Zhang Tie (张铁) was one of Mo Juren's disciples, an unofficial disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect, and Han Li's best friend.
Appearance[]
In the donghua, Zhang Tie has a scar on the outer side of his left brow.
Personality[]
“N-no problem. I’m too used to labor. If I’m idle even for just a moment, I always feel a bit…. uncomfortable. If you ever need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to tell me. I have nothing else but strength.”[1]
Zhang is a non-intellectual and simplistic person in nature. Coming from an abusive family and low status background, Zhang had no love for his family and decided to enter the Seven Mysteries Sect for a better life. When he failed entry, he accepted following Mo Juren (healer and herbalist) with Han Li. Since he had no talent for Medicine, Juren had him learn Way of the Armored Elephant to make him into a martial artist. Zhang would unfortunately meet his end when Juren killed him and reanimated him into a doll slave; he made Zhang into a personal body guard and enforcer. Zhang's body would out live his soul's existence and serve the will of others. Because of Han's sense of attachment for Zhang, Han made him into his protector and cultivated each other's bodies until his fall to the Bone Sage.
Biography[]
Seven Mysteries Sect[]
Zhang Tie was a mortal originating from the State of Yue within the Heavenly South Region. He was determined to train in martial arts.[2] However, he failed the tests to enter the Seven Mysteries Sect as an inner-disciple. However, he along with Han Li showed determination that allowed them to become unofficial disciples[2] and retest in half a year. Both Zhang Tie and Han Li caught the attention of the sect's renown Doctor Mo, following which they started to cultivate under him.[1]
Zhang Tie was given the chants of the first stage of the Eternal Spring Arts.[1] He was successful at cultivating the first stage passing Doctor Mo's test.[3] The first stage did not require absorption of Spiritual Energy which was impossible for Zhang Tie. His inability to absorb energy prevented him from making further progress in the cultivation art.[4] As a result, he was given a set of martial arts that allowed him to refine his body.[5]
After several years, Zhang Tie mysteriously disappeared to explore the region.[6] On his journey, he was killed by his master.[7] Zhang Tie's primal soul was removed from his body. A magical technique derived from te Devil Dao was used to reanimate the soul-less corpse and refine it into a living puppet known as Iron Slave (铁奴), which allowed Doctor Mo to control it.[8] Eventually, Han Li discovered this and went on to kill Doctor Mo after realizing that his life was in danger. After that, Zhang Tie's body came to be under the control of Han Li.
Sun Ergou's Gang[]
After Han Li renamed Zhang Tie as Crooked Soul, he followed Han Li on a quest to obtain a cure for the poison left by their master.[9] Cooked Soul served as Han Li's body guard and enforcer.[10] This allowed Han Li to take control over a local gang.[11] When Han Li left, Crooked Soul was left in the hands of Sun Ergou - a local confidante that served Han Li[12], and was tasked to serve as a guardian of the Mo family.
War Against the Six Devil Dao Sects[]
Years later, a Core Formation cultivator from the Spirit Controlling Sect of the Six Devil Dao Sects suffered a mishap when fighting a rival cultivator presumed to be either at the Core Formation or Nascent Soul stage and was forced to abandon their body.[13][14] As Crooked Soul's body had no soul, when the primal soul of the cultivator found Crooked Soul's soulless body, he decided to possess it and take it as his new body.[15]
However, their newfound body only lasted for 6 years. Han Li was in the area after completing a mission to protect a mortal clan, and he was flabbergasted to realize that Crooked Soul had forsaken his duty as a guardian of the Mo family despite his clear instructions. After realizing what was going on, Han Li promptly expelled the primal soul from Crooked Souls body by destroying the foreign green core of the cultivator.[16] Following this, Han Li decides to permanently have Crooked Soul follow him on his journey.
Crooked Soul was then taken by Han Li back to the Yellow Maple Valley sect. However, the sect was forced to flee from the State of Yue after losing a decisive battle in the war.[17] Crooked Soul joined Han Li in escaping the region.[18] Together with Han Li, Crooked Soul fled the turmoil in the Heavenly South Region using an ancient transportation formation.
Scattered Star Seas[]
The formation transported both Crooked Soul and Han Li to the Scattered Star Seas. Han Li's cultivation regressed to Qi Condensation following an encounter prior to escaping the Heavenly South. As a result, Crooked Soul again served as Han Li's body guard. The two temporarily rented the Minor Expanse Island where Han Li spent years rebuilding his foundation.[19][20] At some point, Han Li transferred a part of his soul to Crooked Soul to allow him to have an independent personality. Han Li then renamed him as Qu Hun. After recuperating, Crooked Soul joined Han Li on an expedition to obtain Dustfall Pills which improved the odds of forming a core to enter Core Formation.[21]
The expedition turned perilous when it was interrupted by a member of the Zenith Yin Island.[22] The interruption revealed a secret coalition. As a result the Core Formation elders presiding over the expedition decided to eliminate all witnesses.[22] Both Crooked Soul and Han Li escaped by managing to surprise and decapitate one of the elders.[23] As a result they became notoriously wanted criminals. Crooked Soul followed Han Li to a remote island where the two underwent secluded cultivation for four years. Crooked Soul managed to form his core ascending to become a Core Formation cultivator.[24] Leaving seclusion, Crooked Soul encountered a patrol whose mission was to capture or kill both himself and Han Li. Crooked Soul eliminated the patrol and fled the area along with Han Li.[25]
Heavenly Star City[]
Along with Han Li, Crooked Soul fled to the human capital of the Scattered Star Seas - the Heavenly Star City.[26] The two rented a cave residence on the large Sage Mountain that the city encompassed.[27] Being the human-led capital, the city had teleportation formations that directly transported cultivators to the Outer Star Seas where they harvest cultivation materials. Crooked Soul followed Han Li to the Outer Star Seas to hunt Demon Beasts for their cores. Together they spent several years farming for demon cores.
Upon returning to the Heavenly Star City, Han Li went into secluded cultivation to form his core. Crooked Soul was tasked with watching over and nurturing the various Spirit Beasts, insects, and plants that Han Li possessed.[28] After 60 years, Han Li re-emerged after successfully forming his core. Soon after emerging, Crooked Soul and Han Li were dragged into a mission to acquire rare materials to refine Core Formation-grade treasures. The mission itself turned out to be a trap set by the Zenith Yin Island sect.[29] Both narrowly managed to flee a Nascent Soul cultivator.[30] While ultimately a failure, Han Li managed to obtain a Divine Wood that he nurtured and refined into Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords.
Demise[]
Years later, Crooked Soul was again dragged into an adventure to raid an ancient tomb.[31] This was because both Crooked Soul and Han Li were vagrant (rogue) cultivators without access to a stable supply of cultivation resources. The two needed to actively search for treasures, materials, and resources. However, the ancient tomb turned out to be a prison for an ancient ghost called The Bone Sage.[32] Crooked Souls body was taken over by The Bone Sage.[32] The cultivation art that Crooked Soul was cultivating made it easier for The Bone Sage to take over.
Months later, Crooked Soul's body was destroyed when Han Li killed The Bone Sage inside the Heavenvoid Hall.[33]
Trivia[]
- Crooked Soul has spiritual roots with three elements. We only know that wood is not one of them.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chapter 6 (Novel)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 5 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 7 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 8 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 9 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 15 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 64 (Novel)
- ↑ Episode 3 (Donghua)
- ↑ Chapter 100 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 102 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 120 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 125 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 338 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 339 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 337 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 343 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 347 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 349 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 372 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 374 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 377 (Novel)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chapter 382 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 384 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 386 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 388 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 389 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 391 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 398 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 404 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 408 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 416 (Novel)
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Chapter 426 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 493 (Novel)