Xu Fan

Biodata

Power Progression

Xu Fan cultivates the Land of Wu’s immortal path alongside the martial Dao of the Divine Continent of the Vast Land. Early observers frequently mistake his spells and Law Power for martial cultivation 13 28 37.

Background / History

Fishing Household and the Land of Wu

Xu Fan belonged to a lowborn fishing household on Peach Blossom Spring Lake. His registration barred him from entering the city, while the fish market’s exploitation left him little opportunity to obtain martial training. His parents died after the Canal Gang ordered fishermen into the dangerous deep waters following the appearance of Emperor Flow Serum 2 3 11.

The revival of the Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram allowed him to travel to the Land of Wu. At Shushui Peak, he obtained the Plain Luminary Supreme Yin Wondrous Instruction and used the Diagram to understand its writing. When True Person Qingsong mistook him for a member of the Supreme Yang Dao Lineage, Xu Fan played along rather than reveal his lack of cultivation 2.

He began cultivating beneath the moon after returning to his boat. Although Great Yin Spiritual Qi had disappeared from the Land of Wu, Peach Blossom Spring Lake still allowed him to gather Moonlight Yin Qi. Treasure fish became both cultivation resources and goods he could exchange for spells and supplies in the other world 3 6 8.

Escaping Lowborn Status

Xu Fan initially endured short-weighing and heavy deductions at the fish market to avoid exposing his strength. When Li Dahe and Li Eryu boarded his boat to seize a treasure fish, he killed them and concealed their bodies and boat in the lake 6 13.

After learning how household registration worked, he forced Chen Hai to increase the purchase price of prized fish and transfer Old Man Kong’s seized fields to him. The land allowed him to register as a farming household; he then offered Old Man Kong wages to cultivate it 14 19.

His improved circumstances drew fishermen who wanted him to accept their children as disciples, but he refused. Yudan became resentful and later guided Han Tianhao’s party toward him 21 23.

The Han Household Conflict

Jiang Yunhe attacked Xu Fan to devour his Qi and Blood through the Wedding Robe Divine Art. Xu Fan killed him before he could react and obtained the art’s records, a bone-shrinking disguise method, and a jade bottle containing a glowing golden fruit 20.

After killing Han Tianhao and several companions who confronted him on the lake, Xu Fan became a target of the Han Household. The family falsely branded him a Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator, using the accusation and an Emperor Flow Serum reward to attract stronger pursuers 24 27.

Mu Yunyang tracked him with help from a Great Grandmaster who could follow his lingering “spirit.” Xu Fan killed Mu Yunyang’s cousin and escaped underwater. Later, he overcame further pursuers, killed Mu Yunyang and Yuan Er, and erased the evidence. Investigators attributed Mu Fangjin’s death to a possible Celestial Person Divine Weapon 28 33 36.

Xu Fan subsequently wiped out the Han Household and established himself on the lake’s central island, using more than a dozen water bandits to catch fish and gather information. Han Tianling challenged him in revenge, but Xu Fan overwhelmed his Divine Intention and killed him with Yin Sha Mysterious Light 37 38.

Mystic Yang Sect and Black Sea City

Following Han Tianling’s defeat, several major factions sought to recruit Xu Fan. He accepted Yang Haitian’s reconciliation gifts and joined the Mystic Yang Sect as an honorary elder, seeing its support as useful for trading resources between worlds 39 40 41 47.

His eleventh-place Hidden Dragon Ranking provoked challenges from cultivators who doubted his qualifications. He defeated Chen Cuo despite possessing only Innate Major Accomplishment martial cultivation at the time 46 49 50.

In the Land of Wu, Xu Fan operated a shop and gained the Du Household’s interest through the Minor Restoration Pill and Divine Intent Pill. His friendship with Du Qingluo developed alongside growing hostility from the Fang Household. He killed Luo Quan despite Fang Mingyuan’s intervention, then later killed Fang Mingyuan during the approach to Rosy Clouds Island 43 52 54 60.

He pursued the island’s Water-Fire Primordial Spirit despite warnings about the danger. After fighting True Person disciples and dying again, he retained the spiritual object and obtained Buddhist cultivation records and an Arhat sarira that became the basis of new martial techniques 59 62 63 70.

Saber-Nurturing Valley and the Chen Household

Seeking a Great Reversion Pill, secret-realm resources, and a larger collection of martial arts, Xu Fan traveled to Saber-Nurturing Valley. He reached the Fallen Star Pagoda’s twelfth floor, learned the Saber-Nurturing Technique, and exchanged blows with a phantom of the first-generation Weapon Lord. He became the eleventh person in ten thousand years to reach that floor 72 73 75 76 78 79.

The Huang Lineage accepted him as a Reserve True Disciple. After forcing the newly advanced Primal Core cultivator Chen Cuo onto the defensive with one punch, Xu Fan announced that he would challenge fifth True Disciple Lu Shaotian in one month 78 80.

While publicly entering seclusion, he returned to the Land of Wu as Liang Shanbo, posing as a True Fire-path cultivator. The Foundation Establishment Chen Household recruited him as a clansman with a different surname, placing him near a conflict between Nanyue and Linhai commanderies and a treasured land from High Antiquity 82 83.

Appearance

• True appearance: A delicate-featured young man, later described as exceptionally handsome 33 80.
• Build: Eight chi tall, with a well-proportioned rather than heavily muscular physique after months of eating treasure fish 25.
• Early clothing: Plain clothes and a straw rain cape suited to fishing; his lowborn status prohibited fine cloth 7.
• Later attire: Silver-white robes during his public duel with Chen Cuo 49.
• Wu Song disguise: A robust, ordinary-looking man in his prime, with a distinctly different face and build 25.

Personality

Xu Fan is cautious about revealing his abilities and prefers preparation over public confrontation. He tolerates market exploitation while weak, studies unfamiliar power structures, checks for pursuit, and maintains alternative cultivation plans rather than relying on a single rare resource 6 13 14 29 30.

His restraint does not extend to enemies who threaten him. He favors preemptive action, disguises, surprise attacks, and thorough disposal of evidence. He rejects the idea that a powerful family’s status should prevent him from killing someone who has tried to kill him 14 25 36.

He is openly proud of his talent and often expresses that confidence through humorous self-praise. Nevertheless, he evaluates opportunities pragmatically: immortal cultivation remains his primary pursuit, and he refuses purposeless fights or a predetermined inherited path merely for prestige 3 37 64 76 79.

His alliances are practical rather than indiscriminate. He rewards Old Man Kong with paid work and offers Yu Qing protection in exchange for intelligence, but refuses pressure to take disciples 19 21 69.

Abilities & Skills

Taiji Dao Evolution Diagram

The Diagram underpins Xu Fan’s travel, learning, and creation of cultivation methods 2 37 75.

• World travel: Allows him to move between the Divine Continent of the Vast Land and the Land of Wu 2.
• Recording and comprehension: Records texts, makes unfamiliar writing understandable, and greatly simplifies learning recorded techniques 2 13 75.
• Deduction and fusion: Combines existing arts into new methods, including the Great Sun True Yang Art, Great Sun Golden Body, and Great Sun True Yang Fist 37 70.
• Concealment: Prevents others from divining his true details 25.
• Charging requirements: Absorbs moonlight and spiritual resources, including treasure fish and exotic beasts 5 6 24.

Survival Across Worlds

Death in the Land of Wu does not permanently end Xu Fan’s life. He uses self-destruction when trapped and later treats death as an opportunity to abandon an exposed identity 25 32 63 83.

• Self-destructs rather than submit to Sword Sect cultivators 32.
• Survives another death during the Rosy Clouds Island conflict 63.
• Still avoids careless deaths and worries that attempting Foundation Establishment might damage his six wheels in ways his return cannot repair 30 61 63.

Supreme Yin Cultivation and Perception

The Plain Luminary Supreme Yin Wondrous Instruction is a fifth-grade Great Yin method capable of reaching Purple Mansion consummation 3.

• Uses Law Power to enhance vision, locate fish, and propel his boat; crude direct applications consume substantial energy early on 3 24.
• Gains Spiritual Sense with the Jade Capital Wheel and Divine Sense upon reaching Qi Refinement 28 34.
• Uses the Spirit Eye Technique to inspect cultivation levels and see through ordinary formations 29.
• Possesses unusually strong spiritual perception: his Divine Sense supports combat well beyond what his visible martial realm suggests 37 60.

Combat Spells and Concealment

• Golden Light Technique: Produces golden attacks and can take the forms of sabers, spears, swords, and halberds 12 20.
• Divine Movement Technique: Enables rapid repositioning and can accelerate his boat 20 23 34.
• Yin Sha Mysterious Light: A Great Yin offensive technique used to kill Han Tianling 33 38.
• Spiritual Radiance Essence Erosion: Silently weakens targets; when powered by True Essence, approaches the effectiveness of a Foundation Establishment spell 62 76.
• Dark and Bright Moon-Hiding Technique: Simulates and conceals his cultivation, helping him pass as a different Dao lineage 37.
• Dark Moon Hidden Shadow: Used to evade attacks, close distance, and disappear after striking 60 80.

Great Sun Martial Arts

Xu Fan derives and cultivates the Great Sun True Yang Art to complement his immortal cultivation and imitate the imagery of the Great Sun Dao Lineage 37.

• Great Sun True Yang Art: A peerless martial art capable of reaching Primal Core 37.
• Great Sun True Yang Fist: Derived by combining Arhat Fist, True Yang Fist, and the Great Sun Golden Body 70.
• Supreme Yin and Supreme Yang True Intentions: Both are recognized as part of his abilities 71.
• Cross-realm combat: His Divine Intention reaches Primal Core strength while he remains a Third Revolution Great Grandmaster; he later forces Primal Core Chen Cuo to defend against a single punch 76 80.

Great Sun Golden Body

A peerless body-tempering art derived from the Arhat Golden Body Secret Method and Great Sun True Yang Art 70.

• Requires a golden body sarira as its initial catalyst 70.
• Its completed nine refinements and transformations promise the strength of nine dragons and nine elephants and a body capable of confronting Divine Abilities 70.
• Can reach only the third refinement at Divine Intention, the sixth at Primal Core, and the ninth at Land Immortal; these are future limits, not achievements Xu Fan has already attained 84.

Disguise and Saber Nurturing

• Bone-shrinking disguise method: Alters bones and muscles rather than merely creating an illusion. It does not conceal the lingering “spirit” that a Great Grandmaster can track 25 28.
• Saber-Nurturing Technique: Condenses a formless divine saber in his Dantian and feeds it essence, Qi, and spirit, gradually increasing its killing power 75.
• Saber-Nurturing limitation: The valley regards it as a mutually destructive killing move and forbids its use in internal contests unless the participants are mortal enemies 81.

Alchemy

• Supplies the Minor Restoration Pill and Divine Intent Pill, products that earn the Du Household’s attention and establish his value as an alchemist 43.
• Operates a shop in Black Sea City under his Wu Song identity 46 52.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Storage Bags — Purchases an initial one-cubic-meter bag, later upgrades to a ten-cubic-meter bag, and takes additional bags from defeated enemies 29 53 54 60.
• Mystic Fire Ring — His notable Law Artifact; he otherwise relies mainly on techniques and fists rather than weapons 79.
• Golden Sword Talisman — Carries the equivalent of an early Qi Refinement cultivator’s full-force attack 29 30 33.
• Foundation Establishment talisman — Given to him by Du Qingluo before the Rosy Clouds Island expedition 59.
• Blazing Flame True Fire Talisman — Uses a fire-serpent attack against Fang Mingyuan 60.
• Water-Fire Primordial Spirit — Secures it on Rosy Clouds Island and retains it while considering Foundation Establishment 63.
• Arhat Golden Body sarira — Obtained from a Buddhist cultivator’s spoils and consumed as the catalyst for the Great Sun Golden Body 63 70.
• Black-awning boat — His early home, fishing vessel, and mobile cultivation site; destroyed when the Three Heroes of the Yin Mountains surround him 3 33.

Relationships

• Parents — His parents in the martial world died during the Canal Gang’s forced exploration of Peach Blossom Spring Lake’s deep waters 3 11.
• Old Man Kong — A trusted local acquaintance who explains household registration and the Han Household’s danger. Xu Fan employs him to cultivate the recovered fields 14 19 22.
• Yang Haitian — Mystic Yang Sect supreme elder and practical ally. Reconciles the sect’s dispute with Xu Fan, recruits him, and supports his plans despite their risks 40 41 52 72.
• Du Qingluo — Friend and supporter in the Land of Wu. Warns him about the Fang and Li households, offers to accompany him, and gives him a protective talisman 46 59.
• Bai Lianxin — Offers information about the Great Reversion Pill and invests in his potential with a Seven-Colored White Jade Lotus Seed 51 52.
• Yu Qing — Initially tries to recruit him into the Jade Maiden Society. Later agrees to gather intelligence in exchange for protection from Xu Fan and the Mystic Yang Sect 40 69.
• Ye Chengjing — Recognizes him as Wu Song and accompanies him to see Yu Qing at the Thousand Fragrances Pavilion 65 69.
• Huang Tianfu and Tie Shan — Qin State officials who assess his unusual abilities and seek to recruit him; Tie Shan offers to petition for him to become Lingnan Circuit’s Pacification Commissioner 38 39.
• Chen Cuo — Repeated opponent. Loses their first duel despite Xu Fan’s lower martial realm, then finds himself outmatched after advancing to Primal Core 50 79 80.
• Su Ya and Su Qiang — Travel companions connected to Saber-Nurturing Valley’s Earth Lineage. Su Ya befriends him before realizing he is the ranked Xu Fan 73 74 79.
• Lu Yuanling — Outer sect disciple assigned to attend to his daily needs in Saber-Nurturing Valley 80.
• Lu Shaotian — Fifth True Disciple whom Xu Fan intends to challenge; Chen Cuo estimates Xu Fan’s chance of victory at eighty percent 80 81.

Notable Quotes

“That third young master of yours tried to kill me, so I killed him instead.” 25

“Grandpa Xu has countless lives to play with you. Let’s see if you can afford to play.” 29

“Lord Xu’s main pursuit is immortal cultivation, all right?” 64

Trivia

• Huang Tianfu’s World-Governing Qi Observation Method detects no fortune around Xu Fan. The Three Lives Pavilion likewise cannot see his future, but interprets that absence as evidence he will die before maturing 49 71.
• His suspected Celestial Person inheritance and possible Weapon Lord status are explanations proposed by other characters, not confirmed descriptions of his actual source of power 35 36 38 81.
• He is interested in using Celestial Person Divine Weapons but does not want to inherit the Dao within them, regarding even sentient divine weapons as external tools 64 79.