Wind Snow Law 232.
• Emotional consequences of alternate events: Present-day Ye Ziyun is distressed by her screened rejection of Nie Li and tearfully insists that she never said those words. Nie Li and Xiao Ning’er comfort her 173.
• Further romantic exposure: Yang Xin’s affection for Nie Li and Xiao Yu’s apparent interest in Xiao Ning’er become public spectacles, provoking jealousy and gossip among viewers 174 230.

Public Adaptation

After notices from the City Lord’s Mansion reassured the population, residents became less frightened of the screen and more interested in its contents. Some continued working during later appearances, looking up intermittently rather than stopping all activity 14 52.

As the present timeline diverged further, Nie Li and other viewers increasingly watched already-resolved political conflicts as entertainment. This did not eliminate the screen’s ability to cause embarrassment, reveal valuable knowledge, or influence decisions 90 92 185 232.

Impact Beyond Glory City

Black Prison World

• Outside world revealed: The screen informs the thirteen families and other inhabitants about Nie Li’s rebirth and access to the outside world 132.
• Silverwing retaliation: Sikong Yi connects Nie Li to attacks on his forces and orders the Myriad Forms Space Array found and destroyed 132.
• Deceptions exposed: Sikong Red Moon watches how Nie Li fooled her with his invented identity, while Sikong Yi concludes that Nie Li must be killed 137.
• Support among the oppressed: Slaves and others abused by the great families cheer Nie Li’s opposition to the Silverwing Family and hope he will unite the Black Prison World and overturn its injustices 145 148.
• Practical intelligence: Nie Li uses the displayed Silverwing territory to ask locals about a mine’s location, obtaining a target for his own operations 136.
• Duan Jian’s allegiance reinforced: While enduring his present-day bloodline awakening, Duan Jian continues watching and resolves to avenge his parents and pledge undying loyalty to Nie Li 148.

Heavenly Fortune Tribe and Yu Yan

The tribe’s first encounter with the phenomenon causes unease, followed by shock when transmitted memories reveal Nie Li’s rebirth and show them Glory City. For people who had previously known the city only through stories, the memories provide direct knowledge of it 198.

Yu Yan’s later reception of broadcast memories explains Nie Li’s otherwise inexplicable knowledge. The screen also exposes the limits of her understanding of cultivation and her own origins, encouraging her to investigate those mysteries further 206 244 248.

Feathered God Sect

• Leadership alerted: The Five Divine Venerables discuss the phenomenon before its arrival and emerge when it appears over the Heavenly Spirit Institute 261 262.
• Recruitment and hostility: Long Tianming, Gu Heng, and other heirs reassess Nie Li as a reborn expert worth recruiting or, if necessary, eliminating 264.
• Treatment prospects exposed: Gu Bei watches for evidence that Nie Li can cure Gu Lan, while Gu Heng regards that possibility as a threat 267.
• Murong Yu’s conduct publicized: Nie Li and his companions condemn Murong Yu after watching his humiliation and robbery of the screened Nie Li; Murong Yu worries about having made an enemy of him 276.
• Azure Flame Family succession affected: Revelations of Li Xingyun’s previous-life achievements and the elders’ treatment of him cause some elders to reconsider supporting Li Yufeng 278 289.
• Ambitions and schemes revealed: Long Tianming resents Nie Li’s accurate assessments of his ambitions, while later broadcasts expose further maneuvering involving Flameless Venerable and Gu Heng’s associates 285 298 299.
• Competition for treasures intensified: Nie Li recognizes that public knowledge of the Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains Painting will attract other people’s attention to it 288.