Tang Tianshu

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Childhood in the Tang Household

Tang Tianshu grew up in Dangwu Village as the youngest of six siblings. He helped distribute giant-crayfish meat by leading his brothers through the village with a bronze gong. At five, he was delighted when the white lynx Tang Qilang became the family’s younger godbrother, giving Tianshu someone to call him elder brother 52 53 66.

Although he initially declined cultivation, he later accepted an Aperture-Opening Pill. He also devised the family’s attempt to “hatch” fossilized dragon eggs. Unknown to the brothers, Hou Fei used their handling of the eggs to increase the fossils’ vitality 76 86 107.

When Tang Tiansong died, Hou Fei sensed the return of his half earth soul and shared its memories with Tianshu. Tianshu brought the news to the household in tears 100 101.

Abduction by Li Ruihai

In early 4043, Tianshu disappeared after entering Three Graves Mountain to find a special rainflower stone for his nephew, Tang Wenxuan. The wandering martial artist Li Ruihai abducted him and eventually took him to Worry-Free Mountain on the Northern Heaven Nether Cold Continent 107.

Li Ruihai implanted a gu curse intended to erase his memories, but Hou Fei’s claim on part of Tianshu’s soul prevented that effect. Tianshu secretly poisoned his captor with lead from a wine flask and encouraged him to steal a treasure from the Diancang Sect. The attempt left Li Ruihai mortally wounded 107.

Before dying, Li Ruihai demanded revenge and six years of grave-watching, after which Tianshu was to cremate him and retrieve a brocade handkerchief. Suspecting a body-possession scheme, Tianshu exhumed and cremated him after only seven days. He nevertheless performed the cremation to repay the limited kindness his master had shown him and settle their karmic debt 108.

Life in the Diancang Sect

Seeking an immortal-cultivation treasure—and ultimately a way to remove his gu worm—Tianshu approached the Diancang Sect. Its disciples rejected his poor aptitude, but he secured admission by offering Sun Ruoya a century-old True Gathering Pill 109 110.

Assigned to the back-mountain herb garden, he supported himself through pill refining. Li Ruihai’s indestructible handkerchief proved to bear the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, which allowed him to increase herbs’ medicinal age. Sun Ruoya’s Sect Leader’s Scripture Token also opened the scripture repository to him 111 112 113.

Tianshu concealed his rapidly improving martial cultivation. During an escort mission, Shen Wenjing demanded one of his supposed Youran Pills; Tianshu killed him with a punch, took the Cold Spirit Blade, and disguised the killing. The sect blamed the Iron Sword Sect and cleared Tianshu of suspicion 113 114.

After his cultivation stalled, he prepared to leave in search of immortal cultivators. An attack on the sect instead brought a black-robed cultivator directly to him. Tianshu killed the man, obtained his belongings, and used the recovered manuals to begin systematic immortal cultivation 115 116 117 127.

Blood Yin Sect

At a cultivators’ marketplace, Tianshu repeatedly sought a sect willing to accept him and remove his gu worm. His age and weak cultivation drew rejection until he paid two Spirit Stones to join the Blood Yin Sect 117.

His Heavenly Yang Physique made him valuable to Left Protector Mu Ping’er as a future cultivation furnace. She supplied him with four or five times the pills other disciples received, provoking resentment. Tianshu feared that reaching the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment requirement for dual cultivation would instead leave him a dried corpse 119 122.

Trying to escape a compulsory secret-realm expedition, he negotiated with the imprisoned Kun Origin Sect holy maiden Su Liyue. He obtained her Profound Spirit Pearl, freed her, and learned the mnemonic for the Profound Fire Token—then returned with Blood Yin Sect disciples and betrayed her. After Mu Ping’er struck Su Liyue down, Tianshu secretly treated her and kept her alive as potential leverage with the Kun Origin Sect 121 122.

Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm

His contribution did not exempt him from the expedition. Mu Ping’er supplied pills and three Invisibility Talisman Treasures, while Tianshu resolved to gather resources and accelerate his plans to leave the sect. He refused both Wang Shan’s exploitative team offer and Gu Linglong’s more generous invitation, entering alone 123.

He initially searched overlooked areas rather than rushing toward the center. After becoming entangled in the conflict involving Chen Hongling, Zhou An, and Su Li, he avoided further confrontation and continued onward 124 125 126.

Following distress signals from fellow disciples, Tianshu discovered the aftermath of Kui San’s massacre. He rescued Gu Linglong and the brothers Liu Wen and Liu Wu, treated their injuries, and accepted Gu Linglong’s promise of a Foundation Establishment Pill in exchange for tracking Kui San. He pursued the trail using two puppets and concealed himself when his formation detected approaching cultivators 126 127.

Appearance

Tianshu is described as exceptionally handsome, “like a jade tree swaying in the wind,” a quality that helps secure Mu Ping’er’s favor 119.

• Stealth clothing: Wears black night clothes while searching the Diancang Sect after dark 115.
• Concealed treasure: Sewed a woman’s bellyband to carry the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation close to his body 113.

Personality

Tianshu combines caution, deception, and practical ambition. He conceals his cultivation, stages Shen Wenjing’s death as an outside attack, and repeatedly seeks alternatives to dangerous assignments. In the Blood Yin Sect, he openly invokes his furnace status when it offers protection, valuing survival over dignity 113 114 119.

His loyalties are not straightforward. He betrays Su Liyue after gaining her trust, yet preserves her life both as future leverage and to avoid an irreconcilable feud with the Kun Origin Sect. He recognizes that neither remaining in the Blood Yin Sect nor fleeing without sufficient strength guarantees safety 121 122.

He also retains a sense of obligation. Despite hating Li Ruihai, he returns to cremate him because his father taught him that actions carry karmic consequences. His treatment of fellow disciples similarly mixes sharp-tongued bargaining with genuine assistance, particularly toward Liu Wen and Liu Wu 108 127.

Abilities & Skills

Nine Bends Yellow River Formation

The formation associated with Li Ruihai’s brocade handkerchief is central to Tianshu’s cultivation and survival 111 113.

• Herb maturation: Increases the medicinal age of herbs, supplying century-old ingredients for pill refining 112 113.
• True Qi storage: Temporarily stores his True Qi, allowing him to conceal his actual martial realm and retrieve the energy at will 113.
• Detection: Alerts him to approaching cultivators during the secret-realm expedition 127.
• Limitation: Cannot increase the medicinal age of most spirit herbs he tests, restricting its usefulness after he enters immortal cultivation 118.

Alchemy

Tianshu earns his living through pill refining at the Diancang Sect and uses accelerated herb growth to support his advancement 111 112.

• Refines century-old True Gathering Pills and True Restoration Pills 112.
• Claims to have invented the Youran Pill, using it to strengthen Sun Ruoya and maintain his position within the sect 113.
• Uses medicinal liquids and poison to strengthen his puppets’ bodies 127.

Martial Arts and Body Refinement

His martial training includes close combat and body refinement, supported by pills and scripture-repository study 112 116.

• Close-range attacks: Kills Shen Wenjing with a single punch 114.
• Temporary amplification: Taking many Qi Recovery Pills in a short period multiplies his True Qi, pushing his strength and speed beyond a peak Qi Warrior’s 116.
• Physical tolerance: Body Refining Art prevents him from exploding under that pill-induced surge 116.
• Aftereffects: After roughly half an incense stick, the surge causes severe bodily pain and may make him faint 116.

Concealment and Infiltration

Tianshu deliberately trains skills that help him avoid attention and enter restricted places 113 115.

• Concealment Art: Masks his cultivation in conjunction with the formation’s True Qi storage 113.
• Bone-Shrinking Art, Disguise Technique, and Phantom Steps: Used during his nighttime search for the Diancang Sect’s treasure 115.
• Invisibility Law Instruction: Can improve the concealment provided by his Invisibility Talisman Treasures 123.

Heavenly Yang Physique

His Heavenly Yang Physique is a top-grade furnace physique rather than evidence of strong cultivation aptitude 119.

• Makes him valuable to Mu Ping’er despite his Mediocre Spirit Root 119.
• Requires him to reach Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment before serving as her dual-cultivation furnace 119.

Puppet Control

Tianshu controls two puppets through the soul-summoning bell taken from the black-robed cultivator 127.

• Sends them ahead to scout and clear his path.
• Observes approaching cultivators through their eyes.
• Strengthens their bodies to an iron-hide, bronze-bone condition resistant to ordinary swords and spears.
• Cannot yet refine new puppets himself 127.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Golden-yellow brocade handkerchief — Retrieved from Li Ruihai’s grave; survives cremation, tearing, and refined-iron blades. Bears the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation 108 111 113.
• Cold Spirit Blade — Taken after killing Shen Wenjing; cuts through iron and ordinary martial weapons, though Tianshu initially finds no further special qualities 114.
• Low-grade spirit sword — His sword during the Spirit Sunflower Secret Realm expedition 125.
• Soul-summoning bell — Obtained from the black-robed cultivator and used to command two puppets 127.
• Profound Spirit Pearl — Supplied by Su Liyue and fused into his Primordial Spirit, creating a protective shield. He verifies its protection against a Blood-Devouring Worm; removal of Li Ruihai’s original gu worm is not confirmed 121.
• Three Invisibility Talisman Treasures — Gifts from Mu Ping’er. While he remains motionless, they conceal him from Foundation Establishment cultivators’ Divine Sense and Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts for thirty-six hours 123.
• Sun Ruoya’s keepsake pouch — Contains her hair, natal jade pendant, and a small jade plaque. A jade pendant later reveals a map to a cultivators’ marketplace 115 117.

Relationships

• Tang Yuan — Father. His teachings about karma influence Tianshu’s decision to cremate Li Ruihai; he trusts Tianshu’s cleverness to help him survive his abduction 107 108.
• Miao — Mother. Tianshu remains with her when his older siblings leave to retrieve Tang Tiansong’s body 65 101.
• Tang Tiansong — Eldest brother. Helped save him from the demon-rat threat; Tianshu later brings the family news of his death 65 100.
• Tang Tianlan, Tang Tianzi, Tang Tiandong, and Tang Tianya — Older siblings. Tiandong reports his disappearance to their father, while Tianlan later plans to search the Nether Cold Continent with Qin Miao 107 118.
• Qin Miao / Tang Miao — Raised as his cousin. Spends ten years searching for him without finding news of his whereabouts 118.
• Tang Qilang — Adoptive younger godbrother. His introduction delights the five-year-old Tianshu 66.
• Hou Fei — Grants him an Aperture-Opening Pill in exchange for half a soul and one spirit; later informs him of Tang Tiansong’s death 101 107.
• Li Ruihai — Abductor and martial master. Implants his gu curse; Tianshu secretly poisons him and undermines his survival 107 108.
• Sun Ruoya — Diancang Sect patron and romantic attachment. Helps him access sect resources, gives him personal keepsakes, and promises to await his return 109 111 115.
• Mu Ping’er — Blood Yin Sect Left Protector and patron. Supports him as her prospective cultivation furnace but cannot exempt him from Qian Zekun’s expedition order 119 122 123.
• Su Liyue — Temporary ally whom he betrays. He subsequently preserves her life and promises to free her after reaching Foundation Establishment 121 122.
• Gu Linglong — Fellow disciple whom he rescues; offers a Foundation Establishment Pill for his help tracking Kui San 127.
• Liu Wen and Liu Wu — Fellow disciples from his intake and among the few sect members who get along with him 127.