An Ling

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Fire Vein Encounter

An Ling first meets Jiang Yan while investigating an unusual hill within the Prefecture Academy’s Fire Vein. She reaches its summit just after he claims a concealed treasure. Although frustrated, she decides against fighting: they belong to the same academy, both have Sixth Grade backers, and Jiang Yan’s Fire-Breathing Lineage gives him an advantage in the fiery environment. Before leaving, she invites him to visit the Law Hall to discuss the Dao 49.

Alliance Against Jiang Chi and Desire Corpse

Jiang Yan later visits An Ling to request information about Jiang Chi and Desire Corpse Daoist. She dismisses their earlier disagreement as trivial. Her senior sister, Mingling, directs her to join Jiang Yan against Desire Corpse as a tempering trial, reasoning that cooperation could also help them establish a dependable partnership for future examinations 68 69.

An Ling’s first investigation predicts Jiang Chi’s return a day too late, preventing their intended ambush. Taking responsibility for the mistake, she strengthens surveillance and personally questions his contacts. She subsequently identifies his planned departure through the town’s western side near curfew, allowing the group to prepare another ambush 70 72 75.

During the attack, An Ling releases intense light alongside Jiang Yan’s opening assault, while her Spirit Butterfly disperses powder that corrodes Jiang Chi’s Spiritual Qi shield. She also watches for approaching patrols. After Jiang Chi is killed, she and the others remain to face the night-patrol Dao Army rather than flee; Jiang Yan pays the curfew penalties, and they are escorted back to town 77 78.

Preparing for the Yearly Examination

An Ling arranges for news of Jiang Chi’s death to reach Desire Corpse, hoping anger will expose his intentions. His unexpected withdrawal into seclusion instead strengthens their suspicion that he will attack during the Yearly Examination. She proposes traveling with Jiang Yan and produces an Immortal Dynasty Contract to formalize their alliance 81.

As the examination approaches, she obtains information from Mingling and urges Jiang Yan to rest after two months of intensive pill refinement 82.

Heavy Water Mine Mission

An Ling and Jiang Yan choose a C-rank, two-person mission to destroy the Heavy Water Mine in Purple Scale Tribe territory. Using Painted Skins that An Ling obtained, they disguise themselves as Red-Scarlet Clan nobles. She proposes posing as brother and sister and maintains the role while Jiang Yan takes the lead in their dealings with local residents 86 87 89 90.

Their apparent status gains them access to Heavy Water City’s elite, but An Ling notices that Chi Ziliu reveals sensitive information far too readily. After learning that Skin Player and Gu-Eating’s distant assignment is also progressing unusually smoothly, the pair suspect that someone powerful is influencing the examination 90 91.

Their disguises are eventually exposed at the mine. An Ling uses two bracelets to briefly hold off attacks from two Purple-Scale fighters, giving Jiang Yan an opening to kill the Red-Purple Branch members accompanying them. The pair then retreat into the mine and escape while Desire Corpse battles a Full-Realm Scale Clan cultivator 96 98.

Desire Corpse deliberately attacks An Ling to force Jiang Yan to remain and protect her. With her hairpin’s defensive barrier nearly exhausted, she throws the hairpin into the second Corpse Qi blade, scattering it. The explosion leaves her bloodied but does not damage her foundations. Recognizing that remaining together would endanger them both, she calls for them to split up and escapes on her Spirit Butterfly 99.

Return to the Academy

An Ling reunites with Jiang Yan when the examination ends. They reflect that surviving has brought them closer to formal apprenticeships under their Sixth Grade masters. On the return journey, they plan to use their tree sap rewards to reach Eighth Grade 106 107.

Appearance

An Ling has snow-white skin and long hair flowing down her back 69.

• Usual clothing: A blue-green Daoist robe with a matching hair ribbon 69.
• Scale Clan disguise: A pale pink, loose-sleeved dress and a slender, red-scaled Painted Skin, with scales extending beneath her collar 87.

Personality

An Ling is restrained and pragmatic. Despite resenting Jiang Yan’s earlier arrival in the Fire Vein, she weighs the risks and leaves without fighting. When they meet again, she does not dwell on the incident and prefers to address his request directly 49 69.

She takes cooperation seriously and dislikes contributing less than her share. After her inaccurate prediction of Jiang Chi’s return, she commits to correcting the problem through closer surveillance. She also hopes to take the leading role if she and Jiang Yan establish a lasting partnership 70 72 75.

Her caution is especially evident behind enemy lines: she maintains their cover in potentially monitored rooms, notices suspicious behavior, and reports details that might affect their safety. During their escape from Desire Corpse, she acts decisively rather than wait for Jiang Yan to rescue her 89 90 95 99.

Abilities & Skills

Intelligence Gathering

An Ling maintains connections capable of tracing cultivators’ movements and obtaining scarce resources 70 73 75.

• Arranges continuous surveillance of Jiang Chi and watches his associates 73 75.
• Personally questions his contacts to establish his departure plans 75.
• Monitors Desire Corpse’s movements and attempts to provoke a revealing reaction by informing him of Jiang Chi’s death 76 81.
• Her information is not infallible: Jiang Chi returns earlier than her initial estimate 70.

Spirit Butterfly

An Ling’s butterfly-shaped spirit beast serves as both a flying mount and a combat support companion 70 77.

• Carries her during travel and her escape from Desire Corpse 70 99.
• Releases powder specifically intended to corrode Spiritual Qi shields 77.

Combat and Awareness

• Releases a burst of intense light during the ambush on Jiang Chi; whether this comes from a Dao Art or talisman is unspecified 77.
• Spots Jiang Chi traveling under a concealment art near curfew 76.
• Uses paired bracelets to briefly intercept attacks from two Purple-Scale opponents 96.
• Detects the approaching night-patrol Dao Army after Jiang Chi’s death 78.

Infiltration

An Ling helps prepare and maintain the pair’s Scale Clan identities 87 89 90.

• Obtains Painted Skins suitable for passing as high-status, solid-red-scaled nobles 87.
• Proposes changing their forms of address to brother and sister 87.
• Carefully preserves their cover when discussing events inside their accommodation 89.
• Recognizes inconsistencies in Chi Ziliu’s conduct that suggest outside interference 90.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Hairpin: Produces a protective Spirit Barrier and can also attack with power comparable to a Seventh Grade strike. Its barrier withstands two Seventh Grade attacks before nearing collapse; throwing it against another Corpse Qi blade temporarily exhausts its effectiveness 99.
• Paired bracelets: Combat implements used to hold back Purple-Scale attackers 96.
• Communication Jade Slip: More elaborate than ordinary examples; Jiang Yan cannot hear the other party while seated beside her 76.
• Storage Law Artifact: Used to store her belongings, including purchased pills 75.
• Scale Clan Painted Skin: A red-scaled disguise used during the Heavy Water Mine mission 87.
• Immortal Dynasty Contract: Supplied by An Ling and signed with both partners’ Law Power to formalize their examination alliance 81.
• Fire-Resisting Pills: Accepts one from Jiang Yan after agreeing to investigate his targets, then purchases five more for one hundred Spirit Stones 69 75.

Relationships

• Spirit Dharma High Person — Her master, a Sixth Grade High Person and hall master of the Prefecture Academy. Formal apprenticeship remains a future milestone after the examination 49 106.
• Mingling Daoist — Her senior sister and guide. Assigns Desire Corpse as her tempering target and encourages her partnership with Jiang Yan 69.
• Jiang Yan — Fellow cultivator, contracted ally, and increasingly trusted friend. Their initially tense meeting develops into joint investigations and an examination partnership; their brother-and-sister relationship is an infiltration cover 49 69 81 87 99.
• Qiu Fan — A treasury master’s disciple whom An Ling contacts to arrange Jiang Yan’s black tin trade 73 75.
• Jiang Chi — Investigation target and enemy whom she helps ambush 69 75 77.
• Desire Corpse Daoist — Shared tempering target and major threat. He attacks her during the mine escape to exploit Jiang Yan’s unwillingness to abandon her 69 99.