Chen Fan

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Scavenger and Awakening

Chen Fan initially survives near the disadvantaged rear of a convoy, riding a little yellow bicycle while motorists claim the best scavenging locations. By the time he awakens, he has already spent months struggling through the apocalypse 1 3.

While searching a funeral supply shop for food, he encounters Sister Liangzi, who demands his cured pork and attempts to sexually coerce him. He first bargains and pretends to flirt to secure an escape, then attacks with a wrench and watermelon knife when she refuses to let him leave. Her counterattack throws him into monster remains, triggering his awakening 2.

Taking Command

Chen Fan creates the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and Endless Black Coffin, turning enemies’ souls and bodies into separate resources. After killing Liangzi, Lao Mo, and Old Zhao, he returns to the convoy and declares himself captain. He kills the former captain’s lover when she calls for revenge, appoints Yan Kuan as his deputy, and exchanges his SUV for Sun Hong’s bus 3 4 5 6.

His takeover exposes a dangerous gap in his knowledge: he does not know how the convoy chooses safe routes. Yan Kuan introduces him to Qian Lei, the secluded delivery rider whose intuition guides the group. Chen Fan retains him as guide and subsequently discovers that Old Zhao’s captured soul can still use Snake Hand to detect nearby danger 7 8.

Rebuilding the Mortal Convoy

A giant-insect attack in the fog nearly overwhelms Chen Fan’s defenses. He creates the Spirit Refining Sword during the battle, joins forces with Li Yuanyuan, and escapes with his companions. Li Yuanyuan then accepts his invitation to join the convoy 9 10 11.

Chen Fan initially rejects an invitation to join Nie Shufeng’s larger convoy because he refuses to become a subordinate. The groups instead agree to cooperate while retaining their own leadership. During their formal introductions, Chen Fan realizes that he has not yet renamed Lao Mo’s Fierce Fish Convoy; his group is subsequently identified as the Mortal Convoy 13 16 20.

After killing the Butcher Convoy’s captain, Chen Fan accepts its survivors on the condition that they surrender ten percent of their supplies. He claims an RV, keeps Rongrong as its driver, and assigns vehicles to his core members. In the later battle against Killer Jisen, he dismembers the anomaly and seals its remains in five coffins for refinement, compensating the Fairness Convoy for retaining the corpse 20 22 23.

Founding the Dawn Alliance

Following the defeat of the Gentleman Convoy’s leaders, Chen Fan and Nie Shufeng compete to recruit its survivors. They name their partnership the Dawn Alliance, while continuing to argue over which convoy will become its strongest member 28.

Chen Fan recruits the lone monk Huishi and leads scavenging operations in Nanwushan Village. During the village expedition, his souls search buildings and gather supplies, while his sword dispatches monsters. He later intervenes when Li Yuanyuan returns pursued by several monsters, killing the five still alive 29 30 31 32.

Huishi and the Alliance’s Expansion

After Wang Bing disappears, Huishi admits taking her and attacks the alliance. Chen Fan identifies a weakness in his control of thirty-three prayer beads: forcing Huishi to defend himself disrupts his precision. The group exploits the opening, and Chen Fan finishes him with the newly refined Annihilation Death Nail, destroying his body and soul 36 38.

Chen Fan later trades purified water, food, and supplies with Han Tai’s Red Yellow Green Convoy. He supports Han Tai’s admission into the Dawn Alliance after the convoy splits over a plan to seek dangerous battles for rapid growth 42 44.

When the alliance passes a colossal monster in the fog, Chen Fan relays orders to remain quiet and keep moving. Afterward, he investigates Zhao Xing’s collapse, recognizes signs of a possible awakening, and administers purified water. Once Zhao Xing awakens Flash Spear, Chen Fan encourages him to explore its applications rather than dismiss it as ordinary 48 49 50.

Appearance

Chen Fan has a handsome face that becomes much more apparent once he can wash regularly. After his second-tier breakthrough, the outlines of his muscles also become more distinct 23 24.

• Early condition: Greasy, unkempt hair, a filthy face, and a sour smell from prolonged survival without adequate washing 6 18.
• Clean appearance: Fresh hair and fair, smooth skin after bathing in his RV 23.
• Immortal-style clothing: A flowing white Dust-Avoiding Dharma Robe with elegant gold-thread patterns and a faint treasured radiance 34.

Personality

Chen Fan is resourceful, guarded, and willing to bluff when outmatched. He conceals his intentions from Liangzi, improvises with objects around him, and warns Qian Lei against revealing too much about his ability. Despite his confidence, he recognizes the importance of intelligence and support powers when combat strength alone cannot guarantee survival 2 3 7 17.

He is ruthless toward perceived threats. His takeover includes killing a woman who calls for revenge against him, and he readily turns defeated enemies into ghosts, jiangshi, crafting materials, or strengthening pearls. At the same time, he recruits survivors, compensates allies for shared spoils, and reassures useful subordinates that he will continue providing for them 4 6 20 23 25.

Proud of his independence, Chen Fan resents being treated as a prospective subordinate and competes openly with Nie Shufeng for recruits and prestige. He also enjoys an immortal-like image: he commissions white robes and stages an elaborate aerial display before survivors. He later finds the performance embarrassing and wonders whether showing off might be his ability’s price—an unconfirmed suspicion rather than an established drawback 13 25 28 29.

His caution extends to resource allocation. He repeatedly favors offensive upgrades because of his admitted fear of insufficient firepower, but he also develops water storage, transport, concealment, and danger-detection tools. In trade, he insists on clear accounts even with friendly acquaintances 7 24 42 44.

Abilities & Skills

Immortal Master of the Artifact Dao

Chen Fan’s supernatural ability manifests as the Artifact Refining Furnace, which converts suitable materials into Origin Artifact Materials and refines objects into artifacts 3.

• Material conversion: A severed second-tier monster head and claw each yield 100 points; a whole first-tier zombie yields 100 points; a giant insect yields 10 points 3 5 10.
• Artifact creation: His early low-grade artifacts cost 100 points each. Documented upgrades from low-grade to mid-grade cost 1,000 points 3 4 24 38.
• Compatible bases: An object’s original form influences its resulting abilities, such as a funeral banner becoming a soul-controlling artifact 7.
• Re-refinement: Existing artifacts can be combined with other materials, as demonstrated by the Nightmare Battle Cloud’s transformation into the Yin-Yang Twin Mirrors 43 44.
• Exclusive dependence: His artifacts depend on his supernatural ability. He cannot make them masterless or transfer them for others to use independently 17.
• Soul requirements: At first tier, he can sustain only five artifacts besides the furnace and cannot wield mid-grade artifacts. At second tier, he senses a ten-artifact limit 13 18 44.
• Energy consumption: Repeated ability use drains mental energy and can leave him severely exhausted 5.

Soul and Corpse Control

Through the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and Endless Black Coffin, Chen Fan controls souls and processes bodies separately 4.

• Soul extraction: The banner’s yin energy tears souls from bodies and stores them as controllable yin souls. Stronger souls can resist longer than ordinary human souls 4.
• Preserved abilities: Captured transcendent souls retain their supernatural powers; Old Zhao’s Snake Hand supplies a secondary means of detecting danger 8.
• Scouting and labor: Souls can pass through walls, search buildings, carry sufficiently light objects, and serve as concealed sentries 15 23 30.
• Area containment: The banner can spread yin energy into a ghost domain to surround a convoy 20.
• Jiangshi creation: The coffin transforms corpses into Iron-Armored Jiangshi. The ordinary young man’s conversion requires twelve hours, while first-tier corpses require two hours 4 5.
• Sealing: Separate coffins can isolate body parts, preventing an enemy such as Jisen from immediately reassembling 22.
• Collection limit: Shadow Weirds disappear after death, leaving no soul for the banner to capture 15.

Pearl-Based Strengthening

Chen Fan converts collected souls and flesh into consumable resources that strengthen himself or his servants 5.

• Soul Pearls: Restore mental energy and gradually strengthen the soul. He absorbs them through his forehead 5 24.
• Blood Pearls: Restore physical vitality and gradually strengthen the body when swallowed 5 13.
• Controlled digestion: Excess pearls remain stored until earlier ones finish releasing their energy. Releasing all the energy from twenty Soul Pearls at once would overwhelm his second-tier soul 24.
• Servant enhancement: Soul Pearls and Blood Pearls can also strengthen ghosts and jiangshi 5.

Swordsmanship

The Spirit Refining Sword grants Chen Fan immediate mastery of mortal sword techniques and develops further through use 10.

• Close combat: His precise, intricate swordplay surprises Zheng Alin, who had assumed he primarily fought at range 22.
• Sword Control Technique: The sword’s mid-grade upgrade unlocks remote attacks and sword-riding flight 24.
• Cutting power: He severs Jisen’s limbs before upgrading the sword and later bisects a first-tier monster with its mid-grade form 22 31.

Telekinesis

Chen Fan awakens telekinesis with his second-tier breakthrough 24.

• Object manipulation: Initially moves small objects such as tissues and drinking glasses or opens drawers 24.
• Voice projection: Vibrates the air to create a resonant voice without opening his mouth 25.
• Flight: Later lifts himself into the air and enters Zhao Xing’s van while both vehicles are moving 49.
• Sensing: Detects unusual energy fluctuations from Zhao Xing while extending his telekinesis over the area 49.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Artifact Refining Furnace — A small, engraved bronze furnace with three handles and four legs, born with his ability. It is a refining tool rather than a reliable weapon; Liangzi knocks it away with one blow 3.
• Ten Thousand Souls Banner — A black, patterned banner refined from a white funeral banner. Stores and commands yin souls; can shrink into a small flag 3 4.
• Endless Black Coffin — Refined from a nanmu coffin. Manifests coffins around targets, stores corpses, creates Iron-Armored Jiangshi, and refines flesh into Blood Pearls 4 5.
• Spirit Refining Sword — Originally his watermelon knife; becomes an eight-sided Han sword with a dark-brown scabbard, gold fittings, and faint cloud patterns on the blade. Later upgraded to mid-grade 10 24.
• Golden Light Glazed Shield — A low-grade defensive artifact refined from a drinking glass. Resembles a translucent, faceted bell or inverted cup surrounded by golden light 17 18.
• Nightmare Battle Cloud — Former low-grade artifact refined from a Nightmare Remnant Soul. Provides flight, protection, concealment from outside observation, and nightmare attacks. Its original lethal curse requires seven accumulated nightmare invasions; it is later incorporated into the Yin-Yang Twin Mirrors 17 18 43 44.
• Water Purification Bottle — A low-grade white porcelain bottle refined from bottled mineral water. Can hold a small lake’s worth of water; its purified water eases injuries and fatigue, restores health, and removes grime 24 40 42.
• Storage Bag — A low-grade artifact refined from a woven sack. Contains 500 cubic meters of space in which time has no effect on stored objects 24.
• Dust-Avoiding Dharma Robe — A low-grade white-and-gold robe refined from clothing made by convoy members. Maintaining it consumes mental energy, so Chen Fan does not initially keep it active constantly 29 34.
• Annihilation Death Nail — A rusty nail refined and immediately upgraded to mid-grade during the Huishi battle. Its death qi destroys both flesh and soul 38.
• Yin-Yang Twin Mirrors — Re-refined using the Nightmare Battle Cloud, a makeup mirror, a television, and a fire bead 43 44.
  • Pierce illusions and allow observation of distant locations 44.
  • Fire a pure-yang ray capable of melting metal and rock, with particular effectiveness against yin entities and evil spirits 44.
  • Retain the Nightmare Battle Cloud’s functions with stronger defense and the ability to devour mental attacks 44.
  • Allow direct manipulation of an afflicted target’s nightmare and potentially curse them to death, depending on relative strength 44.
  • Reveal clues to approaching danger through Chen Fan’s own nightmares 44.

Relationships

• Yan Kuan — Deputy and administrative assistant. Chen Fan recruits him for his familiarity with the former leadership and the convoy’s management 6 11.
• Qian Lei — Convoy guide and early transcendent teammate. Chen Fan relies on his route intuition, cautions him against oversharing ability details, and sometimes provides supplies without waiting for him to ask 7 17 29.
• Sun Hong — Driver and later mobile-workshop organizer. Chen Fan retains him after replacing the supply van’s storage function with the Storage Bag 6 20 25.
• Rongrong — Driver of Chen Fan’s RV; also delivers his washed clothing 20 23.
• Li Yuanyuan — Combat teammate recruited after the insect-fog escape. She insists on challenging him to spar, while reassuring him that he will remain her captain even when traveling with a larger convoy 10 11 13 32.
• Nie Shufeng — Captain of the Fairness Convoy, fellow founder of the Dawn Alliance, and friendly rival for recruits, supplies, and standing within the alliance 16 28 32.
• Zheng Alin — Allied swordswoman and trading partner. Her request for a defensive artifact reveals that Chen Fan cannot transfer his artifacts; he later supplies purified water to ease injuries caused by her swords 16 17 40.
• Han Tai — Trading partner and later allied convoy captain. Chen Fan supports his admission to the Dawn Alliance after the Red Yellow Green Convoy splits 42 44.
• Huishi — Recruited convoy member who becomes an enemy after taking Wang Bing. Chen Fan kills him during the alliance’s group battle 29 36 38.
• Zhao Xing — Survivor whose suspected awakening Chen Fan investigates. After Flash Spear manifests, Chen Fan encourages him to experiment with its potential 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“I've taken care of all the extraordinary people in the convoy. I'm the only extraordinary person left in it now. From this moment on, I call the shots for the entire convoy. That's all I have to say. Who agrees, and who objects?” 6

“Even brothers keep clear accounts. Haven't you heard that?” 42

“There are no ordinary supernatural abilities, only ordinary people. Try it out in more ways when you get back. Perhaps your ability has something special about it that you haven't discovered.” 50