Lin Qian

Biodata

Background / History

Lin Qian knew Dongfang Hui from childhood. She remembered him as “big brother Lin Qian” and was shocked by his later cruelty. His grandfather supplied him with a Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman, also called a Soul-Calming Jade Talisman, though the grandfather’s identity and cultivation are not established 41 42.

Before fighting Xu Qingtong in the Young Talents Assembly, Lin Qian had bought talismans at the Jade Spring Commerce Association. He subsequently used Fireball Talismans crafted by Xu during the elimination tournament 26 28.

Lin Qian belonged to the Lin Family. After his death, an uncle pursued Xu Qingtong to avenge him. The family later received a direct warning from Yu Tiancheng against using senior cultivators or underhanded schemes to target Xu 75 91.

Appearance

• Clothing: Wears a brocade robe when challenging Xu Qingtong 26.
• Manner: Presents himself as a self-satisfied young gentleman, introducing himself as “Young Master Lin” 26.
• Later injury: Loses two fingers on his right hand to Xu Qingtong’s Red Sun Sword; the injury severely hampers his spellcasting 41.

Personality

Lin Qian’s frivolous, pampered manner conceals a calculating and ruthless fighter. He disguises a flying-sword attack behind weak talismans and later accepts an injury to secure a tournament victory. Watching that exchange forces Xu Qingtong to reassess him as bold and meticulous rather than merely a wastrel 26 28.

He bears a grudge after losing to Xu and prepares specifically against the divine-sense attack that defeated him. In Mist Valley, his possessiveness toward Dongfang Hui and fear of exposure lead him to murder fellow participants and attempt to force himself on her. He dismisses An Chengbao’s life because An is only the son of a minor mortal official 28 41 42 43.

Xu Qingtong later suspects that Lin’s desire to seize An Chengbao’s possessions was a greater motive for the murder than his stated fear of exposure. This remains Xu’s interpretation rather than an admission from Lin 44.

Power Progression

Abilities & Skills

Flying Sword Combat

Lin Qian combines precise sword control with deceptive attacks and nimble footwork 26 28.

• Pierces two shield layers and wounds Xu Qingtong’s left shoulder during their first match 26.
• Knocks aside the Goumang Seal in direct clashes 26 41.
• Disarms Dongfang Hui by knocking away her golden hairpin 41.
• Breaks Xu’s Shield Talisman and Protective Armor before piercing his chest 41.
• His damaged right hand prevents him from pressing his advantage as quickly during their final fight 41.

Talisman Combat and Defensive Timing

Lin Qian uses offensive talismans alongside layered defenses, sometimes deliberately trading injuries to defeat an opponent 26 28.

• Uses weaker Fireball Talismans to distract Xu from an approaching flying sword 26.
• Forces a fifth-level opponent toward the platform’s edge with Xu’s stronger Fireball Talismans 28.
• Relies on a Shield Talisman and Protective Armor to survive a Flying Knife strike while landing the winning fireball 28.
• Applies a Rejuvenation Talisman immediately after losing two fingers 41.

Divine Sense

• Probes Xu Qingtong before the elimination matches, but fails to notice Xu probing him in return 28.
• Is stunned by Xu’s unprotected divine-sense attack during their first match 26.
• Later relies on the Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman to block such attacks; once it shatters, another attack leaves him helpless 42.

Poisoning

• Power-Dissolving Powder: Prevents Dongfang Hui from gathering magical power. Lin Qian states that its effect lasts seven days; no antidote is found among his belongings. Dongfang Hui remains unable to gather magical power during her subsequent recovery in the cave 41 44 46.
• Covert administration: Secretly poisons An Chengbao while they fight a demon beast together, then kills him after the battle 43.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Flying sword — His principal offensive artifact; Dongfang Hui is instructed to collect it after his death. Later identified as a high-grade Magical Artifact, brimming with spirituality and possessing a keen edge. Xu Qingtong sells it at Shangyi Pavilion rather than risk being recognized while using it, but the shop’s assistant recognizes it anyway 26 42 73.
• Handheld shield — Blocks Xu Qingtong’s Fireball Talismans during their first match 26.
• Protective Armor — Revealed when a Flying Knife strikes the right side of his chest 28.
• Fireball, Shield, and Rejuvenation Talismans — Used for attacks, protection, and treating his injured hand 26 28 41.
• Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman / Soul-Calming Jade Talisman — A gift from his grandfather, obtained as a precaution against Xu’s soul attack. It blocks the initial attacks but shatters under repeated strikes. Lin invokes the Foundation Establishment Realm when boasting of its protection, but it ultimately fails against Xu’s concentrated divine sense 42.
• Storage Bag — Contains trial herbs in jade boxes and the erotic illustrated book Thirty-Six Forms of the Pure Maiden, but no antidote for Power-Dissolving Powder 44.

Relationships

• Xu Qingtong — Former talisman seller turned tournament rival and enemy. Xu defeats him in the points competition and later intervenes to protect Dongfang Hui. Xu’s subsequent sale of Lin’s recognizable flying sword exposes him to suspicion and retaliation from Lin’s family 26 41 73 75.
• Dongfang Hui — Childhood acquaintance whom he addresses as “Little Sister Hui.” She rejects his advances; he later poisons her and attempts to force a sexual relationship to keep her from exposing his murders 32 33 41 43.
• Qin Xinghan — Acquaintance and fellow trial participant. Lin kills him after recognizing his attempt to draw a demon beast into their path; he also resents Qin’s interest in Dongfang Hui 32 41 43.
• An Chengbao — Fellow participant whom Lin lures into helping against a demon beast, secretly poisons, and murders 43.
• Xiao Qi — Xu Qingtong’s companion and Lin’s killer; pecks through the back of his head while he is stunned 42.
• Grandfather — Unnamed relative who gives Lin the Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman used in his final battle 42.
• Unnamed uncle / Man in black — Pursues Xu Qingtong into the Thousand-Cloud Mountain Range to avenge Lin, declaring that Xu’s membership in one of the Three Great Sects will not protect him. Xu responds by secretly deploying Xiao Qi, intending to defeat the uncle in the same manner as the nephew 75.
• Lin Family — His cultivation family. Following the retaliation against Xu, Yu Tiancheng shatters the family’s main gate and threatens to wipe out the family if its seniors bully Xu or resort to plots and schemes 75 91.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Young Talents Assembly

• Challenges Xu Qingtong during the final day of the points competition. Despite nearly winning with his flying sword, he is stunned by a divine-sense spike and knocked off the platform by a Water Arrow 26.
• Wins his first elimination bout by risking a Flying Knife wound to land a decisive Fireball Talisman 28.
• Advances through the later rounds, draws platform three for the fifth round, and becomes one of the five competitors selected for the Mist Valley Trial 29 30 31.

Mist Valley Murders

• Persuades Dongfang Hui to travel with him by arguing that searching for herbs alone is dangerous 43.
• Uses the pursuing demon beast to help kill Qin Xinghan, then falsely tells An Chengbao that the beast killed Qin and asks for assistance 43.
• Poisons An during the fight, kills him afterward, takes both men’s belongings, and clears the battlefield 43.
• Attempts to silence Dongfang Hui through a forced relationship. After she resists and flees, he pursues her to a pool and prevents her from taking her own life 41 43.

Final Battle and Aftermath

• Xu Qingtong ambushes him from the pool, severs two fingers, and places himself between Lin and Dongfang Hui 41.
• Lin’s Soul-Suppressing Jade Talisman initially neutralizes Xu’s strongest attack, allowing Lin to inflict severe chest wounds 41 42.
• Xu exhausts his divine sense to shatter the talisman and stun Lin. Xiao Qi then kills him with a single peck to the back of his head 42.
• Xu instructs Dongfang Hui to burn Lin’s body and conceal the fight. The herbs recovered from Lin’s belongings are later pooled with their own supplies to complete two trial assignments 42 44.
• During his recovery, Xu acknowledges that without Xiao Qi’s intervention, both he and Dongfang Hui would probably have died. He subsequently identifies his low cultivation as a major reason Lin had been able to overwhelm him 45 46.

Posthumous Exposure and Lin Family Retaliation

• Xu Qingtong decides to sell Lin’s flying sword because it is too recognizable to use safely. He includes it among seven Magical Artifacts offered to Shangyi Pavilion, receiving forty-five hundred Spirit Stones for the entire sale 73.
• The shop’s assistant recognizes the sword as belonging to the “young master” and alerts the shopkeeper, raising the suspicion that Xu harmed Lin. When questioned about its origin, Xu claims to have found it while hunting demon beasts in a secret realm. Before leaving, he detects the shopkeeper and assistant exchanging signals 73.
• Lin’s uncle subsequently pursues Xu into the Thousand-Cloud Mountain Range and explicitly declares his intention to avenge his nephew. Xu concludes that selling the sword brought the trouble upon him and prepares to fight with Xiao Qi’s assistance 75.
• Xu later recounts the Shangyi Pavilion ambush to Yu Tiancheng, while maintaining that he obtained Lin’s sword by chance rather than admitting his role in Lin’s death. Yu then visits the Lin Family, destroys its main gate with a palm strike, and warns that although he will not interfere in disputes between juniors, further bullying by seniors or scheming against Xu could result in the family’s destruction 91.

Notable Quotes

“I trust no one except the dead and my own people! I don't want to kill you, so I'll just have to make you one of mine!” 41

“Your soul attack made me suffer badly last time. Did you think I wouldn't take precautions?” 42

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