Lu Changsheng

Biodata

Power Progression

Concealed Cultivation

• A formation at the Drunken Moon Pavilion records an apparent progression from ninth-level Qi Refinement through the first, second, and third levels of Spirit Gathering. These readings conceal his actual Core Formation cultivation 7.
• He deliberately reveals fourth-level Spirit Gathering to Ye Tianyi, hoping to earn a few days of rest. Instead, Ye Tianyi registers him to fight the beast tide 12.
• Even after reaching Nascent Soul at eighteen, he continues blending into the sect as a Spirit Gathering disciple 50.

Background / History

Lu Changsheng was brought to Qingyun Peak at eight after his master tied him up and carried him there. On his second day, the master left him with Zhou Qingyu and departed to travel, remaining absent for ten years. Lu Changsheng later learned that his master was missing 10. He had also been told that both his parents died when he was young 44.

His Myriad Tribulations Immortal Physique made cultivation both exceptionally painful and resource-intensive. Ordinary ambient Spiritual Qi could not meet his needs, leading him to seek Spirit Stones and cultivate inside secret realms. Su Muyue helped him locate such realms, ostensibly for his senior brother 2 5.

To measure his combat strength without exposing himself, he began anonymously sparring with sect members who had neglected their cultivation. He studied concealment and escape techniques before acting, establishing the identity of the Nighttime Madman 3.

Appearance

• Initially appears seventeen or eighteen, with a handsome face, sword-like brows, star-like eyes, and an ethereal bearing 1.
• Usually introduced in white clothing; changes into black clothes or a black robe for concealed nighttime activity 1 2 49.
• Luo Xianling openly identifies his good looks as the reason she likes him 14.

Personality

Lu Changsheng prefers comfort, leisure, and the bustle of ordinary life to constant cultivation. He enjoys tea, sleep, city outings, and massages, and considers cultivating all day like Zhou Qingyu unbearably tedious 3 7 20. His apparent idleness also provides cover: he willingly tolerates being called a wastrel because an unremarkable disciple attracts less dangerous attention 4.

He is intensely cautious rather than easily provoked. Before fighting, he assesses his chances, prepares escape routes, and considers how to conceal his involvement. He can ignore insults or use sect patrols to handle a confrontation instead of revealing his strength 3 6. His caution does not make him forgiving; he holds grudges and retaliates decisively against people who threaten him 21 47 50.

Money dominates many of his dealings because cultivation consumes enormous resources. He sells instruction, negotiates compensation aggressively, and captures enemies for ransom 9 26 31 33. Nevertheless, he feels guilty after convincing Luo Xianling to obtain Spirit Stones through a false kidnapping story, and he does not demand repayment from Ye Qingchen for saving him 12 49.

His loyalty to Cangyun Sect is genuine. He secretly investigates threats, protects his senior brothers, and teaches younger disciples because he believes a stronger generation will make the whole sect safer 6 8 17.

Abilities & Skills

Myriad Tribulations Immortal Physique

An exceptional constitution that grants far more Law Power than other cultivators at the same level, but makes advancement extraordinarily punishing 2.

• Cultivation feels like swallowing blades, having boulders smashed against his chest, and putting his hands into boiling oil 2.
• Requires enough Spiritual Qi that ordinary surroundings cannot satisfy him 5.
• His Nascent Soul breakthrough demands nearly 330,000 Spirit Stones and is followed by a destructive lightning tribulation 38 39.

Sword Dao

Lu Changsheng wields powerful Sword Qi through gestures and sword seals, without needing to draw a conventional sword in his documented battles 7 23 42.

• Stops Wang Ming’s fourth-layer Sword Dao attack and destroys him with eighth-layer Sword Dao 23.
• Kills Nascent Soul opponents while displaying ninth-layer Sword Dao and withholding his full strength 42.
• Places a single-use protective Sword Intent inside Zhou Qingyu 31.
• Removes a golden plume that is draining Ye Mitian’s vitality using ninth-level Sword Intent 48.

Sword Intent Transfer and Instruction

He can separate a wisp of his origin sword intent, remove his own presence from it, and allow another person to nurture it as their own 9 19.

• Seals sword intent inside the Clear Sword Heart Pill sold to Ning Yuxin 9.
• Combines pills and Sword Cave cultivation to develop her swordsmanship 12 23.
• His sword intent is inherently tyrannical and can exceed what an ordinary constitution can withstand, requiring supporting treatment and physical improvement 19 25.

Formations and Restrictions

His formation expertise supports cultivation, concealment, and combat 2 28 38 41.

• Repairs a formation inspected by Liu Qingcheng 2.
• Deploys Spirit Gathering Formations to collect the Cangyun Secret Realm’s dense Spiritual Qi 28.
• Protects his Nascent Soul breakthrough site with formations and a puppet lookout 38.
• Uses a combat formation resilient enough to restrain a Nascent Soul expert; an upper-grade spirit-tier artifact begins to threaten it because he has not reinforced it since his breakthrough 41.
• Places eighteen restrictions inside Ye Mitian as insurance against the bird refusing its promised reward 48.

Concealment, Movement, and Escape

He masters techniques specifically to avoid identification and survive stronger opponents 3.

• Claims that opponents would need to be several realms above him to catch him 3.
• Can disguise his presence so thoroughly that even close recognition becomes difficult 3.
• Is confident he can conceal himself from a cultivation-revealing mirror 36.
• Escapes two pursuing Nascent Soul cultivators while carrying the wounded Ye Mitian 48.

Puppet Refinement and Control

Lu Changsheng captures the Core Formation puppet used in the beast-tide assassination attempt, erases its original imprint, and refines it again to improve its power 17 27.

• Uses it to attack remotely while keeping his own position concealed 30 31.
• Suppresses Zhao Yang and attacks Su Muyue through it 31.
• Employs it as a guard during his Nascent Soul breakthrough 38.

Alchemy, Medicine, and Cultivation Guidance

His knowledge spans pill refining, talismans, swordsmanship, formations, and cultivation problems 4 8 9.

• Advises Zhou Qingyu on treating a cultivation injury while attributing the solution to a book 4.
• Identifies the mistake responsible for Ye Tianyi’s exploding pill furnaces, enabling a successful subsequent refinement 9.
• Has guided Zhou Qingyu’s cultivation step by step 11.
• Prepares Ning Yuxin’s pills and treatment regimen, helping her improve cultivation, physique, and Sword Dao together 25 38.
• Treats the injured Ye Qingchen and Ye Mitian 48.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Core Formation puppet — Captured from the beast-tide attacker and subsequently refined for remote combat and protection 17 27 38.
• Thousand Net Tower — The Thousand Net Sect’s damaged sect-guarding artifact, which he seals and seizes during the attack on Zhou Qingyu. Formerly high-tier spirit grade, it has deteriorated to low-tier spirit grade 17.
• Formation platform and flags — Portable components used to establish Spirit Gathering Formations 28.
• Spatial Law Artifact — Used to collect valuable Demon Beast corpses during the beast tide 15.
• Scarlet Spirit Grass — Recovered from Wang Ming’s belongings; sought as an ingredient for a pill intended to ease his Nascent Soul breakthrough pain 20 23.
• King-grade crimson furnace — Supplied by Ye Mitian, capable of holding living creatures and concealing the bird from its pursuers 49.

Relationships

• Qianjun — Nominal master and Qingyun Peak Master. Brought him to the sect as a child, then left him in Zhou Qingyu’s care before disappearing on a decade-long journey 10 14.
• Zhou Qingyu — Eldest senior brother and childhood caretaker. Lu Changsheng secretly guides his cultivation, treats his injuries, and gives him protective Sword Intent, while frequently attributing his own knowledge to Zhou Qingyu 4 8 10 11 31.
• Ye Tianyi — Second senior brother. Earnestly tries to correct his apparent laziness, supervises his cultivation, and arranges dangerous “tempering” opportunities without knowing his true strength 9 12. Lu Changsheng helps his alchemy and treats him after the secret-realm fighting 9 35.
• Luo Xianling — Junior sister with an openly expressed romantic interest in him. Gives him 10,000 Spirit Stones, insists that her father protect him, and secures his Dynasty War opportunity through her Divine Firmament Sect connections 14 44.
• Luo Tian — Sect master and Luo Xianling’s father. Resents his closeness to his daughter; Lu Changsheng also secretly uses him to test his combat strength 8 14 44.
• Ning Yuxin — Paying cultivation student, initially interested in connecting with Zhou Qingyu through swordsmanship. Purchases his sword-intent pill and later accepts a three-year training package 8 9 20.
• Cangyun Sect Patriarch — Protects him during the Divine Firmament Sect dispute, then tricks him into accepting an irreversible competition mark. Lu Changsheng subsequently visits him in black robes to “help” his stagnant cultivation through nighttime encounters 25 44 49.
• Su Muyue — Former secret-realm information contact whose relationship with him is ultimately transactional. Becomes an opponent in the Cangyun Secret Realm; he ransoms her for 50,000 Spirit Stones, and she later escapes their confrontation 5 31 33 35.
• Ye Qingchen — Divine Firmament Sect disciple whom he rescues and treats. Lu Changsheng appreciates his humility and hopes he can later look after his senior brother and junior sister 48 49.
• Ye Mitian / Xiaohei — Wounded black bird he saves in exchange for a promised reward. After imposing restrictions and obtaining an oath of secrecy, he shelters it from pursuers and renames it Xiaohei 48 49.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Cangyun City and the Beast Tide

Lu Changsheng handles the Ning Household’s visit while concealing his abilities behind his senior brother’s reputation. After Shi Feng provokes him, he has the city patrol administer a beating rather than fight personally. His subsequent investigation exposes hidden Profound Heaven Sect cultivators plotting against the Ning Household, and he secretly kills two of them 4 5 6 7.

During the beast tide, he takes a rear-guard position, monitors the battlefield with Divine Sense, and gathers Demon Beast corpses. When an attacker directs the Thousand Net Tower at Zhou Qingyu and Ye Tianyi, he seals the artifact and pursues the culprit. Discovering a puppet, he suspects an attempt to provoke conflict between Cangyun Sect and the Thousand Net Sect 15 17.

Ning Yuxin’s Training and the Sword Cave Incident

His paid instruction gives Ning Yuxin her own sword intent and later improves her body and cultivation. When Wang Ming attempts to murder him inside the Sword Cave, Lu Changsheng reveals eighth-layer Sword Dao, kills him, and recovers the herb needed for his breakthrough preparations 9 19 23 25.

He emerges acting like a frightened survivor, then turns the dispute into compensation negotiations. With Luo Xianling’s support, he obtains the demanded 30,000 Spirit Stones from Meng Lang 24 26 27.

Cangyun Secret Realm

Initially intending only to cultivate, Lu Changsheng encounters a mysterious landscape scroll after it knocks him down. Meanwhile, other entrants seek the lost Azure Cloud Map 27 28.

Shi Feng’s attempt to capture him exposes a plan to use him and Ye Tianyi against Zhou Qingyu. Lu Changsheng kills the group, intervenes through his puppet, and captures Zhao Yang and Su Muyue for ransom. During these events, Cangyun Sect publicly identifies him as the Nighttime Madman 30 31 33.

He later kills Xuan Cheng and Zhao Yang, while Su Muyue escapes with the azure moon. The survivors describe an unknown ninth-layer Core Formation powerhouse, leaving his true cultivation concealed 34 35.

Nascent Soul Breakthrough and Defense of Cangyun Sect

Funding from Ning Yuxin’s family helps him assemble nearly 330,000 Spirit Stones. He leaves the sect, forms his Nascent Soul, and survives heavenly tribulation before returning to find Cangyun Sect surrounded 38 39.

During the assault, he kills Zhao Jing, then intervenes against the hidden Nascent Soul attackers. After slaying the Divine Firmament Sect expert and Qianluo, he leaves the remaining battle to Luo Tian and destroys the Profound Heaven Sect and Thousand Net Sect. Their destruction makes Cangyun Sect the sole overlord of Cang Province; his combined loot exceeds 300,000 Spirit Stones in value 40 42.

Dynasty War Preparations and Xiaohei

The patriarch forces Lu Changsheng to accept a Dynasty War participation mark, falsely assuring him that powerful connections have already secured his admission to the Divine Firmament Sect. The actual arrangement, requested by Luo Xianling, provides an opportunity and protection rather than guaranteed selection 44.

While cultivating in the mountains, he encounters Ye Mitian and a Divine Firmament Sect party. He later rescues both the wounded bird and Ye Qingchen, conceals Ye Mitian in its furnace, and continues posing as an ordinary disciple as the competition journey begins 45 46 48 49 50.