Doehring

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Doehring was an Earth Element Saint-level Magus associated with the era of the Pouant Empire. His original body was destroyed more than five thousand years before his return, and he took refuge in the Coiling Dragon Ring. He remembered a battle in year 4280 of the Yulan Calendar and remained confined to the ring for millennia 3 40.

He began teaching Linley magic and stone sculpting when Linley was eight. Although Wharton could not see him, Doehring also watched the younger Baruch brother grow up from inside the ring 37.

During the battle at Hess City, Doehring burned his soul to cast Meteor Fall, expecting to disappear completely. An unknown power within the ring preserved his final trace of true spirit, but it was too weak to remain conscious. For nearly a year, tremors produced by Linley’s Earth Element training and heavy-sword practice continued reaching him, allowing his accumulated understanding of the earth to deepen even while he slept 3.

The ring’s nature remained unknown to him until Beirut identified it as the fallen Azure Dragon’s damaged soul-defense Sovereign Artifact. Doehring had spent five thousand years inside it without knowing its origin 97.

Appearance

• Elderly appearance: White hair, a white beard, and an aged face. His divine body recreated his original appearance rather than making him look younger 3 38.
• Moon-white robes: Upon becoming a Lowgod, he formed a moon-white robe from Earth Element divine power and continued wearing robes of that color afterward 3 90.
• Unassuming presence: With his divine aura concealed, ordinary magical beasts perceived him as an old man without battle qi or magical power 5.
• Post-Necropolis presence: His divine power became several times denser, and the earth beneath his steps appeared to move in rhythm with his breathing 90.

Personality

Doehring treats Linley with grandfatherly affection, mixing reassurance with teasing. After their physical reunion, he joked that Linley would break his newly acquired bones by hugging him too tightly, then admitted that a divine body was in no such danger 4.

As a teacher, he values independent discovery over easy answers. He points out mistakes without supplying every correction, lets Linley identify an opponent’s weaknesses himself, and refuses to turn divine protection into freedom from ordinary danger. He also openly acknowledges when Linley’s Earth Pulsation cultivation lies beyond the path he can directly teach 5 6 8 29.

His restraint ends when Linley faces otherwise unavoidable death. He prepared to stop Steller’s killing blow, drove off Useno and Leiming, and attempted to shield Linley from Augusta even after suffering a devastating wound himself 27 64 96.

Regaining a body renews his appreciation for ordinary experiences: touching cold stone, feeling running water, eating, carving, and participating in family ceremonies. These experiences help explain why he refuses to leave Yulan merely because a higher plane offers stronger opponents 3 5 38.

Abilities & Skills

Earth Element Magic and Divine Power

Doehring’s cultivation centers on the Laws of the Earth. His Lowgod breakthrough comes from understanding earth essence as something that exists independently of a mage’s commands 3.

• Meteor Fall: Cast the forbidden spell at Hess City by burning his soul, nearly destroying himself 3.
• Terrain manipulation: Closed more than a hundred cracks and stabilized the damaged dragon burial cavern; later created stone pillars for Linley’s training 4 6.
• Divine strength: Caught the Saint Realm Black Armored Earth Dragon Mo Ers’s full-force claw attack with one hand and collapsed its gravitational force 3.
• Defensive construction: Raised seven layered rock walls bearing Earth Element divine patterns against Augusta’s attack. The walls represented his limit at the time, but the beam destroyed all seven 95.

God’s Domain

His divine domain allows him to suppress Saint Realm opponents and resist hostile power 4 93.

• Suppressed Mo Ers during the confrontation in the dragon burial ground 4.
• Repelled the summoned angel’s holy light during the assault on Holy Island 93.
• Initially lacked fine control over his newly acquired divine power, causing damage to the cavern that he subsequently repaired 3 4.

Divine Sense and Soul Protection

Doehring uses divine sense to investigate injuries, identify familiar souls, and detect distant scrutiny 4 33 40.

• Soul recognition: Remembered Reynolds’s soul aura from Linley’s academy years and searched the Bonai River section by section 40.
• Medical examination: Detected broken ribs, lung damage, and lingering injuries inside Linley’s body 33 34.
• Soul shielding: Enveloped Linley’s soul in divine power, severed his spiritual connection to Purple Blood, and forced the sword’s baleful aura back into its blade 9.
• Limit: Could only suppress Purple Blood’s aura temporarily, not remove it 9.
• Limit: Could not penetrate the Coiling Dragon Ring’s sealed soul-protecting space after his return 4.

Healing

Doehring can apply Earth Element divine power gently within another person’s body 51.

• Circulated divine power through Linley’s meridians to disperse accumulated stagnant blood after the battle with Haydson 51.
• Healed Linley and Bebe after Useno and Leiming’s attack, then remained nearby throughout Linley’s recovery 64 65.

Teaching and Combat Analysis

Doehring teaches magic, stone sculpting, and cultivation principles, while encouraging students to develop their own understanding 5 37.

• Sword training: Corrected Linley’s posture, footing, and wasteful use of battle qi without dictating every adjustment 6.
• Laws analysis: Explained the difference between his own Earth Element understanding and Linley’s path of Earth Pulsation 29.
• Defensive insight: Identified how Haydson’s concentrated earth power protected his body and weakened Olivier’s soul attack 49.
• Cultivation guidance: Supported Delia’s decision to pursue her own breakthrough rather than immediately refine a divine spark 91.
• Limit: Admitted that he did not understand Sessler’s undead cultivation path 91.

Aura Concealment and Investigation

• Aura concealment: Completely hid his Deity Level aura while accompanying Linley through the mountains; using divine power would reveal his strength 5.
• Physical investigation: Identified recently packed earth and worn stone slabs as evidence that an abandoned waterway was still being used 43.
• Research: Traced black crystal sand in shipping records to the underground route connected with the missing merchant ships 42.

Equipment / Items

• Coiling Dragon Ring — His refuge after losing his original body and the artifact that preserved his final true spirit at Hess City. After regaining a body, he examined it and returned it to Linley; he no longer needed to live inside it. Beirut later revealed its Sovereign Artifact origin 3 4 97.
• Flat Blade — A stone-sculpting tool he specifically mentions being able to hold again after his bodily restoration 38.
• Moon-white robe — Initially created from Earth Element divine power. His robe was shattered when Augusta’s holy light pierced his body 3 96.

Relationships

• Linley Baruch — Disciple and surrogate grandson. Doehring taught him from childhood, sacrificed himself at Hess City, and later protected him without taking away his responsibility to find his own path 3 5 37.
• Bebe — Affectionately treats him as one of the younger companions under his protection. Becoming a deity allowed Doehring to understand Bebe’s deliberately emitted spiritual fluctuations; Bebe enthusiastically greeted his return from the Necropolis 4 90.
• Wharton Baruch — Watched him grow up unseen from within the ring. Later examined his injuries, helped arrange his marriage rites, and presided over his clan ceremony 37 38.
• Delia — Encouraged Linley to stop postponing their relationship, attended their wedding, and later supported her wish to cultivate independently 65 91.
• Nina — Accepted her commitment to protecting the Baruch family’s secrets and officiated at the ancestral ceremony welcoming her into the clan 37 38.
• Dylan — Negotiated the conditions under which he and Linley could remain in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. Doehring agreed not to seize territory or use divine power for hunting, while reserving the right to save Linley from certain death 5.
• Cesar — Recognized Doehring as a deity at Yunfeng Town and agreed to keep his return and strength hidden from the Radiant Church 29.
• Beirut — Invited him into the Necropolis of the Gods, recognized his Midgod advancement, and saved him and Linley from Augusta’s attack 78 90 96.
• Augusta — Hostile Radiant Sovereign whose attack nearly destroyed Doehring’s body and soul 95 96.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return from the Coiling Dragon Ring

• Awakened while Mo Ers was about to kill Linley and Bebe. His accumulated insights culminated in an independent Lowgod breakthrough, giving him a new divine body 3.
• Stopped Mo Ers, negotiated the group’s departure without taking dragon bones, and repaired the cavern before leaving 3 4.
• Reunited physically with Linley, then concealed his strength so that Linley could continue training under genuine pressure 4 5.

Baruch Family and the Imperial Capital

• Accompanied Linley through his training and travels while keeping his divine status concealed from most people 10 20 29.
• Helped organize Wharton and Nina’s family rites and read the Baruch ancestral register during Nina’s admission into the clan 37 38.
• Refused Hodan’s invitation to leave for a higher plane. He wished to remain with Linley, enjoy his restored life, and continue exploring the Laws of the Earth on Yulan 38.
• Assisted the search for Reynolds and the investigation into the Radiant Church’s missing-mage operation. At the hidden monastery, he stabilized the collapsing ground and contained the blast after the false divine body was destroyed 40 42 47.

The Chaotic Territory and the Radiant Church

• Supported Linley’s campaign in the Chaotic Territory from the rear while leaving military affairs, governance, and ordinary battles to Linley’s group 52.
• Arrived in the Yulan Empire before Useno and Leiming could kill Linley. His approaching aura alone caused both attackers to flee 64.
• Stayed through Linley’s recovery and encouraged him to marry Delia 65.
• Helped use the mineral-vein duel to draw the Radiant Church’s Lowgod-level power into the open. He subsequently subdued its Eight-Winged Angel with a single move 74 76 77 92.

Necropolis of the Gods

• Entered at Beirut’s invitation, but followed the separate Deity Level route rather than remaining beside Linley 78 79.
• Returned ten years later as a Midgod 90.
• Guarded outside Linley’s cultivation chamber for half a year and witnessed his disciple independently become a Wind Element Lowgod 90.

Holy Island and the Defense of Yulan

• Joined the final expedition against the Radiant Church as Linley’s deputy, taking responsibility for the summoned divine angel while Linley confronted Heidens 92 93.
• Failed to stop Augusta’s beam with his strongest layered defenses. The attack pierced his chest and damaged his divine soul; Beirut intervened before the ensuing attack could kill Linley 95 96.
• Remained on Yulan while Linley departed for Gebados, promising to protect Baruch, Delia, and Wharton. His visible wound had mostly healed, though deeper injuries still required recovery 97.
• Later fought several Highgod exiles in defense of the Baruch Kingdom despite extensive wounds. Linley returned during the battle and attacked the exiles; the provided passage does not establish its outcome 105.

Notable Quotes

“Little fellow, a teacher can tell you there's a cliff ahead, but he can't walk every road for you.” 5

“The Laws of the Earth are boundless. What I comprehend is the earth element, but the path you're following now is the pulsation deep within the earth.” 29

“How broad a path is isn't determined by the size of the plane.” 38

“I'll watch over Baruch, Delia, and Wharton for you. Go forge your own path. When you return, Yulan will still be your home.” 97